Best Free Outlook Express Backup

Many email programs do not provide a practical way to back up messages, contacts and accounts. For example, Outlook Express (OE) uses an arcane data store that makes it difficult for ordinary mortals to back up, much less restore email messages. Backup programs potentially offer a more straightforward way to back up messages, account settings and contact details (address book).

I know there are valid reasons for staying with an old friend, but Outlook Express is past its "sell-by" date. ;-) Microsoft's new Windows Live Mail is similar to Outlook Express, but it is improved and more secure. It also replaces Windows Mail in Vista, and will soon be required to access Hotmail.

And you don't need a backup program for Live Mail. It is easy to back up messages, accounts and contacts right from the program. [Use the two "Export" tools -- one under the "File" menu, and the other from the Contacts window, reached from "Contacts..." under the "Tools" menu.] You can easily import your messages, contacts and accounts directly from Outlook Express when you install Windows Live Mail.

MailStore Home enables you to backup all your email messages from multiple applications and accounts into one secure and persistent archive. Lightning-fast search, one-click backup, powerful export - all information from your email is at your fingertips anytime. Never lose important email again!

Backup with MailStore Home comes as close to being a snap to use as you're going to get. Setting it up for Outlook Express backup can be as simple as a few clicks. There's a long list of other programs/accounts that it can back up as well.

• Microsoft Outlook 2000, XP, 2003 and 2007
• Microsoft Outlook Express and Windows Mail
• Microsoft Exchange Server Mailboxes
• Mozilla Thunderbird and SeaMonkey
• POP3 and IMAP (including webmail services such as Gmail and Yahoo)
• .eml and other files

Outlook Express Backup is a full-featured backup program from Genie-Soft, who specializes in backup software. This is a splendid program. OEB is suitable for all users, as it's easy to install and easy to use in default mode, yet it's very powerful. There are "wizards" to lead you through the backup and restore steps. You can easily schedule automatic backups. The backup archive is simply a Zip file (with extension *.boe). This is a find by Tech Support Alert editor Rhiannon.

KLS Mail Backup backs up email for many of the popular email clients. It also backs up profiles for popular internet programs. KLS Mail Backup is free for personal use. It's a clean, straightforward backup tool. KLS Mail Backup uses standard ZIP files to archive email, so you have direct access to the backups. Each step of the backup and restore processes employs wizard-like dialog boxes that keep the process straightforward and intuitive.

KLS Mail Backup does not backup POP or IMAP accounts. That means you cannot use it to backup webmail accounts like Gmail or Hotmail directly.

Amic E-Mail Backup is a good basic backup program for Outlook Express. It backs up messages, contacts and accounts. Amic is easy to install and easy to use. Amic does backup a number of other email programs, but not Thunderbird or Windows Live Mail. Amic does not seem to have been actively developed since 2006.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB) makes a full backup of OE's data files and registry keys, or just a backup of the address book. A full backup includes mail folders, newsgroups, address book and identity settings. OEQB is certainly effective, but it's somewhat confusing to install and use -- particularly the first time you do a restore operation.

StaticBackup, Inc has free individual backup programs (scroll down the page a bit to find the free ones) for Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Outlook, Outlook Express, IncrediMail, Thunderbird, Becky, and Eudora. (They also have more capable commercial programs that backs up any or all of these email clients.) I have only briefly tried the free one for Windows Live Mail. It was very fast and seemed to work fine. "Static Windows Live Mail Backup Free" backs up/restores all your WLM registry entries as well as your messages.

KLS Mail Backup -- http://www.kls-soft.com/klsmailbackup/ -- backs up email and profiles for a number of web-related programs. See the 05/07/2009 comment below.