How to Backup Outlook 2016 for Mac Data
Microsoft Office 2016 - Unmistakably Office, designed for Mac. The new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote provide the best of both worlds for Mac users - the familiar Office experience paired with the best of Mac. If you already use Office on a PC or iPad, you will find yourself right at home in Office 2016 for Mac. To uninstall Office for Mac 2011 move the applications to the Trash. Once you've removed everything, empty the Trash and restart your Mac to complete the process. Before you remove Office for Mac 2011, quit all Office applications and make sure there's nothing in Trash that you want to keep. Leave Office applications closed while you go through. Office 2016 for Mac is a version of Office that’s available as a one-time purchase from a retail store or through a volume licensing agreement. It will be supported with security updates and bug fixes, as needed, until October 13, 2020. The minimum supported macOS for Office 2016 for Mac is 10.10 (Yosemite).
Backing up data can be necessary thing to do in some cases, but it’s also a good habit to regularly backup your data to a safe location. Outlook 2016 for Mac is a great email client, but just like everything else in the computer world, nothing is immune from data loss, corruption, or other unfortunate events.
Backing up data from email client to local files not only keep your data safe, but can also free up space from mail servers.
Another important reason to backup Outlook 2016 for Mac data to OLM files is email migration. If you ever want to switch your client from Outlook to other clients such as Apple Mail or Thunderbird, you might need OLM files (archived proprietary data file format used by Outlook) to move your database.
So, if you haven’t backed up your emails, contacts, calendar entries, and other items from Outlook 2016 Mac to a safe location, do it now. The tutorial below will take you through each step.
You can do it either manually or use Mac Timemachine feature to set up automatic backups on regular basis.
Manual Backup of Outlook 2016 for Mac Data
Outlook 2016 for Mac (and other previous editions) use .OLM as the data file to store contents. You have to use the same file for backup and safekeeping.
Office 2016 Mac Key
Here are the simple steps:
Office 2016 Mac Back Up Settings
- 1. On the tools tab, choose ‘Export’
- 2. Choose the items you want to backup. For the purpose of this article, choose everything since you want to backup the entire OUtlook 2016 database.
- 3. Choose the location to save the OLM files and click ‘Save’
- 4. Once the data is exported to .OLM files, click ‘Finish.
Keep this OLM file somewhere safe for future purposes, such as, if your Mac Outlook gets corrupt and damages the native profile folders. You can also use this file to share emails and contacts with other Mac Outlook users. And also, through third-party email migration tools, you can convert this file to other formats for Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or other clients.
Use TimeMachine to Automatically Backup Outlook 2016 for Mac Data
TimeMachine is an Apple OS program that allows you to backup data, preferences, and other items. It’s best use is to set up a backup schedule to automatically make copies of the files on a regular basis. In the tutorial below, we’ll learn how to use it to set up a regular backup schedule for Outlook 2016 data.
- 1. On the Apple Menu, click ‘System Preferences’ –> Time Machine
- 2. Switch the TimeMachine “ON” and click “Select Backup Disk”
- 3. You can also click “Options” to choose what items you want to backup. If you want only to backup Outlook data, un-check all other programs and items other than Outlook.
- 4. Select the location to save the backup files and click “Use Disk”
NOTE* – TimeMachine requires an external hard drive (USB, FireWire, or Mac OS server), and it is usually a backup machine for your entire Mac (not limited to just Outlook). Also note that when you restore the backup files from TimeMachine, it may take a long time for Outlook to restore data completely.
As said earlier, you can use these files for various reasons. One of the most common ones is to keep them in a secure location for safekeeping. You can share them with other Mac users if you want to share the data such as emails and contacts.
If you are moving to another client or want to share the OLM file with a user that doesn’t have Mac Outlook, you need to convert it to the appropriate format (like EML for Outlook Express, MBOX for Apple Mail, and so on). Use “OLM Extractor Pro” as a third-party tool to convert your backed up OLM file to all major Mac email clients’ format.