How to back up Outlook settings files

If you have customized settings, such as toolbar settings and Favorites, that you want to replicate on another computer or restore to your computer, you might want to include the following files in your backup:

• Outcmd.dat: This file stores toolbar and menu settings.
• ProfileName.fav: This is your Favorites file, which includes the settings for the Outlook bar.
• ProfileName.nk2: This file stores the Nicknames for AutoComplete.
• Signature files: Each signature has its own file and uses the same name as the signature that you used when you created it. For example, if you create a signature named MySig, the following files are created in the Signatures folder:
  • MySig.htm: This file stores the HTML Auto signature.
  • MySig.rtf: This file stores the Microsoft Outlook Rich Text Format (RTF) Auto signature.
  • MySig.txt: This file stores the plain text format Auto signature.

  The location of the signature files depends on the version of Windows that you are running. Use this list to find the appropriate location:

  • Windows Vista: Drive\users\Username\appdata, where Drive represents the drive that Outlook was installed to and Username represents the user name that Outlook was installed under.
  • Windows XP or Windows 2000: Drive\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook, where Drive represents the drive that Outlook was installed to and Username represents the user name that Outlook was installed under.
  • Windows 98 or Windows Me: Drive\Windows\Local Settings\Application Data, where Drive represents the drive that Outlook was installed to.

Note If you use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor, signatures are stored in the Normal.dot file as AutoText entries. You should back up this file also.

I had known that if you used Microsoft’s built in User and Settings backup wizard that these items would be backed up. Unfortunately because we run such a tight ship on our clients networks it takes very little to get them backup and running when we swap out machines. The time it takes to backup a user’s setting using the “User and Settings Backup wizard” did justify using it.

You might ask why is this such a big deal? The reason why it is such a big deal is people have come to expect that when you use programs like Hotmail or Gmail the auto-complete of the emails is available anytime and anywhere. Users are getting used to rely on this instead of actually creating contacts the traditional way. I tend to find Admin staff are REALLY bad for not creating a contact for people that they talk to on a regular basis especially if they only talk to them really through email (They are better about creating contacts if they have to talk to them over the phone etc).

This “how to” shows you how to copy the email addresses they have typed over the life of their computer.

*NOTE* – Previous Outlook programs you will need to find the .nck or .nick file

*NOTE* – Outlook 2003/2007 the file you will need is .nk2

How to backup the Cached Email addresses from Outlook

The file you are going to need is located in your profile directory.

• Windows Vista/7 – C:\Users\<user>\Application Data\microsoft\Outlook
• < Windows Vista – C:\Documents & Settings\<user>\Application Data\microsoft\Outlook

*NOTE* If you can’t find the file it might also be here C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

Copy this file and back it up to another location like a flash drive.

I was also told about a program called “NCKCSV”. This program allows you to backup your “quick outlook contacts” and save them as a CSV file. Once you have done that you can import them into your contacts in outlook.

How to restore the cached email addresses from Outlook.

Basically all you have to do is reverse the backup process.

1. Make sure that you have created the profile for the person both on the computer as well as in Outlook.
2. Copy the file from the flash drive back to the user profile directory for Outlook.

How to backup the Quick Contacts in Outlook and save them as a .csv file

You first want to download the program called: NCK2CSV

Run the app.

Click “Browse” button. Search for the file location I listed above.

Select where you want to save the file to and hit “Export Now”. The program will export the email addresses to a contact list.

From the horse’s mouth

I got these tweets directly from a Microsoft employee for whom I am very thankful had seen my original question to a fellow Winnipeg IT professional and answered my question.

** Note ** Rodney Buike also found a solution in the Microsoft Office Section – http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA011394511033.aspx

Thanks again guys!

UPDATE – Outlook 2010 Quick Contacts import – How to import quick contacts into Outlook 2010