Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I restore PST Backups?

2. What is a PST file?

3. What is an OST file?

4. Can I backup OST file?

5. What version of Safe PST Backup should I use?

6. Why Exchange backup option is disabled? How could I enable it?

7. How could I purchase the Sahe PST Backup?

8. Why the size of source and destination PST may be different after backup?

9. Can I restore Outlook on another PC?

10. Can I use Safe PST Backup with Outlook Express or Windows Mail?

11. I'm not a PC professional. Can I get help to install and tune-up the trial?

12. Must I have administrator's privileges in my computer's Windows user account if I want to install Safe PST Backup?

13. Will I lose all Product data if I reinstall it?

14. Is it possible to save my backup files automatically before each new backup process?

15. If the option to 'Create New Backup File Automatically' is selected, which schedule will be used to create backups?

16. I received a message that connection required to perform backup is too slow. What should I do?

17. Can I purchase additional Safe PST Backup licenses?

18. Can I use Admin tool with the Free Safe PST Backup?

19. Will I get Admin tool together with Safe PST Backup Enterprise?

20. Can I activate Safe PST Backup offline?

21. Is it possible to deactivate a Safe PST Backup license if the user is no longer active?

22. How could I re-activate my Safe PST Backup Enterprise?

23. Can Safe PST Backup identify the connection type (wifi / LAN) and back up only if the computer is connected to LAN?

24. How many restore points can I have using Safe PST Backup?

25. Can several Exchange email accounts be backed up using Safe PST Backup?

1. How do I restore PST Backups?

  1. Import all or the selected data using the native Microsoft Outlook import feature available under the File menu.
    Open-> Import -> Import from another program or File-> Outlook Data File (.pst) for Outloook 2010
    File menu -> Import -> Import from another program or File -> Outlook Data File (.pst) for other Outlook versions
  2. Open the PST file from the Microsoft Outlook File menu. This will open backed up Outlook data into a separate Personal Folder. Copy imported data to the location you want inside of Microsoft Outlook.
    File -> Open -> Open Outlook Data File
  3. Copy the backed up PST file and replace old file(s) in the default Microsoft Outlook PST file location.
  4. Contact your corporate network Administrator or use the existing corporate instructions to request restoring files to your computer from your corporate backup servers.
  5. Contact our support: we can help choose a method more suitable for this situation.

2. What is a PST file?

A PST file a is Personal Folders file that stores your email items on your computer. This is the most common type of file in which information in Outlook is saved. Usually email accounts like POP3, IMAP and web based accounts use a .pst file. Microsoft Outlook 2019 only stores the POP3 account type data in PST files.

Each .pst file contains all of your Outlook folders, including the Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts. You can have a single .pst file (usually called Personal Folders in your Folder List) but you can also have an additional .pst file that you use for archiving. Using Safe PST Backup, you can back up any or all of these .pst files.

Outlook items like email messages, contacts, calendars and etc. that are kept in your computer are saved in an Outlook Data File. A Personal Folders file is

3. What is an OST file?

Typically an OST file is an Offline Outlook Data File used by Microsoft Exchange Server which allows its users to work with their mail data such as messages, calendars, contacts, etc. even when access to the mail server isn't available.

While Microsoft Exchange Server user’s emails and other data items are normally saved directly on the mail server, OST files enable a local copy of all the data to be saved on the user’s computer, the items being automatically synced when the mail server is accessed again.

There is an exception regarding the latest Microsoft Outlook 2019. Most of email account types including IMAP, Outlook.com, Google Gmail and Exchange Server use OST files with Outlook 2019, only POP3 accounts use PST files.

4. Can I backup OST file?

Yes, you can backup OST files with the Safe PST Backup Enterprise Edition. Click here to learn more.

5. What version of Safe PST Backup should I use?

Safe PST Backup comes in two versions – Free for personal use and Enterprise for corporate customers. To help you decide we put up a comparison list that could be found here.

6. Why Exchange backup option is disabled? How could I enable it?

Backup of Exchange folders is available in Enterprise version only. You can purchase Enterprise version here.

7. How could I purchase the Safe PST Backup?

Click here to purchase Safe PST Backup Enterprise. Contact us to receive your 14-days Trial. Volume discounts available.

