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@o2Cloud-fr o2Cloud-fr released this 24 Apr 09:54
· 1 commit to main since this release
v2.0
450a0a2

OutlookProfileBackup

OutlookProfileBackup is a fully autonomous C# console application that performs a complete and automatic backup of the current user's Outlook profile into a timestamped ZIP file saved directly to the Desktop. No user interaction required — just run it and let it work.

📜 Features

  • 🔄 Fully automatic — zero user interaction required, runs from start to finish on its own
  • 📧 PST export via Outlook COM — automatically launches Outlook in the background, copies all mailboxes (Exchange, Microsoft 365, IMAP, POP) into a portable .pst file
  • 🗂️ All mailboxes included — every configured account is detected and exported automatically
  • 📁 PST file backup — exports and includes all .pst data files in the ZIP
  • ✍️ Email signatures backup — saves HTML, plain text, and associated images
  • 📝 Outlook templates backup — backs up all .oft message templates
  • 🖊️ Stationery backup — saves custom Outlook stationery files
  • 📋 Messaging rules backup — exports .rwz rule files
  • 🗝️ Windows Registry export — automatically exports HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\{version}\Outlook\Profiles to restore all accounts and profiles on a new machine
  • 🔍 Automatic Office version detection — supports Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365
  • 🔒 Outlook auto-close — detects and closes Outlook before backup, waits for PST file to be fully unlocked before compression
  • 🛡️ Anti-overwrite protection — automatically appends a timestamp if a ZIP with the same name already exists
  • 📊 Detailed console report — step-by-step progress with color-coded status for every operation
  • 📄 RESTORE.txt included — a complete restoration guide is automatically generated and included in the ZIP
  • ⏱️ Auto-close — the tool closes itself automatically after 10 seconds
  • 🧹 Auto-cleanup — temporary PST files are deleted after compression

🖥️ Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or later
  • .NET Framework 4.8 or later
  • Microsoft Outlook installed and configured (at least one profile)
  • The tool handles opening and closing Outlook automatically

🚀 Installation

  1. Clone this repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/o2Cloud-fr/OutlookProfileBackup.git

  1. Open the solution in Visual Studio.

  2. Ensure the following references are present in the .csproj:

<Reference Include="System.IO.Compression" />
<Reference Include="System.IO.Compression.FileSystem" />

  1. Build the project in Release mode.

  2. Run the .exe — everything else is fully automatic.

🎯 Usage

Simply double-click the .exe (or run it from the command line). The tool will:

  1. Detect and close Outlook if running
  2. Connect to Outlook via COM and export all mailboxes to a PST file
  3. Wait for the PST to be fully released before compressing
  4. Create a ZIP archive on your Desktop containing everything
  5. Display a full report and close automatically

No prompts. No clicks. No configuration needed.

📂 ZIP File Structure

OutlookBackup_USERNAME_20260424_113333.zip
│
├── PST/
│   └── OutlookBackup_20260424_113333.pst     ← All mailboxes (Exchange, M365, IMAP...)
│
├── Signatures/
│   ├── MySignature.htm                        ← HTML signature
│   ├── MySignature.txt                        ← Plain text signature
│   └── MySignature_files/                     ← Associated images
│
├── Templates/
│   └── MyTemplate.oft                         ← Outlook message templates
│
├── Stationery/
│   └── MyStationery.html                      ← Custom stationery
│
├── Registry/
│   └── OutlookProfiles.reg                    ← All Outlook profiles and accounts
│
├── Rules/
│   └── MyRules.rwz                            ← Messaging rules
│
└── RESTORE.txt                                ← Complete step-by-step restore guide

🔄 Restore Guide

Element Procedure
Profiles / Accounts Double-click Registry\OutlookProfiles.reg to import into Windows Registry
PST Files Copy to %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Outlook, then in Outlook: File → Open → Open Outlook Data File (.pst)
Signatures Copy contents of Signatures\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Signatures\
Templates Copy contents of Templates\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Templates\
Stationery Copy contents of Stationery\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Stationery\
Rules Copy .rwz to %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Outlook, then in Outlook: File → Manage Rules & Alerts → Options → Import Rules

A RESTORE.txt file with the full step-by-step guide is automatically included in every ZIP.

⚠️ About PST Size and Exchange Accounts

If your PST appears small (e.g. 265 KB), this is expected for Exchange / Microsoft 365 accounts — emails are stored server-side and the local copy only contains the folder structure.

To get a full local copy of all emails in the PST, either:

  • Enable Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook before running the tool, or
  • Manually export your mailbox via File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to .pst → select mailbox → include subfolders

🖥️ Console Output Example

  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗
  ║      OUTLOOK PROFILE BACKUP TOOL   v2    ║
  ║           Automatic Backup               ║
  ║         github.com/o2Cloud-fr            ║
  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════╝

[INFO    ] Starting automatic backup...

