This document provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for backing up all email data from your BW Email account that is being closed and will have its service permanently cut off.

It is critical to perform these backups to an external storage device (e.g., a laptop, an external hard drive, or secure cloud storage) as the email account will soon be inaccessible.

Microsoft Outlook (Desktop Application - Recommended)

The classic Microsoft Outlook desktop application offers the most robust and complete way to back up your email, calendar, and contacts into a single Outlook Data File (.pst).

This process is generally not available in the New Outlook for Windows or the legacy Windows Mail app, so the full desktop version of Outlook (often included with Microsoft 365) is required. If you are currently using the "New Outlook," you may need to switch back to the "Classic Outlook" desktop application first.

Step 1: Export Mailbox to a .PST File

1. Open Microsoft Outlook (the classic desktop application).
2. Go to the File tab in the top-left corner.
3. Click Open & Export, then select Import/Export.
4. In the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file, and click Next.
5. Select Outlook Data File (.pst), and click Next.
6. Select the account's top-level folder (it's usually the email address itself).
   • Crucially, check the box for Include subfolders. This ensures you back up your Inbox, Sent Items, Calendar, Contacts, and all custom folders.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Browse to choose a secure location (preferably on an external drive) and name your backup file (e.g., Retired_Account_Backup_YYYYMMDD.pst).
9. Under Options, select the preferred method for handling duplicates (if exporting to an existing file). For a full retirement backup, Replace duplicates with exported items is usually safest.
10. Click Finish.
11. (Optional but Recommended): Outlook may prompt you to add an optional password to your .pst file. Enter and confirm a strong password, then click OK.

The export process will begin. It may take a long time for large mailboxes. Do not close Outlook until the process is complete.

Step 2: Verify and Secure the Backup

1. Navigate to the location where you saved the .pst file (your external drive).
2. Confirm the file exists and has a significant file size (it should be large if you have many emails).
3. Ensure the file is safely stored on an external drive or cloud service, as the original data source will soon be cut off.