Outlook.com Backup: Save Emails Locally
Whether it's Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live.com — all three services run on Microsoft. And all three deserve a local backup. With mailriva, you can save your Microsoft emails directly to your computer, without any web tool, and without modifying your mailbox.
Why an Outlook.com Backup Makes Sense
Microsoft offers a reliable email service with Outlook.com. But even here, a locked account, a compromised password, or changes to the terms of service can put your email access at risk. If you have years of correspondence in your mailbox, you should create regular local backups.
Users with old Hotmail or Live.com addresses are especially affected. These accounts often go back more than a decade and contain important personal and business emails. Microsoft itself doesn't offer a comprehensive export wizard — Outlook Desktop supports PST export, but not the web interface.
Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live.com — One Service
All three addresses are now operated by Microsoft under the Outlook.com brand. Whether your address ends in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com — mailriva supports them all. The IMAP server is the same: outlook.office365.com (port 993, SSL). mailriva fills in these settings automatically.
How to Back Up Your Outlook.com Emails Locally
Verify IMAP access
IMAP is enabled by default on Outlook.com. Make sure you can sign in with your Microsoft email address and password.
Download mailriva
Download mailriva for free and install the app on your Windows PC or Mac.
Connect Outlook.com as source
Select Outlook.com as the source provider in mailriva and sign in with your Microsoft credentials.
Choose a local archive as destination
Select a local folder on your computer as the storage target. Your emails will be saved there in a structured format.
Start the backup
Select the folders you want to back up and start the process. Your Outlook.com mailbox remains completely unchanged.
Your Advantages with mailriva
- Supports Outlook.com, Hotmail, and Live.com
- Passwords stay on your computer
- Mailbox remains completely unchanged
- Folder structure is preserved during backup
- All attachments are included
- No web tool — everything runs locally
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mailriva work with my old Hotmail address?
Yes. Hotmail, Live.com, and Outlook.com use the same Microsoft service. mailriva supports all three.
Do I need Outlook Desktop for the backup?
No. mailriva works directly via IMAP and doesn't need Outlook Desktop, PST files, or a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Will my emails be deleted during backup?
No. mailriva only creates copies. Your mailbox is not modified.