Download Hotmail Emails to Hard Drive – Best Ways to Save Emails Locally

If you want to create a secure offline copy of your Hotmail emails, I’ll show you how to download Hotmail emails to Hard Drive in a few simple steps. By the end of this discussion, I guarantee you know everything about the same and related queries.

Why Save Hotmail Emails to Computer?

I personally recommend keeping a local backup because:

• Protection against accidental deletion
• Easily migrate Hotmail to Exchange, Thunderbird, or another service
• Access without internet
• Protection against account compromise
• Ensure data is accessible, even in “Hotmail we can’t sign you in” error scenarios
• Ensure data continuity if the Hotmail account is hacked or blocked

Now, without wasting any time, let me show you those methods with the appropriate set of instructions I use.

How to Download Hotmail Emails to Hard Drive?

Recently, I faced a situation where I needed to save Hotmail emails to computer. For the same, I researched and fortunately found five practical solutions. Additionally, in the upcoming sections, I’ll share all of them with simple step-by-step instructions, i.e.

#Method 1. Save Hotmail Emails Using Outlook Desktop App

This is my go-to method because Outlook allows you to export the entire Hotmail mailbox to a PST file locally or on a hard drive. 

To do so, follow this quick set of instructions:

#Step 1. Add the Hotmail Account to Outlook

1. Open the Outlook Desktop Application.
2. Go to File > Add Account.
3. Enter the Hotmail email address.
4. Sign in using the Microsoft account credentials.
5. Outlook syncs all the emails automatically.

#Step 2. Export Hotmail Emails to a PST File

1. Go to File > Open & Export.
2. Click Import/Export.
3. Choose Export to a file.
4. Select Outlook Data File (.pst).
5. Pick the Hotmail mailbox to export.
6. Choose a location on your hard drive.
7. Click Finish.

That’s all! With these simple steps, one can easily download emails from Outlook.com/Hotmail locally in one go. Moreover, the output data will be stored in a PST file format, which can be used not only in Outlook but also in Microsoft 365. 

However, some users don’t rely on Outlook and want a backup in other formats. For those, I’ll share the manual solution next.

#Method 2. How to Download Hotmail Emails to Hard Drive Manually

If you don’t want to export the entire mailbox and only want specific emails like 10-12, use this quick manual approach, i.e.

1. Log in to Outlook.com.
2. Open the email to save.
3. Click More actions (…).
4. Choose Print.
5. From the print window, select Save as PDF.

You can also drag-and-drop emails from Outlook Desktop to a folder on your PC, which saves them as.MSG files.

#Method 3. Use Outlook.com’s “Download as .EML” Feature

There is a built-in option to Outlook.com backup in EML format. It is free, and here are the steps to use it:

1. Open Outlook.com in the browser.
2. Select the email.
3. Click More actions (…).
4. Choose Download.
5. The EML file will be saved to your hard drive.

You can use those resultant files in Thunderbird or Apple Mail.

#Method 4. How to Download Hotmail Emails to Hard Drive Via Thunderbird

If you’re using Thunderbird, then it will help to save Hotmail data on your PC simultaneously. Here’s how:

#Step 1. Add Hotmail Account in Thunderbird

1. Install Mozilla Thunderbird.
2. Go to Account Settings > Add Mail Account.
3. Enter the Hotmail credentials.
4. Thunderbird will auto-detect IMAP settings.

#Step 2. Save Hotmail emails to computer

You can save emails in multiple formats:

• Right-click any email > Save As > choose EML.
• Or select multiple emails.
  • Save Selected Messages.
  • Choose your preferred format.

#Method 5. Save Hotmail Emails to Computer Professionally

As we saw, all the manual solutions rely on another service like Outlook, Thunderbird, etc., to download Hotmail data locally. But what if you want to back up data in MSG or HTML? Or, want a complete backup of the Hotmail account, including emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, and tasks.

The short answer is that there is no manual option to do so. For the same, you have to opt for an automated utility, i.e. SysTools Hotmail Backup Tool. It’s one of the most reliable solutions I’ve tested, especially when exporting large mailboxes without data loss or corruption issues.

This software stood out for the following reasons:

• Export Hotmail to PST, EML, MSG, MBOX, and PDF.
• Selectively download mail folders such as Inbox, Sent, Archive, or Custom Folders.
• Supports incremental backup, so only new emails are downloaded in future runs.
• Allows to download all attachments Hotmail
• Includes built-in date filters, naming conventions, and attachment handling options.
• Bypasses issues like browser-based limitations or manual sync delays.

For anyone who prefers a simple interface, this software is extremely user-friendly. So, download this now for free, and back up your Hotmail data effortlessly without any manual intervention.

Learn How to Use this Smart Solution (Step-by-Step)

Here are the step by step working with this software. Follow this when you download it:

• Step 1. Select the output file format, i.e.  EML, PST (Microsoft Outlook), MBOX, PDF, Contacts (VCF), or Calendars (ICS).

• Step 2. Choose the data category, such as Email, Contacts, Calendars, or Documents. You can use the Date Filter for a specific data export.

• Step 3. Type your Hotmail email address and click Sign in with Hotmail.

• Step 4. Now, select the Browse Folder Path option to choose your preferred location for saving the exported emails.

• Step 5. Lastly, hit the Start Backup button to initiate the export.

Tips I Follow to Keep My Hotmail Emails Safe

Below are some important points to keep in mind while handling Hotmail export:

• Store the main backup on your PC.
• Keep a secondary copy on your external HDD or SSD.
• Encrypt backups if possible
• Perform backups every month for active mailboxes.
• Avoid relying solely on cloud storage.

These small habits will save you from data loss or account hacking.

Author’s Verdict

Downloading Hotmail emails to a hard drive is easier than most people think, as long as you know the right method. In this guide, I clearly explained how to download Hotmail emails to Hard Drive using 5 reliable solutions step by step.

I’ve personally used all those methods depending on the situation, and I hope this guide helps you find the right one for your needs.