[INFO    ] Date    : 24/04/2026 11:33:33

[INFO    ] Machine : HOSTNAME

[INFO    ] User    : USERNAME


══ STEP 1/5 : CLOSING OUTLOOK ══

[OK      ] Outlook is closed.


══ STEP 2/5 : PST EXPORT VIA OUTLOOK COM ══

[INFO    ] Connecting to Outlook via COM...

[INFO    ] Creating destination PST file...

[INFO    ] 6 store(s) found. Copying...

[OK      ] security@outlook.fr copied.

[OK      ] admin@o2cloud.fr copied.

[OK      ] PST exported (265 KB)


══ STEP 4/5 : COMPRESSION ══

[PST     ] OutlookBackup_20260424_113333.pst  (265 KB copied to ZIP)

[REG     ] OutlookProfiles.reg (Office 16.0) - 198 KB

[TXT     ] RESTORE.txt generated.


══ STEP 5/5 : FINAL REPORT ══

[SUCCESS ] Outlook backup completed successfully!

ZIP File : C:\Users\USERNAME\Desktop\OutlookBackup_USERNAME_20260424_113333.zip

Files    : 3

Warnings : 0


Closing in 10 seconds...

🛠 Tech Stack

  • Language : C#
  • Framework : .NET Framework 4.8
  • APIs used :
    • System.IO.Compression — ZIP archive creation
    • System.IO.Compression.FileSystem — file-level ZIP operations
    • Microsoft.Win32.Registry — Windows Registry export
    • System.Diagnostics.Process — Outlook process management & reg.exe export
    • System.Reflection + System.Runtime.InteropServices — COM late-binding (no Interop reference needed)

Authors

Badges

License C# Platform Outlook

Contributing

Contributions are always welcome!

See contributing.md for ways to get started. Please adhere to this project's code of conduct.

Feedback

If you have any feedback, please reach out at github@o2cloud.fr

🔗 Links

portfolio linkedin

Roadmap

  • Windows Task Scheduler integration for scheduled automatic backups
  • Graphical user interface (WinForms / WPF) with progress bar
  • Backup to network share or custom destination path
  • Windows toast notification on completion
  • Multi-profile support on a single machine
  • Backup encryption (password-protected ZIP)
  • Email notification with backup summary

Support

For support, email github@o2cloud.fr or join our Slack channel.

Used By

This project is used by the following companies:

  • o2Cloud
  • MyAlienTech

License

Apache-2.0 license

Logo

# OutlookProfileBackup

OutlookProfileBackup is a fully autonomous C# console application that performs a complete and automatic backup of the current user's Outlook profile into a timestamped ZIP file saved directly to the Desktop. No user interaction required — just run it and let it work.

📜 Features

  • 🔄 Fully automatic — zero user interaction required, runs from start to finish on its own
  • 📧 PST export via Outlook COM — automatically launches Outlook in the background, copies all mailboxes (Exchange, Microsoft 365, IMAP, POP) into a portable .pst file
  • 🗂️ All mailboxes included — every configured account is detected and exported automatically
  • 📁 PST file backup — exports and includes all .pst data files in the ZIP
  • ✍️ Email signatures backup — saves HTML, plain text, and associated images
  • 📝 Outlook templates backup — backs up all .oft message templates
  • 🖊️ Stationery backup — saves custom Outlook stationery files
  • 📋 Messaging rules backup — exports .rwz rule files
  • 🗝️ Windows Registry export — automatically exports HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\{version}\Outlook\Profiles to restore all accounts and profiles on a new machine
  • 🔍 Automatic Office version detection — supports Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365
  • 🔒 Outlook auto-close — detects and closes Outlook before backup, waits for PST file to be fully unlocked before compression
  • 🛡️ Anti-overwrite protection — automatically appends a timestamp if a ZIP with the same name already exists
  • 📊 Detailed console report — step-by-step progress with color-coded status for every operation
  • 📄 RESTORE.txt included — a complete restoration guide is automatically generated and included in the ZIP
  • ⏱️ Auto-close — the tool closes itself automatically after 10 seconds
  • 🧹 Auto-cleanup — temporary PST files are deleted after compression

🖥️ Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or later
  • .NET Framework 4.8 or later
  • Microsoft Outlook installed and configured (at least one profile)
  • The tool handles opening and closing Outlook automatically

🚀 Installation

  1. Clone this repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/o2Cloud-fr/OutlookProfileBackup.git

  1. Open the solution in Visual Studio.

  2. Ensure the following references are present in the .csproj:

<Reference Include="System.IO.Compression" />
<Reference Include="System.IO.Compression.FileSystem" />

  1. Build the project in Release mode.

  2. Run the .exe — everything else is fully automatic.

🎯 Usage

Simply double-click the .exe (or run it from the command line). The tool will:

  1. Detect and close Outlook if running
  2. Connect to Outlook via COM and export all mailboxes to a PST file
  3. Wait for the PST to be fully released before compressing
  4. Create a ZIP archive on your Desktop containing everything
  5. Display a full report and close automatically

No prompts. No clicks. No configuration needed.

