# Save hotmail messages



## pilotwhite (Oct 8, 2006)

Hello

does anyone know a way to save LOTS of emails I have on my hotmail account, to something I can have on my pc, a backup file for instance.
If the only way is one by one, will take me forever..!

cheers


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

I've not tried this, but it might work for you to get copies of your message into Outlook Express so you have a backup.

http://email.about.com/od/outlookexpresstips/qt/et061405.htm


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## pilotwhite (Oct 8, 2006)

ok, thanks, but if I do this, is there a good way to save them from Outlook Express. ideally, into some kind of text files (eg word), that I can store off the pc.

cheers


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

The e-mail messages have to be able to be opened in some program that can read them. Yes, you could export messages stored in Outlook Express files (DBX files) to a TXT format, but you realize that you then lose all special formatting such as font changes, underlining, and attachments. 

You could also save them as individual messages from Outlook Express but then they still need to be opened in Outlook Express in order to read them. Once they are in OE, they are stored in DBX files which can be backed up to CD, DVD, or external hard drive, but still, of course, they can only be restored to Outlook Express for reading.

Another thread mentions opening each message in Hotmail and printing it which you could do using a free PDF distiller which would turn the messages into "printed" PDF files that could be opened on any computer with Adobe Acrobat Reader. However, you still lose any attachments, and the messages are no longer in any e-mail type format.

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding your intentions or if you're simply expecting too much from the process.


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## pilotwhite (Oct 8, 2006)

thanks for the advice .
I'm not bothered about any formatting, or attachments. But there are over 300 emails that i'd like to keep, and was curious to know if there is a bulk way to save them all.
I'm not a fan of using OE with free pop based webmail. Between my wife+I we have 5 email accounts, just feel can keep a better track of them individually.

So if i can get them all into OE, is there a way to save say a whole folder containing few hundred emails..?

thanks again


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

The folders are automatically saved in DBX files.


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