Introduction to Outlook Web App (OWA)
Outlook Web App (OWA), now known as Outlook on the Web, is a web-based email client and personal information manager developed by Microsoft. It aims to allow users to access their Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) accounts from a web browser. Outlook on the web includes many of the features of classic Microsoft Outlook, making it an affordable and accessible solution for managing your email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and more from anywhere with an Internet connection.
Outlook on the Web offers a flexible and convenient way to manage email and productivity tasks, making it a popular choice for individuals and organizations looking for an online email solution. Note that the Outlook on the web user interface and functionality may change over time as Microsoft updates and improves the platform.
Some key reasons for Outlook Web App Backup
Backing up your Outlook Web App (Outlook on the web) data is necessary for several reasons. It helps protect your important email, contacts, calendar, and other information from potential data loss or exposure. Here are some top reasons why you should consider backing up your Outlook on the web data regularly:
- Data Loss Prevention
- Email Retention and Compliance
- Ransomware and Cybersecurity Threats
- Accidental Data Deletion
- Hardware Failure or Software
- Account migration or changes
- Protection of individual accounts
- Data recovery after corruption
- Long-term archiving
To save email messages from Outlook Web App (aka Outlook on the web) to your computer, you have several options, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are the steps to save emails using different methods:
Save individual emails as files:
If you want to save specific emails as separate files on your computer, do the following:
- Outlook Web App account.
- Open the email you want to save.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the email.
- Select the “Print” option; in the drop-down menu.
- In the opened print dialog choose “Microsoft Print to PDF”; Printer options (if applicable) or other PDF printing software installed.
- Click “Print”; and follow the instructions to save the email as a PDF on your computer.
Export emails using the Outlook desktop client:
If you have the Outlook client installed and configured on your computer with an Outlook Web App account, you can more easily export emails:
- Open the Outlook desktop client.
- Navigate to the folder that contains the emails you want to save.
- Select the emails you want to save by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking each email.
- Right-click on the selected emails and select “Move”. > “Copy to Folder”.
- Select the folder on your computer where you want to save the emails and click OK.
Use the Microsoft Office 365 export tool:
If you have access to Microsoft Office 365, you can use the built-in export tool to save emails to your computer:
- Sign in to your Microsoft Office 365.
- Go to Outlook Web App (OWA).
- Click on “Settings”; (gear icon) in the top right corner.
- Click on “Mail” in the “Settings of your application” area.
- In the left pane, click General and then click Export.
- Follow the instructions to create and upload a PST file containing your emails.
Use third-party email backup tools:
There are third-party tools available that specialize in backing up and exporting email. A popular option is the GainTools Cloud Backup tool, which allows you to locally download and backup any IMAP-based email client in a few simple steps.
Forward emails to an external email address:
Another method of archiving emails externally is to forward them to an external email address (e.g.personal email account). This effectively creates a copy of the email in the external account.
Please note that the availability of these methods may vary based on your organization’s policies, the version of Outlook you are using, and your access permissions. Always follow your organization’s policies and best practices for handling email data.
Conclusion
When considering an Outlook Web App backup solution, try a combination of methods, including exporting emails to local files in PDF or PST formats, using the Microsoft Office Export Tool 365, or using third-party backup tools from other companies available for this job. Choose the approach that fits your specific needs, available resources, and level of control.