📂 ZIP File Structure

OutlookBackup_USERNAME_20260424_113333.zip
│
├── PST/
│   └── OutlookBackup_20260424_113333.pst     ← All mailboxes (Exchange, M365, IMAP...)
│
├── Signatures/
│   ├── MySignature.htm                        ← HTML signature
│   ├── MySignature.txt                        ← Plain text signature
│   └── MySignature_files/                     ← Associated images
│
├── Templates/
│   └── MyTemplate.oft                         ← Outlook message templates
│
├── Stationery/
│   └── MyStationery.html                      ← Custom stationery
│
├── Registry/
│   └── OutlookProfiles.reg                    ← All Outlook profiles and accounts
│
├── Rules/
│   └── MyRules.rwz                            ← Messaging rules
│
└── RESTORE.txt                                ← Complete step-by-step restore guide

🔄 Restore Guide

Element Procedure
Profiles / Accounts Double-click Registry\OutlookProfiles.reg to import into Windows Registry
PST Files Copy to %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Outlook\, then in Outlook: File → Open → Open Outlook Data File (.pst)
Signatures Copy contents of Signatures\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Signatures\
Templates Copy contents of Templates\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Templates\
Stationery Copy contents of Stationery\ to %AppData%\Microsoft\Stationery\
Rules Copy .rwz to %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Outlook\, then in Outlook: File → Manage Rules & Alerts → Options → Import Rules

A RESTORE.txt file with the full step-by-step guide is automatically included in every ZIP.

⚠️ About PST Size and Exchange Accounts

If your PST appears small (e.g. 265 KB), this is expected for Exchange / Microsoft 365 accounts — emails are stored server-side and the local copy only contains the folder structure.

To get a full local copy of all emails in the PST, either:

  • Enable Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook before running the tool, or
  • Manually export your mailbox via File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to .pst → select mailbox → include subfolders

🖥️ Console Output Example

  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗
  ║      OUTLOOK PROFILE BACKUP TOOL   v2    ║
  ║           Automatic Backup               ║
  ║         github.com/o2Cloud-fr            ║
  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════╝

  [INFO    ] Starting automatic backup...
  [INFO    ] Date    : 24/04/2026 11:33:33
  [INFO    ] Machine : HOSTNAME
  [INFO    ] User    : USERNAME

  ══ STEP 1/5 : CLOSING OUTLOOK ══
  [OK      ] Outlook is closed.

  ══ STEP 2/5 : PST EXPORT VIA OUTLOOK COM ══
  [INFO    ] Connecting to Outlook via COM...
  [INFO    ] Creating destination PST file...
  [INFO    ] 6 store(s) found. Copying...
  [OK      ] security@outlook.fr copied.
  [OK      ] admin@o2cloud.fr copied.
  [OK      ] PST exported (265 KB)

  ══ STEP 4/5 : COMPRESSION ══
  [PST     ] OutlookBackup_20260424_113333.pst  (265 KB copied to ZIP)
  [REG     ] OutlookProfiles.reg (Office 16.0) - 198 KB
  [TXT     ] RESTORE.txt generated.

  ══ STEP 5/5 : FINAL REPORT ══
  [SUCCESS ] Outlook backup completed successfully!
  ZIP File : C:\Users\USERNAME\Desktop\OutlookBackup_USERNAME_20260424_113333.zip
  Files    : 3
  Warnings : 0

  Closing in 10 seconds...

🛠 Tech Stack

  • Language : C#
  • Framework : .NET Framework 4.8
  • APIs used :
    • System.IO.Compression — ZIP archive creation
    • System.IO.Compression.FileSystem — file-level ZIP operations
    • Microsoft.Win32.Registry — Windows Registry export
    • System.Diagnostics.Process — Outlook process management & reg.exe export
    • System.Reflection + System.Runtime.InteropServices — COM late-binding (no Interop reference needed)

Authors

Badges

License
C#
Platform
Outlook

Contributing

Contributions are always welcome!

See contributing.md for ways to get started. Please adhere to this project's code of conduct.

Feedback

If you have any feedback, please reach out at [github@o2cloud.fr](mailto:github@o2cloud.fr)

🔗 Links

portfolio
linkedin

Roadmap

  • Windows Task Scheduler integration for scheduled automatic backups
  • Graphical user interface (WinForms / WPF) with progress bar
  • Backup to network share or custom destination path
  • Windows toast notification on completion
  • Multi-profile support on a single machine
  • Backup encryption (password-protected ZIP)
  • Email notification with backup summary

Support

For support, email [github@o2cloud.fr](mailto:github@o2cloud.fr) or join our Slack channel.

Used By

This project is used by the following companies:

  • o2Cloud
  • MyAlienTech

License

[Apache-2.0 license](https://github.com/o2Cloud-fr/OutlookProfileBackup/blob/main/LICENSE)

Logo

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