Foxmail Backup – Top Methods to Secure Emails, Attachments & Contacts

Backing up Foxmail is essential to protect emails, contacts, and account data from unexpected loss. Additionally, many users lose their entire mailboxes due to system crashes, corrupted profiles, or accidental deletion. That’s why a proper Foxmail backup strategy is essential. 

Here, I’ll guide you to back up and restore Foxmail safely and without errors. By the end of this guide, you’ll understand everything you need to know clearly and completely.

Table of Contents

• Why I Always Recommend Backing Up Foxmail
• How Foxmail Stores Email Data
• Best Methods to Backup Foxmail – Step by Step
  • Method 1: Manually Back Up Foxmail
  • Method 2: Export Mailbox Folders Individually
  • Method 3: Backup Foxmail Contacts
  • Method 4: Foxmail Backup Account Settings
  • Method 5: Use IMAP as a Cloud Backup
  • Method 6: Use a Dedicated Tool for Safer IMAP Backups
• Restoring Foxmail Backup
• Best Practices for Foxmail Backup
• Author’s Verdict
• People Also Ask (FAQs)

Why I Always Recommend Backing Up Foxmail

Most users don’t take backups or think they don’t need them. So first, I’ll explain how backed-up data helps when:

• Windows crashes or system restores
• Accidental profile deletion
• Corrupted Foxmail database files
• Version upgrade issues
• Hardware failure
• Cyberattacks

Since Foxmail stores almost everything locally, a single mistake can wipe out your entire mailbox. To protect yourself from these scenarios, always keep a Foxmail backup, i.e. emails, attachments, contacts, signatures, and account settings.

Remember, if you lose your data, whether accidentally or intentionally, you can’t recover that until you have a backup. Even if you archive IMAP emails is not enough. 

How Foxmail Stores Email Data?

Before moving to the steps, it is necessary to have knowledge about Foxmail’s folder structure, which helps you to avoid incomplete or corrupted backups. 

Foxmail stores all the data in the Profiles folder by default:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Foxmail\

Key folders and files inside this directory:

Folder/File	Description
Accounts	Email account configuration
Mail	Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc. (.box files)
Attach	All email attachments
AddrBook	Contacts and address book
Signature	Custom signatures
Global.db	Global settings and index

We have to ensure that all these folders will back up completely. For the same, I’ll share the tried and tested solutions in the further sections.

Best Methods for Foxmail Backup – Step by Step

There are numerous methods to save Foxmail data offline. But, among them, which I find the most effortless, I mentioned below:

#Method 1. Manually Back Up Foxmail

This is the most reliable backup method when you want a complete replica of your Foxmail data in your computer:

1. Close Foxmail completely.
2. Press Win + R, type %appdata%, and press Enter.
3. Open the Foxmail folder.
4. Copy the entire folder to a safe backup location such as an external drive, cloud storage, or NAS.
5. Rename it with a date, for example:
   Foxmail_Backup_2025-11-11.

Done! Within five quick steps, you have a complete backup copy of Foxmail emails, attachments, signatures, and settings.

#Method 2. Export Mailbox Folders Individually

If you only want a Foxmail backup of specific folders like Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc, Foxmail allows exporting them one by one. Here’s how:

1. Open Foxmail.
2. Right-click the folder to export.
3. Select Export Mail.
4. Choose a location and format:
   • .eml
   • .box

Among .eml and .box files, I personally prefer the .eml format because it can be imported into Outlook, Thunderbird, or almost any other email client. Still, this is your choice, you can choose the .box file also (if needed).

#Method 3. Backup Foxmail Contacts

Contacts are stored separately and should be backed up manually. For the same, follow these steps:

1. Open the Foxmail Address Book.
2. Go to File > Export.
3. Choose .csv or .xml.

I choose .csv because it works in Gmail, Outlook, and most CRMs. 

#Method 4. Foxmail Backup Account Settings

If you’re reinstalling Foxmail or moving to a new PC, backing up account settings saves time. To do so:

1. Open the Foxmail menu.
2. Select Account > Export Account Settings.
3. Save the exported XML file.

#Method 5. Use IMAP as a Cloud Backup

Enabling IMAP gives you an automatic cloud backup because emails stay stored on the server. For the same:

1. Open Foxmail.
2. Go to Account Settings.
3. Change the account type to IMAP.
4. Enter IMAP and SMTP details from your email provider.

This approach protects your data even if your PC fails. Additionally, you can setup IMAP email on iPhone or Android also.

#Method 6. Using a Dedicated Tool for Safer IMAP Backups

After switching to IMAP, you already have an extra layer of safety because your emails stay on the server. But IMAP alone isn’t a complete Foxmail backup plan. If your mailbox gets deleted from the server, the data will be lost from all connected devices.

That’s why I always prefer keeping an offline copy of my IMAP mailbox. For this, a dedicated tool like the SysTools IMAP Backup Tool becomes very helpful. It allows downloading IMAP emails to formats like PST, EML, MBOX, MSG and PDF and store them locally. 

If you want a long-term, offline backup that doesn’t depend on the server’s retention policies, then taking an offline backup is the best choice. So, without any further ado, just opt for this solution for free now, and save your entire Foxmail emails simultaneously.

When completed with downloading the solution, follow the steps below for Foxmail backup:

• Step 1. After installing the solution, open it, select the IMAP and output formats, i.e. Outlook (PST), MBOX, MSG, EML, or PDF.

• Step 2. Now, the Email option is already selected, and you can back up specifically via the Date Filter option.

• Step 3. Afterwards, select the IMAP Server, i.e. Foxmail.

• Step 4. After validating the permissions, click on the Backup Folder Path option to select the destination to store the output files. You can also choose the file size, like 40, 30, and so on.

• Step 5. Now, from the source mapping, click the Fetch Users or Download Template option.

• Step 6. Lastly, hit the Start Backup button.

Now, wait until the solution prompts the success message of the procedure. Afterwards, it generates a complete report of the process.

Restoring Foxmail Backup – How to Restore

1. Close Foxmail.
2. Go to:
   %appdata%\Foxmail\
3. Rename or remove the existing profile folder.
4. Paste your backed-up Foxmail folder into this directory.
5. Restart Foxmail.

Best Practices for Foxmail Backup

Here is are checklist that keep your Foxmail data safe:

• Perform monthly scheduled backups.
• Never store backups on the same disk where Foxmail is installed.
• Export important folders separately for extra safety.
• Enable IMAP whenever possible.

Author’s Verdict

Foxmail backup is essential if you depend on it for exchanging emails and other data. It doesn’t matter, you are downloading entire or specific data; the key is to understand which backup method fits your situation best.

People Also Ask

1. How to back up all my Foxmail emails at once?
   You can back up all emails by copying the entire Foxmail folder from %appdata%\Foxmail\ to a safe location. Make sure Foxmail is closed before copying.
2. Can I export only specific folders, like the Inbox or the Sent?
   Yes. Right-click the folder in Foxmail, choose Export Mail, and save it in .eml or .box format.
3. Where does Foxmail store my data by default?
   Foxmail stores data in:
   C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Foxmail\
4. How can I back up IMAP emails offline?
   You can use tools like the SysTools Backup to export IMAP to PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, or PDF.
5. Will my attachments also get backed up?
   Yes, as long as you copy the entire Foxmail folder, including the Attach directory where attachments are stored.