We all know that we should backup our critical files on a regular basis, but quite often, like regular exercise, we fail to do so. If your Windows pc is on a regular backup schedule which includes your “Users” folder under Windows 7 or your “Documents and Settings” folder under Windows XP you should be in great shape as your Outlook files are usually located in these folders.

If your back regime is not quite so robust you can add an Outlook back up tool that will run automatically. The link for this tool can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/238782.

A useful how to can be found at http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/backupaddin.htm.

While there are various posts complaining about installation problems there are really only two things you need to know. First, you need to run the install logged in as the the Outlook user and with admin privileges, “run as” is helpful. Two, if you use “run as” you will need to manually add the plugin to outlook. This can be done by locating the add-ins section of the trust center and manually locating the plugin to add it.

You’ll know when you are successful when you see the “backup” menu item under your “files” menu option. Just setup the options and you should be ready to go. Your Outlook files will be backed up on the schedule you select after you exit Outlook on the scheduled day.