Saving emails from Microsoft Outlook 2003

[peachybabe]

My works Tablet uses Microsoft Outlook 2003. The works IT dept is looking to "refresh" all the computers, but I have heard first hand that they lose loads of stuff when they do so. Including loads of emails. I have also had first hand experience of them loosing loads of emails, including some extremely important budget and Employment Tribunial emails (that's before they "tinker" with my tablet!). They always promise that they can be restored, but I have yet to find anyone who has been able to get it done.
Can anyone tell me of a really simple way of saving ALL my emails (in baby language please!!) without saving them individually.
I'm very good at housekeeping my mailbox, but all of the emails I do have are important.
I would be looking to save them to an external hard drive so that I can upload them again if necessary.

[Postdog]

This has always worked for me.

Create a folder, whatever name you like, then minimise.

Open your emails to save. Highlight all hose you want and then drag down to folder created. It should open, then simply drop them into folder.

Do this with all you want to save, then either make a disc or copy those folders to a memory of some kind.

[peachybabe]

Postdog

YOU ARE BRILLIANT!!!

Many, many thanks!!

Wish we had you in our IT dept. They don't seem to have a clue. They said it couldn't be done!

Peachybabe

[peachybabe]

Postdog - Are you still there?

Saved a load, but now when I try to do it a box comes up saying that there is not enough memory to carry out this action.

I have even cleared all the ones that I've done onto the external hard drive (320GB) but it still won't let me procede.

Any other ideas?

[Postdog]

Blimey you must have a lot of mails or a small memory.

Sorry, was going to suggest the following.....

The simple answer is firstly, make sure it is working as I said t should.

Then either back up the new stuff you have and or delete the old stuff as you go.

.....but reading your post, that's what you are doing.

maybe a reboot or emptying recycle bin might help.

[peachybabe]

Postdog

You did it again. Thanks!

Just for your info. 164 MB file size, 1200 emails!! All must be kept for one reason or another! Now you know why I was getting desperate to save them!

I feel a mighty lot safer now if IT want to fiddle with my PC!

Just out of intrest, can I do anything to save them with the "From" section. It's great that I've got them, but would be good in the future if I could save tham knowing at a glance who they were from.

[ChuckFickens]

it would probably be far better for you to just backup your PST file (which is the main storage file for outlook)

Follow instructions here under "How to make a backup copy of a .pst file" section

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287070

If I was you I'd back it up about once a week (you say you have an external hard drive, copy it to that once a week)

it would be very easy to create a shortcut on the desktop to do this automatically too.

[peachybabe]

ChuckFickens (Nice name!)

Thats really helpful too!

Thank god for all you IT wizzkids who monitor AB for idiots like me!

You can guess what I'll be doing tomorrow!

[Postdog]

Assuming you have the space available, you can just import them into your new emails - procedure is basically a reversal of what you did to take them out.

Or just use the facilities on your pc to sort by size, date, etc

[peachybabe]

Thanks to both!

If you knew the job that I did you would realise what a couple of lifesavers you are!

Have saved the whole of this for future reference so as not to be caught out by IT again!

[ChuckFickens]

if your emails are that important to you then you really do need to look at a proper backup routine for them. (though I'm amazed you work for a company that isn't already backing up email if it's that important!)