Internet Tip - How to Backup and Restore Data Files

This document will show you how to backup your important data files for many popular windows programs. It will show you the most popular

file locations

An easy way to get to these folders is by clicking on START -> Run... and then typing in one of the variables above including the % and pressing OK. NOTE: %username% will not get you to a folder because it just contains your username, but it can be used in connection with the other variables. For example: Typing in C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings will open up your Local Settings folder.

My Documents

To restore your My Documents, copy the folder you made a backup of to one of the locations above.

Desktop

To restore your desktop copy the backup you made of the desktop folder back to the appropriate location above.

IE Favorites

To restore your IE Favorites copy the backup you made of the Favorites folder back to the appropriate location above.

America Online

America Online (AOL) puts your emails and personal filing cabinet in a folder called organize. The best way to find this folder is to do a search for it. But first make sure you have set windows to view hidden files and folders and have setup search to search hidden folders. Then click on Start -> Search -> All Files and Folders. Then type in organize and click on Search.

You may have had to reinstall America Online a few times, so there might be a few organize folders. Right click on the first one and select Properties. Look at the size. Then click Ok. Right Click on the next organize folder and keep going down the list until you find the biggest one. That is the organize folder you will probably be wanting to back up.

Below are the different locations for the organize folder in different version of windows:

Copy the organize folder from the location above to your backup device.

Restore

To restore America Online organize folder copy the backup you made to one of the locations above.

Firefox

For more information about profile folder locations for Mozilla Firefox see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Folder#What_is_in_my_profile? and http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

Restore

To restore your Firefox profile settings and bookmarks, copy the Profiles folder you backed up to the same locations above.

Outlook

Most web pages show you how to find the location of your outlook.pst file by using Outlook. But I want to show you how to find outlook.pst in case Outlook will not start, or in case the computer will not start and you are accessing the hard drive from another computer. There are a couple of standard locations listed below, but you may also search for outlook.pst as follows. First make sure that Search is set to Search hidden files and folders. Then click on Start -> Search and type in outlook.pst in the search box. If there are multiple users, you may find multiple outlook.pst files. Also, the file may have been renamed. In that case search for *.pst and it will find all outlook .pst files. When you find the file you are looking for, click on it with the right mouse button and select Open containing folder. Then you can copy the file to your backup device.

The usual location for outlook.pst is in a folder called Outlook in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\ or %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\

Restore

If you are copying Outlook to a new computer or restoring Outlook on a computer that crashed you can just copy the outlook.pst file back to the locations above.

However, if you already started an outlook.pst file on the computer and you still need to get your backup you can Import the backed up file into your Outlook as follows:

1. In Outlook click on File -> Import and Export... -> Import from another program or file -> Next.
2. Click on Personal Folder File (.pst) and click Next.
3. Browse to your backed up .pst file and click Next.

Outlook Bar Shorcuts, Rules and Nicknames

To backup Outlook Bar Shortcuts, Rules Wizard rules, and Nicknames, you have to backup all the files in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook. This will include:

A .FAV file      Outlook Bar Shortcuts
A .NICK file      Nicknames file
A .RWZ file      Rules Wizard rules
outcmd.dat      Toolbar and menu settings

The Outlook folder containing these files can be found in the following places:

Outlook Signatures

Your Outlook Signatures can be found in a folder called Signatures in the following folder: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\

Outlook Mail Account Settings

The Mail Account Settings are the settings for your email including POP3, SMTP, port and login settings for your mail server. These settings are kept in the windows registry instead of in a file. If the computer you are working on can start then you can access the registry using REGEDIT. [+]

However, if the computer can't start and you are accessing the hard drive from another computer (possibly through networking or with a windows PE boot CD) then you need to be able to access the registry of another computer. For instructions on how to do this click on the plus symbol below:

Accessing another computer's registry file

Backup from Bootable Computer

Export Outlook Mail Account Settings Key

1. In Regedit, navigate to the key below:

   Outlook Mail Account Settings Key
   Version	Location
   Outlook 2000	HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\OMI Account Manager
   Outlook 2002 and up	HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

2. To export the key, click on File -> Export... Under File Name type in a filename such as outlook-settings

For more info see the following web pages:
http://safari.oreilly.com/1565927044/out2000ian-APP-B
http://www.techspot.com/vb/all/windows/t-8927-Outlook-2003-Accounts-File.html
http://www.whoisdeep.com/2006/03/07/backup-email-accounts-in-microsoft-outlook-2003/

Restore

To restore the Outlook Mail Account Settings, on the computer you want to restore to, find the file we exported above. Should be named something like outlook-settings.reg. Double click on it and then answer Yes. When you run Outlook all the settings will be there but you will have to retype your password.

Possible Error Messages

Note:If when you start Outlook you get an error message that reads similar to: "The path Specified for the file ... outlook.pst is not valid", that means the username is different on the computer then it previously was. Just navigate to the outlook.pst file under the new username to fix the problem. (Usually %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook)

Note:If when you start Outlook you get an error message that reads similar to: "Unable to logon to the server using Distibuted Password Authentication", then in Outlook click on Tools -> Accounts -> Mail. Then double click your account's server name. Click on Servers and uncheck "Log on Using Password Authentication" and click OK.

Outlook Express

Make sure your windows explorer is set to view hidden files and folders. There is a hidden folder in %APPDATA%\Identities\{0DBE7094-4096-4B5A-B538-C54D129A60E4}\Microsoft called Outlook Express. This folder should contain files that look like:
Inbox.dbx
Outbox.dbx
Contacts.dbx

Note that {0DBE7094-4096-4B5A-B538-C54D129A60E4} can be any random characters and numbers.

Copy the Outlook Express folder to your backup device.

Restore

To restore your email messages, copy the Outlook Express folder that you backed up to the locations above. Remember that the random numbers and letters above ({random}) will be different on a new installation of windows.

Outlook Express Address Book

The Outlook Express address book is stored in a file that is called %USERNAME%.wab . It is in a folder called %APPDATA\Microsoft\Address Book

Backup

Copy the Address Book folder to your backup device.

Restore To restore the Outlook Express address book, copy the Address Book folder that you made a backup of into the locations above.

Outlook Express Mail Account Settings

Microsoft Outlook Express does not put your mail account settings (pop3, smtp, login, server, port) in a file. Instead it stores this information in the registry. The location of this key is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager

If the computer you are working on can start then you can access the registry using REGEDIT. [+]

However, if the computer can't start and you are accessing the hard drive from another computer (possibly through networking or with a windows PE boot CD) then you need to be able to access the registry of another computer. For instructions on how to do this click on the plus symbol below:

Accessing another computer's registry file

Backup from Bootable Computer

Export Outlook Express Mail Account Settings Key

1. In Regedit, navigate to the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager
2. To export the key, click on File -> Export... Under File Name type in a filename such as oe-settings

To restore the Outlook Express Mail Account Settings, on the computer you want to restore to, find the file we exported above. Should be named something like oe-settings.reg. Double click on it and then answer Yes. When you run Outlook Express all the settings will be there but you will have to retype your password.

Windows Mail (Vista)

You may want to backup that key.

Quicken

Since Quicken could be in different places, it is best to use Windows Search to search for *.QDF

Quickbooks

But users often times save their Quickbooks data file in other locations. The extension is .QBW so it is usually best to do a search for *.QBW to find all the Quickbooks data files.

Thunderbird

Copy the Profiles folder from the location above to your backup device. For more information see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

Restore

To restore your Thundbird emails and settings copy the Profiles folder you made a backup of into the appropriate location above.