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How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

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How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Get Real! » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:04 pm

How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

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NB: This tip is for system administrators only.


The problem:

Ms Outlook locks all .pst files while Outlook is open which triggers a bug when trying to copy a .pst across a network which results in your script hanging forever.

Therefore this direct copy won't work...

robocopy "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook" "\\Backup\%username%\Outlook" /e /mir /mt:16 /W:3 /R:0


The solution:

1. First copy the Outlook files to a local directory like the user's TEMP...

robocopy "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook" "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp\Outlook" /e /mir /mt:16 /R:0 /W:3

2. And then copy it from the TEMP to the backup drive...

robocopy "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp\Outlook" "\\Backup\%username%\Outlook" /e /mir /mt:16 /R:0 /W:3

3. Finally, do a cleanup on the user's TEMP directory...

del /s /f /q C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp\Outlook\*.*
rd /s/q C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp\Outlook



That's it! If you also need the XP (Xcopy based) solution write here.
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby umit07 » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:09 pm

Where did this come from GR? Did you have to figure it out for a customer?
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Get Real! » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:11 pm

umit07 wrote:Where did this come from GR? Did you have to figure it out for a customer?

Yes of course, so I thought I'd share the solution to save others from all the heartache.
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby kurupetos » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:34 pm

Will you update to Win10 on Wednesday?
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby CBBB » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:49 pm

kurupetos wrote:Will you update to Win10 on Wednesday?


Best to wait for few months until they get all the bugs out of it, unless you have Windows 8, in which case change immediately, it can't be worse!
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby B25 » Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:25 pm

Get Real! wrote:
umit07 wrote:Where did this come from GR? Did you have to figure it out for a customer?

Yes of course, so I thought I'd share the solution to save others from all the heartache.

Can't speak for vista, but windows 7, doesn't need all this.

Goto c drive, windows directory, outlook files and copy straight over. Of course outlook must be closed at this point.

:D :D :D
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Get Real! » Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:14 pm

B25 wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
umit07 wrote:Where did this come from GR? Did you have to figure it out for a customer?

Yes of course, so I thought I'd share the solution to save others from all the heartache.

Can't speak for vista, but windows 7, doesn't need all this.

Goto c drive, windows directory, outlook files and copy straight over. Of course outlook must be closed at this point.

:D :D :D

:shock: Oh man... Microsoft and every other company that has ever written a backup program/utility are gonna sue your arse for putting them out of business! :?
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Lordo » Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:47 pm

why do you bother with psts, they have always been bad news. save your email and attachments into windows folders directly.

or are you into a money making scheme.
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Sotos » Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:50 pm

How is Outlook these days? Haven't used it for years since I moved to Thunderbird... last version of Outlook I used was 2003.
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Re: How to backup Outlook .PST files on Vista and Windows7

Postby Get Real! » Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:13 pm

Lordo wrote:why do you bother with psts, they have always been bad news. save your email and attachments into windows folders directly.

or are you into a money making scheme.

:? Lordo and B25, the idea of a backup is to have a duplicate of all important files on another hard drive, not the same one, and the point of having a script file do the backup for you is for automation.

You can’t go to every workstation in a company and copy 100,000 files manually! :lol:

A script file ensures automation, speed, accuracy, and uniformity for all users. That’s why I said that this post if for system admins or network managers if you prefer, not home users.
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