Downloading your email with Outlook

To make sure all of your email is downloaded to your computer in Outlook, you’ll want to check two things:

1. How your email account is set up (IMAP vs POP3 vs Exchange/365)

2. Your Outlook sync/download settings

🔹 Step 1: Confirm Your Account Type

• POP3 → Emails are downloaded to your computer and (optionally) deleted from the server. This guarantees everything is local.

• IMAP / Exchange / Office 365 → By default, Outlook only caches a portion of your mailbox (especially with Exchange/365). Messages remain on the server unless you adjust offline settings.

👉 To check:

• In Outlook, go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings → Email tab.

• Look under Type to see if it’s POP/IMAP/Exchange.

🔹 Step 2: Adjust Download Settings

If your account is Exchange or Office 365

1. Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings.

2. Select your email account and click Change.

3. Find Mail to keep offline slider.

4. Move it to All so Outlook downloads your entire mailbox (not just recent months).

5. Click Next → Finish → Restart Outlook.

If your account is IMAP

1. By default, Outlook caches headers and mail content.

2. To ensure full messages are downloaded:

   • Go to File → Options → Advanced.

   • Under Send/Receive → Send/Receive… → Edit your account.

   • Check Download complete items including attachments for IMAP folders.

   • Ensure all folders you care about are checked for syncing.

If your account is POP3

• POP3 already downloads all mail to your computer.

• To keep copies on the server too:

  • Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings → More Settings → Advanced.

  • Check Leave a copy of messages on the server (optional).

🔹 Step 3: Verify Storage

• Check that your Outlook Data File (.ost or .pst) is being created locally:

  • Go to File → Account Settings → Data Files.

  • Note the path and ensure it’s backed up.