How do you backup email?

Answer 1

Creating a Backup

There are several ways in which you can backup email. Many people use an offline mail client, such as Apple Mail, Outlook, or Thunderbird to view their email from their desk top (this is the same way your smartphone receives your email). These offline mail clients are not a backup, but many have features than allow you to backup your mail. For example, using Microsoft Outlook, you can convert your emails to a pst file for backup.

With or without an offline mail client there is also the option to convert your email to a PDF file. This can be done one email at a time in Gmail, and Google Drive offers cloud storage for your backup. With other providers, this can also be a viable for single emails by downloading a PDF printer. There are free and paid versions, see Sources and Related Links for more information about both.

You can also convert several email to a single PDF online. See Sources and Related links for more information.

Benefit

The benefit of a backup is that in the event of email hacking, loss of identity, or legal dispute a backup ensures that the user retains all important data. Backup files are also simpler to send as an attachment, as they are usually a group of several emails in a single file. The benefit of a PDF file vs. a pst file is that you can store and read PDF files on most smart phones and tablets.

Storage

There are as many locations that should be considered for backup storage. You can store email backup on your desktop or laptop hard drive, an external hard drive, in cloud storage, or on your smartphone and tablet. This depends on your needs and the access you require to the backup. The best access is on your computer hard drive or smartphone, but this is also the most vulnerable. Next is cloud storage, which can be accessed online and is available at all times. Most secure and least accessible is storage on an external hard drive.

Answer 2

Storage

There are several ways in which you can backup email, and as many locations that should be considered for backup storage. You can store email backup on your desktop or laptop hard drive, an external hard drive, in cloud storage, or on your smartphone and tablet. This depends on your needs and the access you require to the backup. The best access is on your computer hard drive or smartphone, but this is also the most vulnerable. Next is cloud storage, which can be accessed online and is available at all times. Most secure, and least accessible is on an external hard drive.

Creating a Backup

Many use an offline mail client, such as Apple Mail, Outlook, or Thunderbird to view their email from their desk top (this is the same way your smartphone receives your email). These offline mail clients are not a backup, but many have features than allow you to backup your mail. For example, using Microsoft Outlook, you can convert your emails to a .pst file for backup.

With or without an offline mail client there is also the option to convert your email to a PDF file. This can be done one email at a time in Gmail, and Google Drive offers cloud storage for your backup. With other providers, this can also be a viable for single emails by downloading a PDF printer. There are free and paid versions, see Sources and Related Links for more information about both.

You can also convert several email to a single PDF online. See Sources and Related links for more information.

Benefit

The benefit of a backup is that in the event of email hacking, loss of identity, or legal dispute a backup ensures that the user retains all important data. Backup files are also simpler to send as an attachment, as they are usually a group of several emails in a single file. The benefit of a PDF file vs. a .pst file is that you can store and read PDF files on most smart phones and tablets.