Can I Backup my email messages stored on POP3, IMAP4 or Microsoft Exchange Server?
Backing up emails is an often neglected area as it’s not so straight forward as backing up your document files. This article provides a guide to backup your emails using SyncBackPro that are stored on a POP3, IMAP4 or Microsoft Exchange Server. Note that SyncBackFree and SyncBackSE do not provide this function.
SyncBackPro can backup emails stored on POP3 or IMAP4. If you are using Microsoft Exchange Server and if it supports access via EWS or WebDav then you can also backup emails stored on your Exchange server.
Your email messages are backed up and stored locally as EML files containing the email body and attachments (if any).
Email Backups are one directional which means you cannot restore emails back to your email server using SyncBackPro. However, you can import EML files into your email client if you have accidentally deleted your email, or if your email message is corrupted etc.
Step-by-step guide to Backup your emails messages using SyncBackPro:
Create a Profile
Create a New Profile via Profile Creation Wizard and follow the on-screen prompts. When prompted choose the profile type as Backup/Mirror Right and click Next. Select 'Email Messages' as your Source and 'Internal/External drive, network path etc.' as your Destination and click Next.
Enter email connection details:
SyncBackPro has to connect to your email server to Backup your email messages. This is where you enter the email server connection details.
Email Service: You can use the default [Custom] option or select one from the available options(from the drop-down list) such as Gmail, Office365, Yahoo, Outlook.com etc., depending on which email service you are connecting to.
Server Type: The more common Server types would be either POP3 or IMAP4. If you are using Microsoft Exchange Server then you should choose EWS or WebDav option from the drop-down list (for Microsoft Exchange 2007 or newer use Microsoft Exchange EWS option, for exchange server 2000 or 2003 use Microsoft Exchange WebDav option). If in doubt, check with your email provider or systems administrator.
Hostname: Hostname (or IP address) of your POP3, IMAP4 or Exchange server. If you are using web-based email services (like Gmail, etc.,) then you may have to check/change the configuration settings on your web-based email service to allow third-party access to your emails. Please refer to the below KB article for more details:
https://help.2brightsparks.com/support/solutions/articles/43000335926
If in doubt, check with your respective provider.
Username: Username for your account (usually the email address you are connecting to)
Password: Password for your account (if you are using Gmail, this would be the SyncBack Application Password you created in Google)
Encrypted Connection method: If your email server requires an encrypted connection then select the encryption option. If your POP3/IMAP4 supports direct encrypted connection, then select 'Direct SSL/TLS connection' option otherwise select 'Use STLS command' option. If you are using Microsoft Exchange server then select either option to use an encrypted connection.
At any point if you are unsure of your connection details then please check with your email provider or system administrator. You can also test your connection details using 'Test Email Settings' button.
2. Configure your Source and Destination paths
If you are using an IMAP4 or Microsoft Exchange email server then you can optionally select a folder (from your email server) to backup email messages stored under that folder. However, folder selection is not possible if you are using POP3 server. Hence the small folder icon next to your Source ('Backup Email') is disabled if you are using a POP3 server.
Select a directory from your local, external or network drive as your Destination. Your email messages will be backed up to this location during the profile run.
You can review/verify your email server connection details from the Backup Email settings page (Modify>Expert > Backup Email).
3. Run your Profile
Finally, run your profile to backup all your email messages to your configured Destination folder.