8. Why the size of source and destination PST may be different after backup?

Personal Folders files (PST files) are Outlook's repositories for email, contacts, calendar information, and much more. When you delete an item in Outlook, it is moved to the Deleted Items folder, without freeing any space in your PST. After you empty the Deleted Items folder, the size of PST will not change, and leave “white spaces” within it, as a result of previous fragmentation that it runs being a mini database. So, when you save items in your PST, its size increases. When you remove items, it does not decrease, but keeps the size thanks to those white spaces, unless you compact the file.

Our backup process puts all existing items in the order that ignores white spaces of the original PST file, so the size of the destination PST may be different, usually smaller, though it will contain all your data.

The procedure to compact the data file might take several minutes or even hours depending on the amount of deleted data. To compact a file, the following steps need to be taken:

  1. On the File menu, click Data File Management. (Outlook 2010: File menu, click on Account Settings > Data files tab)
  2. Click the data file that you want to compact, and then click Settings.
  3. Click the Compact Now button.

9. Can I restore Outlook on another PC?

Yes, you can. Click here to learn more.

10. Can I use Safe PST Backup with Outlook Express or Windows Mail?

No, Safe PST Backup is not compatible with Outlook Express or Windows Mail.

11. I'm not a PC professional. Can I get help to install and tune-up the trial?

Yes, please contact us via email or LiveChat Help support in order to install and tune-up the program properly.

12. Must I have administrator's privileges in my computer's Windows user account if I want to install Safe PST Backup?

Yes, you need to have Administrator rights to install Safe PST Backup.

13. Will I loose all Product data if I reinstall it?

No.

14. Is it possible to save my backup files automatically before each new backup process?

Yes. You can use history backups to do that. Read about history backups here.

15. If the option to 'Create New Backup File Automatically' is selected, which schedule will be used to create backups?

The option to "Create New Backup File Automatically" refers to History backups that keep previous backup copies. This is a separate backup process. Regular backups will still be created according to the schedule selected in 'Options' under 'Start Backup Automatically'.
Additional history backups will be created according to their own schedule. Press the "Schedule" button in the "Create New Backup File Automatically" options area to change these settings.

16. I received a message that connection required to perform backup is too slow. What should I do?

Safe PST Backup detected that your connection speed is slow for a backup at the moment. You have a choice to perform backup anyway or cancel backup. If you cancel the backup it will affect only the particular backup, other backups will be performed by the schedule and depending on the test results once again.

17. Can I purchase additional Safe PST Backup licenses?

Yes, you can purchase additional licenses if you need more licenses. For example, you are expanding the environment.

18. Can I use Admin tool with the Free Safe PST Backup?

No, you can purchase and use Admin tool only with the Safe PST Backup Enterprise.

19. Will I get Admin tool together with Safe PST Backup Enterprise?

Admin Tool is a separate software monitoring the Safe PST Backup Environment and should be purchased separately.

20. Can I activate Safe PST Backup offline?

In case the purchasing company has strict firewall policies, we can develop a custom build with offline activation, which won’t require Internet connection.

21. Is it possible to deactivate a Safe PST Backup license if the user is no longer active?

Yes. Standard deactivation can be done in your account on our website by filling out a brief form. Our default deactivation policy states that you can deactivate a license 3 times per subscription period (usually one year).

22. How could I re-activate my Safe PST Backup Enterprise?

Your Activation code allows re-activating the existing licenses once deactivation is completed.

23. Can Safe PST Backup identify the connection type (wifi / LAN) and back up only if the computer is connected to LAN?

Current Safe PST Backup version does not provide Internet connection type detection. However, such functionality is planned for future versions and should be available soon.

24. How many restore points can I have using Safe PST Backup?

Safe PST Backup makes incremental backups. That means that the program backs up all data for the first time and then backs up changes only. Using this incremental backup option, Safe PST Backup stores only a single restore point. Using the “Automatically create new backup file” option, the program creates a new backup file every time it start the backup procedure (all previous backup files remain). In this way the users can have several restore points depending on the backup frequency.

25. Can several Exchange email accounts be backed up using Safe PST Backup?

With Safe PST Backup, you will be able to back up as many Exchange accounts as you need. Program supports multiple Exchange account backups.


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