Microsoft’s Windows Live package includes Hotmail (now Live Mail). Here’s how to backup your Hotmail email.
Even though these services run in the Cloud it’s a good practice to backup your contacts and emails from time to time. Having them on your local computer, and backed up, makes them available should you not have Internet access, or you decide to move to a different email provider.
Be sure to place the exported files you create during these steps in a place where your backup can get them so they are protected.
Export your Windows Live Contacts
- Login to your Windows Live/Hotmail account and click the Contacts menu option
- From the top menu select Manage, Export
- Enter the security code and click Export. A download should start. In the new Save windows click Save File, then OK
- Make sure this backup file is located in a folder that will be backed up by your backup.
How to Backup Windows Live Mail (Hotmail)
Windows Live doesn’t have an export function for email, so the easiest way to keep a backup copy is to have a local email client such as Thunderbird or Outlook installed on your computer and pull mail to there.
Note!: Remember to use the option to “save a copy on the Server” on your Thunderbird or Outlook, otherwise it will pull all your email from Windows Live/Hotmail and and it will be gone from your online mail page.
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