Have you ever opened your email client only to find out that some
unexpected issue has caused your emails to disappear? That’s where
backups come in handy. Email backups help prevent data loss, by giving
you the ability to retrieve email content that has been accidentally
deleted or lost.
How to backup Outlook
- Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select Export to a file, and then select Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and select Next.
- Select the folder that you would like to backup and click Next.
- Pick a location for the backup folder and then click Finish.
Your emails should have been successfully exported in the .pst format.
How to backup Gmail
- Head to myaccount.google.com
- Under Privacy & personalization, click on Manage your
data & personalization.
- Scroll down to Download or delete your data. Click on
Download your data.
- You will then be taken to the Google Takeout page. Under
Select data to include, check the box next to Gmail, then
click Next step.
- To see the options for receiving data, click the arrow next to
Delivery method, which includes emailing a download link or
saving it to your Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
- Your export will then begin.
Your emails will be exported in the
.MBOX format.
How to backup
Thunderbird
Unfortunately, Thunderbird lacks built-in backup tools. Meaning that
you will have to manually backup your data.
Here’s how to back up your emails in Thunderbird:
- Open Thunderbird and head to the folder which contains the
emails that you would like to backup.
- Select emails by using the SHIFT key or use CTRL+A to
select all emails
- Right-click and select Save as.
- Then select the folder where you would like to save the
emails.
The emails are saved as .eml files, meaning that you will be
able to easily open them in any email client.
How to backup eM Client
eM Client not only allows you to create automatic backups but also manual backups.
How to setup automatic backups:
- Head to Menu > Settings > General > Backup.
- Click Enable periodic backup and set the Frequency and
Preservation.
To create a manual backup simply use the Menu > Backup option.
To read more about eM Client Backup feature, you can have a look at this blog
post about Automatic backups.