Can you copy and backup Outlook settings to transfer to another PC or restore after restoring my computer?

Question

How can I save the settings, all the contact files, the calendar defaults and all of that information? I have a large harddrive to copy them to and then we'll restore our virus ridden computer (d@mn that WinVirusPro!!!) and I don't want to loose all that information and have to input it again. Thanks!

Answer 1

search your computer for a file called outlook.pst. That is the file that contains ever thing you had in outlook.

Answer 2

Here's the link from Microsoft: How to make a backup copy of a personal folders (.pst) file :

Answer 3

You can use True Image by Acronis in order to protect your data. True Image can backup no only your Outlook files but also you media library and applications' settings.
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/

Answer 4

You can export to Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, or to a Personal Folders file.
Note You should not export items created in multiple languages or in a language that is not supported by your system code page to a file type that does not support Unicode. For example, if you have items created in multiple languages in a Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders file (.pst), you should not export the items to a Microsoft Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders file (.pst). This file type does not support Unicode and therefore any items containing characters in any language other than those supported by the system code page in text fields other than the body of items (item: An item is the basic element that holds information in Outlook (similar to a file in other programs). Items include e-mail messages, appointments, contacts, tasks, journal entries, notes, posted items, and documents.) such as To and Subject lines of messages, ContactName and BusinessTelephoneNumber properties of contact items will be intepreted incorrectly and will result in the display of '?'s and other unintelligible text.

On the File menu, click Import and Export.
Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
In the list, click the file type you want to export to, and then click Next.
If you want to export to a file for use in Word or PowerPoint, choose either Tab Separated Values or Comma Separated Values.

Follow the instructions in the Import and Export Wizard.
Note Folder design properties such as permissions, rules, description, forms, and views are not preserved when you export to a Personal Folders file. Only the content itself is exported.

Tip

You can often export to programs not listed in the Import and Export Wizard, by exporting the data to either Comma Separated Values (.csv) or Tab Separated Values (.txt) file format.
Export a set of contacts

Create a new folder for the contacts (contact: Person, inside or outside of your organization, about whom you can save several types of information, such as street and e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and Web page URLs.) you want to export.
How?

On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
Type a name for the folder.
In the Folder contains list, click Contact Items.
In the Select where to place the folder list, click Contacts, and then click OK.
In the Navigation Pane (Navigation Pane: The column on the left side of the Outlook window that includes panes such as Shortcuts or Mail and the shortcuts or folders within each pane. Click a folder to show the items in the folder.), click Contacts, or click another private or public contacts folder that you want to copy information from.
To copy the contacts, press and hold down CTRL and drag the contacts you want from the Contacts folder you just clicked to the new contacts folder you just created.
On the File menu, click Import and Export to export the new contacts folder.

Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
In the list, click the file type you want to export to and then click Next.
Follow the instructions in the Import and Export Wizard.