How to Take Hotmail Backup - A Complete Guide

Jun 12, 2022 | By Deepak Singh Bisht

Hotmail was one of the first webmail services. In 2013, Microsoft rebranded Hotmail to Outlook.com. It is a web service by which any user can access it from anywhere in the world by the interconnected web browser.

But like any other email service, Hotmail users are also at risk of hacking. There have been many incidents where users have lost their Hotmail data. To avoid these scenarios, it has become necessary to keep a copy of the Hotmail data in the local machine.

In this post, we will learn how to backup Hotmail emails. We will also learn how to convert Hotmail emails to EML, PDF, and HTML format. If you want to backup Hotmail emails to a hard drive, then this post will be helpful for you.

How to back up Hotmail emails?

To back up Hotmail, you can try manual or third-party solutions. Here, we are going to use a manual solution to back up Hotmail emails.

Method 1: Configure Hotmail in Outlook

  1. Open Outlook
  2. Go to the File and select Add Account.
  3. In the Add Account window, provide Hotmail or Outlook.com credentials such as name, email address, password, retype the password and click on the Next button.
  4. After validation, you will get a successful screen. Click on the Finish button.

After configuring Hotmail in Outlook, it will save all your emails in an OST file on your local machine.

Method 2: Backup Hotmail using Thunderbird

  1. Start Mozilla Thunderbird
  2. Go to Tools and select Account Settings.
  3. Select Account Actions and click Add Mail Account
  4. Enter Hotmail credentials such as name, email address, password, select Remember password, select IMAP, and click the Continue button.

After configuring Hotmail in Thunderbird, it will automatically download all emails.

Method 3: Save Hotmail emails in EML

To perform this method, you need to configure Hotmail in Thunderbird. After that, you can export emails in EML format.

  1. Start Mozilla Thunderbird
  2. Go to the Tools and select the Account Settings option.
  3. Select Account Actions and click on the Add Mail Account
  4. Provide Outlook.com ot Hotmail credentials such as Name, Email address, Password, select Remember password, choose IMAP, and click on the Continue button
  5. After configuring the account, click on the Inbox.
  6. Select emails that you want to export. Use Ctrl + A to select all.
  7. Right-click on the selected email and select Save as an option
  8. Select a folder where you want to save EML files and click on the Save button

Method 4: Save Hotmail emails in PDF

To perform this method, you will need to configure your Hotmail account in Thunderbird. After that, you can use the ImportExportTools NG add-on to save emails in PDF format.

  1. Launch Mozilla Thunderbird and go to the Tools
  2. Select the Account Settings option, click on Account Actions and click on the Add Mail Account
  3. Enter Hotmail or Outlook.com credentials such as Name, Email address, Password, select Remember password, choose IMAP, and click on the Continue button
  4. After configuring the account, click on the Inbox.
  5. Go to the Tools and select Add-ons.
  6. Search ImportExportTools NG and click on the Add to Thunderbird option.
  7. Restart Thunderbird
  8. Right-click on the Inbox and select ImportExportTools NG
  9. Select Export all messages in the folder and choose PDF format
  10. Select the folder where you want to save PDF files and click on the Save button

Method 5: Backup Hotmail emails in HTML

To perform this method, we will use the ImportExportTools NG add-on to save emails in HTML format.

  1. Start Mozilla Thunderbird and go to the Tools.
  2. Select the Account Settings option, click on Account Actions and click on the Add Mail Account
  3. Enter Hotmail or Outlook.com credentials such as Name, Email address, Password, select Remember password, choose IMAP, and click on the Continue button
  4. After configuring the account, click on the Inbox.
  5. Go to the Tools and select Add-ons.
  6. Search ImportExportTools NG and install it.
  7. Restart Thunderbird
  8. Right-click on the Inbox and select ImportExportTools NG
  9. Select Export all messages in the folder and choose the HTML format (with attachment) option
  10. Select the folder where you want to save HTML files and click on the Save button

Frequently Asked Questions

How to save Hotmail emails to a computer?

To save Hotmail emails to a computer, you can configure Hotmail in Outlook, Thunderbird, and other email clients. You can also use third-party converters to back up Hotmail emails.

How do I save an email as a PDF in Hotmail?

If you want to save a particular email as a PDF, follow the steps below.

  1. Sign in your Hotmail or Outlook.com account in a web browser
  2. Select email that you want to convert and press the print button
  3. Choose Save as PDF from the print option.
  4. Provide a location where you want to save the PDF file
  5. Click on the Save button

Can I export Hotmail emails in PST format?

Yes, you can export Hotmail email to PST format. To perform Hotmail to PST conversion, you can use manual or third-party software. If you want to convert Hotmail to PST using a manual solution, then follow the below steps.

  1. Launch MS Outlook
  2. Go to the File and Click on the Add Account button.
  3. From Add Account window, enter Hotmail or Outlook.com credentials such as Name, Email Address, Password, Retype password, and click on the Next button.
  4. After successful validation, Outlook will download your emails.
  5. Go to the Files, select Open & Export and choose Import/Export.
  6. From Import and Export window, choose the Export to a File option, and click on the Next button.
  7. From Export to a File window, Choose Outlook data file (.pst), and click on the Next button.
  8. Select folders which you want to Export, select the Include subfolders option, and click on the Next button
  9. Provide a location where you want to export the PST file, choose Do not export duplicate items, and click on the Finish button
  10. Enter and confirm a password, and then select the OK button.

The Author

Deepak Singh Bisht

Deepak Singh Bisht

Content Lead |

Deepak Singh Bisht is a dedicated IT professional with over 9 years of experience, is a key member at SysCurve Software for the last 5 years. His expertise lies in email migration and data recovery, with a focus on technologies like MS Outlook and Office 365. Deepak, who also delves into front-end technology and software development, holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Applications.

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