Simplest way to backup Outlook?

[George]

Could a few MVP's offer a definitive answer on this...

I'm using Outlook2003 with BCM. There are lots of help menu's on backing up
things. All I want is a fast, simple *total* backup (I'll put it on a CD or
another PC) in case lightning hits this PC and I have to reinstall Outlook
and retrieve my data. So...

If I simply *copy* my Outlook.pst file (mine's 39MB), isn't that all I need?
Isn't that a 100% copy of my entire Outlook* (email, calendar, contacts,
everything) ...and if I had to reinstall Outlook, all I'd need to do is copy
this file on top of the new/blank outlook.pst file, right? Do I really need
to bother with the Import/Export command stuff?

Thanks,
George

 

[Brian Tillman]

I'm using Outlook2003 with BCM. There are lots of help menu's on
backing up things. All I want is a fast, simple *total* backup (I'll
put it on a CD or another PC) in case lightning hits this PC and I
have to reinstall Outlook and retrieve my data.

See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

If I simply *copy* my Outlook.pst file (mine's 39MB), isn't that all
I need? Isn't that a 100% copy of my entire Outlook* (email,
calendar, contacts, everything)

Yes, for your data. It doesn't save your send/receive settings, your
autocompletion cache, and some other data outside of your calendar, contact,
mail, and so on.

...and if I had to reinstall Outlook,
all I'd need to do is copy this file on top of the new/blank
outlook.pst file, right?

Never do this. Chances are you will corrupt your mail profile if you do.

Do I really need to bother with the
Import/Export command stuff?

No. If you need to restore the data, you can either modify the mail profile
in Control Panel to use your old PST or you can, in Outlook, open the old
PST with File>Open>Outlook Data File and then make it your current delivery
location at the bottom of Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next.

All that said, BCM may throw a wrinkle in the situation. I don't know
anything about BCM. You might try getting further clarification in
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlook.bcm