Certain account types connected to the Mail, Calendar, and People applications only save data locally. When users move to the new Outlook for Windows, that data can be left behind unless users take specific actions to bring their data with them. This section seeks to show users how they can save their data from the Mail, Calendar, and People applications and use it in the new Outlook for Windows, or any other email client. 

Save emails from Windows Mail

If you have a POP account in Windows Mail you can now export and save those messages as a .eml file and then import those messages to new Outlook. 

Export messages from a POP account added to Windows Mail

  1. Select the folder you want to save. If you want to export your entire inbox, select the inbox folder which will includes all subfolders.

    Note: Only messages that are local to your device will be exported. Any messages that require online access (for example, the entire message hasn't downloaded yet), won't be exported.

  2. Click SaveAs at the top of your message list.

    Note: You can only export POP account emails at this time. If you don't see a SaveAs option, you don't have a POP account and you can't export your messages following these steps.

  3. The Saving your emails dialog box will show the location where your email messages will be saved on your device. Copy this file location.

  4. Click Save.

  5. Once your emails are saved, File Explorer will open to the location where you can access your emails.

    Note: Exporting your emails will automatically create two folders. The first folder will be your account name. The second folder is found inside the first folder and will be the name of the Mail folder that you saved. This folder will contain all of your individually saved emails in the .eml format 

Import your emails to the new Outlook for Windows 

Note: Any email client that can open .EML files will be able to open these emails though the instructions might be different.

You can now import your files to new Outlook. This step assumes you already added the account to new Outlook where you want to save these messages. If you haven't added an account, see Add an email account to Outlook.

  1. Open the file location from the previous step where you saved your emails.

  2. Select which email you want to open.

  3. Drag the selected email(s) to new Outlook for Windows.

Save contacts from the Windows People app

You can export contacts you saved to the Windows People app and import them to new Outlook. 

Save your contacts from the Windows People application 

  1. In the People app, select  Download at the top of the People app.

  2. In the Export all contacts window, select Export.

  3. In the SaveAs window, select a location where you want to save your contacts. Click Save.

Import you contacts to new Outlook for Windows

Note: Any email client that can open .EML files will be able to open these emails though the instructions might be different.

  1. From the navigation pane in new Outlook, select People.

  2. Select the account you want the contacts imported to.

    Note: You can now import your files to new Outlook. This step assumes you already added the account to new Outlook where you want to save these messages. If you haven't added an account, see Add an email account to Outlook.

  3. Select Manage contacts > Import contacts.

  4. Click Browse and select the .csv file that you saved.

  5. Your contacts will be added to list of contacts for that account.

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