How to Backup Hotmail Emails to Computer: 3 Easy Ways

Can you save Hotmail emails to computer?

In today's digital age, the prevalence of hacking and virus attacks is a concern that affects data security. Hotmail, now known as Outlook.com, has also suffered from various security risks. While we may not control all these activities, one proactive measure we can take is to back up our emails, thereby safeguarding our important data and crucial emails. In this discussion, we will explore how to backup Hotmail emails to computer or hard drive.

Necessity of backing Hotmail emails to hard drive

The motivations for storing or archiving emails from Hotmail onto a computer or hard drive can vary among users. Here are some common reasons that may drive you to save Hotmail Outlook emails to computer:

• Despite the security measures offered for online data, concerns about potential hacking or virus attacks persist.
• The rising incidence of cybercrime and other cyber-related issues compels users to maintain backup copies of their Hotmail emails on their hard drives.
• Limited online storage space may cause to downloading of Hotmail emails to a computer or PC.
• Storing Hotmail Outlook.com emails on a hard drive facilitates offline access.

How to backup Hotmail emails to computer in 3 methods

Microsoft does not offer a direct export option or a Hotmail backup tool for exporting Hotmail emails onto your computer. Nevertheless, you can rely on either manual export/download methods or utilize third-party backup software to export emails from Hotmail to computer. Let's delve into these solutions below.

Way 1. Export Hotmail mailbox for backup

Utilizing the "Export mailbox" feature on the Outlook web app is a free and hand-operated method for exporting emails from Hotmail. However, Outlook imposes certain restrictions on this method, including the ability to back up only the Inbox folder, the absence of email filtering options, and potentially long time taken. Below, you'll find the steps on how to backup Hotmail emails to computer using this method:

Step 1. Visit the Sign In page of the Hotmail account. Sign in to your Hotmail credential, click the Gear icon, and select View all Outlook Settings.

Step 2. In the settings wizard, navigate to the left pane and click on General. Then, click on Privacy & Data.

Step 3. Tap on Export mailbox to initiate the export process. Be aware that the duration of this process can vary and may take up to 4 business days, depending on the size of your mailboxes.

Step 4. Upon completion of the export, Microsoft will send you a download link to access your exported Hotmail emails.

Way 2. Download Hotmail emails as EML files

EML is a file type designed for saving emails in an internet message format. Microsoft introduced this file format to enable users to download and store their emails and internet messages on their personal computers. However, it's important to note that you can only save one email at a time in the EML format.

For how to save Hotmail emails to computer hard drive, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1. Open your preferred web browser and go to the Outlook website. Sign in to your Hotmail account if you haven't already.

Step 2. Locate the email you wish to back up and open it by clicking on it.

Step 3. In the top-right corner of the email section, click on the three dots. From the drop-down, click on Save. Then, it will be saved as an EML file in your Downloads folder.

Way 3. Backup Hotmail automatically using AOMEI Backupper Professional

If you want to backup all Hotmail emails to computer quickly and automatically, it is better to use a professional Hotmail (Outlook) Backup tool. AOMEI Backupper Professional is an easy-to-use and fully-featured Hotmail backup utility that can help you save Hotmail emails to local/external hard drives, NAS, cloud drives, network drives, etc.

🥇 It allows you to schedule automatic email backups based on your needs, whether it's daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, or USB plug in. And you can choose to compress and encrypt your email backup files.
🥇 The software offers both incremental and differential backup modes, which can save you significant time and storage space by only copying the changes.
🥇 Apart from Hotmail, it also supports backing up Gmail, Outlook Mail, Yahoo Mail, and other popular email services, as long as you add them to the Outlook app.

Here’s how to backup Hotmail emails to hard drive using this reliable Hotmail backup software.

Step 1. Run the Outlook client and enter your Hotmail email address. Click on Connect to add your email account to Outlook.

Step 2. Launch AOMEI Backupper, and choose Backup > Outlook Backup.

Step 3. Click Add Outlook Data to specify the Hotmail emails or other mailboxes you wish to backup. Then click OK to confirm your selection.

Step 4. Next, click on the second box to browse and choose the destination path where you want to store your Hotmail emails. To backup Hotmail emails to PC, pick Select a local path and specify a desired location path.

Step 5. Hit Schedule Backup to set up automated Hotmail backups per your needs. At last, click Start Backup to begin the backup process.

FAQs on backing up Hotmail emails

1. Where are my Hotmail emails stored?

Microsoft has migrated all hotmail.com accounts to Outlook.com. As a result, Outlook.com now officially represents Microsoft's email service, formerly recognized as Hotmail and Windows Live Hotmail. After the mailbox migration, you may need to reconfigure your Hotmail account to re-establish connectivity.

You can head to File > Account Settings > Email Accounts and click Manage accounts. Then scroll down and select the Hotmail option under Other providers. You should now see your Hotmail inbox displayed within Outlook.

2. How far back does Hotmail store emails?

Hotmail, now known as Outlook.com, typically retains your emails indefinitely as long as you log in to your account at least once per year. However, emails that are older than 365 days and haven't been accessed or interacted with may be subject to removal due to inactivity. For why did my Hotmail emails get deleted? It is may because your account has become inactive.

3. How to save Hotmail emails as PDF?

You can save Hotmail emails as PDFs with the Print Option:

Step 1. Login to Hotmail account using a browser and access the email.

Step 2. Click on the three dots button, and select Print.

Step 3. Go on to click Print. Choose Save as PDF next to Destination.

Step 4. Tap on Save.

Conclusion

You should have known how to backup Hotmail emails to computer with the solutions mentioned above. If you want a simple and automatic way for how to transfer Hotmail emails to external hard drive or local disk, AOMEI Backupper is your best choice.

On the contrary, if you are comfortable with using the export wizard or don't mind dedicating some time to the task, the Outlook export feature presents a viable alternative. Feel free to explore these options based on your specific requirements.

AOMEI Backupper is highly recommended for its advanced features and user-friendly interface. You can also use it to clone SD card to larger card or clone Windows system to another disk without reinstalling.