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How to Create a PST File in Outlook

The easiest way to backup your emails is with PST files!

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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If you use Microsoft Outlook on a daily basis and you’ve run out of space, want a backup, or just to create a portable archive of your information, then creating and saving a PST file is the quickest solution.

The process of doing that isn’t too complicated, and it involves some basic steps you can follow directly in Outlook.

What’s a PST file in Outlook?

PST stands for Personal Storage Table. It is a file format used to store data in Microsoft Outlook. It can be used to store emails, address book contacts, and calendar entries.

This file is created automatically when you add an email account and makes it easier toback up your data. If you have multiple accounts set up in Outlook, each one will have its own personal folder on your computer, provided it’s an IMAP or POP3 account.

Data files are stored on the server for server-based accounts like Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com. Their offline files are stored on your PC in the OST format.

The default location for this file varies depending on your Windows version so for newer versions on Windows 11, you’ll probably find it in the following path unless you manually changed it:C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

The main reason why people use these types of files is to keep their emails safe from any loss or corruption. Unexpected events like data theft or hardware failure can cause issues with Outlook hence why they become a safety net.

However, the bad outweighs the good. Since this file type is uncommon, you can’t simply access its content inanother email clientwithout first converting it. You may also encounter compatibility issues when youcannot open a PST filecreated in older versions of Outlook.

Another disadvantage is that they aren’t searchable unless you index or convert them into another format. You’ll keep getting thePST cannot be founderror message even though you had created it.

The best way to ensure that your Outlook data files are stored in a format that can be read by future versions of Microsoft Office Outlook is to save them in a more convenient file format, such as an EML file instead of a PST.

How do I create a PST File in Outlook?

1. Use Outlook’s built-in settings

2. Use the Import and Export feature

It is important to note that newer Outlook accounts such as IMAP, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Outlook.com use the OST format. However, this does not mean you cannot create PST files. You’ll have to use the export method to achieve this.

3. Use the Cleanup tool

4. Use Account settings

When you encrypt PST files, they can only be opened with a password. This helps keep sensitive information safe from prying eyes, especially when using shared computers.

How do I save an Outlook email as a PST file?

With time, as you accumulate lots of emails, calendar events, and other data, your PST file can become too large and lead to performance degradation. The risks of ending up with acorrupt PST fileare also higher with such a voluminous file.

This necessitates you toreduce the PST file sizeto take charge of your storage and minimize any app crashes.

Users with old versions of Microsoft Office may find that the app doesn’t support PST files. In this case, you won’t see any options to import PST files into Outlook. If this is the case, we recommend upgrading to a version that does.

With the options discussed above, you should have no problems with PST file creation in Outlook mail. Just remember toback up your Outlook databefore creating a PST file.

Do let us know which method you found easy to follow in the comment section below.

How to Create a PST File in Outlook#

What’s a PST file in Outlook?#

How do I create a PST File in Outlook?#

1. Use Outlook’s built-in settings#

2. Use the Import and Export feature#

3. Use the Cleanup tool#

4. Use Account settings#

How do I save an Outlook email as a PST file?#