How to Take Outlook Contacts Backup? – Solution Guide
Summary: Have you faced Outlook contacts loss and looking for ways to safeguard? In this article, we will show you different methods that you can adopt to take Outlook contacts backup.
It is always a safe and good practice to take a backup of your Outlook contacts. In case your computer crashes or your Outlook account gets hacked, the offline copy of your Outlook contacts will come to you as a sigh of relief. A lost contact is a lost opportunity, hence always have a copy with you that can be accessible to you anytime, anywhere.
Why Should You Save Contacts Offline?
- In case any ransomware attacks happen
- Your Outlook account gets hacked
- Data loss due to accidental deletion
- Downtime of server
Easy Ways to Take Outlook Contacts Backup:
Here, we have mentioned two different methodologies that you can follow to achieve your target: a professional method and a manual method.
Method 1: Professional Method
An automated professional method always tops the list when it comes to taking the backup. The tool to export Outlook contacts to vCard is the perfect solution to this problem. It is the most preferred choice of the users as it converts the files into the vCard (VCF) format. A VCF file is a type of electronic business card which is the most preferred file format to store contacts in as it is very easy to share files with another user. Moreover, you can import this resultant file into some other email application as well.
Salient Features of the Tool to Take Outlook Contacts Backup:
- Facility to export multiple files in a single attempt
- Quickly scans the PST files for any form of corruption
- Converts corrupted/orphan/password-protected PST files
- Auto-detects the file location & default Outlook profile
- Preserves the details and attributes of the contacts
- Option to create a single resultant file for all contacts
- Can create separate files for all respective contacts
Steps to Take Outlook Contacts Backup:
1: Download and run the tool and add PST file using the Add File/Folder radio buttons or by selected Auto-detection option.
2: Now, the tool will scan the loaded files for any damage or corruption and display a preview of all attributes of the contacts.
3: Then, choose the desired file format that meets the user’s requirement.
4: In the end, choose the Export button and the tool will begin thee process.
Your vCard backup file has been generated.
Manual Method to Take Outlook Contacts Backup
The manual method is a bit lengthy process. It requires you to go through many steps to save. Another downside of this methodology is that it would need you to take the backup of each contact separately. So in case you are trying to save a hundred contacts, you will have to repeat the entire process for hundred times which isn’t the smartest way to do it.
Follow these steps to save the file in CSV format:
1: Launch Outlook and click on File>> Open & Export
2: Now, choose Import/Export>> Export to a File>> Next
3: After this, select Comma Separated Value>> Next
4: Then, select the contacts folder and click on Next
5: Now, browse a location to save the CSV file
6: At last, map the custom fields and click on Finish
Done! A CSV file of the contacts has been generated.
The application recommended above in method one ensures that you don’t lose your valuable data when you take Outlook contacts backup. In addition to this, the Outlook contacts backup software allows you to export multiple contacts in a single attempt which is not possible if you do it manually. An automated solution wins over the manual practice because of convenience and accuracy.
Related:
How to Transfer Outlook Contacts to iPhone? – Guide
How to Import iCloud Contacts to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010?
Frequently Asked Questions-
Yes, users can also transfer the contact files that were deleted earlier with no limitations.
The Outlook contacts backup software does not impose any limitations on the size of the file that it migrates. Users are free to transfer files of any size.
Yes, the resultant VCF file can be exported in 2.1, 3.0, 4.0 versions which are compatible with most of the devices and email clients available in the market such as AOL, Hotmail, Office 365, iPhone, Android, Gmail, iCloud, etc. You just have to select the version which is supported by your target device or email client to easily take Outlook contacts backup.
