How do I backup Outlook files onto CD?

Factual Questions
1

That’s pretty much my question, simple as it is. I did a search and couldn’t find anything helpful on this.
My problem is that when I try to drag the folders (containing lots of individual emails, contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, and the like) onto the CD drive window, it only copies the shortcut to the folder, not the contents of the folder as well.
I know about the ‘backup’ feature in in Outlook, but having the files backed up there won’t help if I have to wipe my hard drive.
Can someone give me an easy way to write these files onto my backup CD? Thanks.

2

What about file/export? You can create a single .PST file which you can burn onto CD, and import again if you ever lose your hard-drive…

3

Search your hard drive for any files ending in .dbx

The files that come up will match your Outlook folder names and may be very large in size. Back these up.

4

.dbx files are only used by Outlook Express. Outlook puts all email, contacts, calendar items, etc. into the user’s .pst file (unless used with Exchange, but that’s another kettle of fish). Burning it to a CD is a good way to back everything up. Email account settings will also need to be saved. The method for doing this varies depending on the version of Outlook and the way it’s set up.

As to the OP’s problem, it would help to know what CD burning software is being used.

5

If Outlook Express :

http://www.outlook-express-backup.com/

If Outlook 2000:

http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2002/pfbackup.aspx

6

Here’s another option :

http://www.backsettings.com/backup-outlook.html

7

Then how come I’m using Outlook 2000 (not Express) and I have .dbx files?

8

Got me. Ever used OE on that machine?

All the file extension lists I can find on google indicate that .dbx is used for DATABEAM bitmap images, Formula Graphics projects, Microsoft Visual Foxpro Tables, ICE Cache Explorer Data files, and mailboxes in OE 5 and higher. No references to Outlook.

http://filext.com/d.htm
http://www.file-ext.com/d.html

Searching Technet for .dbx under Outlook 2000 yields no results, but there are several articles for Outlook Express.

If you right-click Personal Folders, hit Properties and click the Advanced button, what’s listed on the second line next to Path?

9

Perhaps from a previous installation of Outlook Express ? Installing Outlook 2000 does not uninstall Outlook Express. Although I use Outlook 2000, Outlook Express still exists and all the .dbx files on my comp are associated with Outlook Express only.

Do a search for .dbx files on your computer and see which folders they reside in.

That said, the .dbx file format is not exclusive to Outlook express. It is a database format and may be used by other applications. It is also a Microsoft Visual Foxpro Table file format as well as a DataBeam Image file format.

If you don’t have Outlook Express installed, but would like to view the contents of the .dbx files you could try this program :

http://www.mailnavigator.com/read_dbx_file.html