Outlook users who backup email??

Ive always used Outlook express. I have a lot of mail I save. I always would make a copy of the mail folder files under the Windows/App data/Microsoft/blah blah blah.
That was how I archived mail. I could import that if I ever had to reload my disk.

Outlook seems to be quite different. I still dont know where the mail files are kept but theres a feature to Export to a backup "pst" file.
But when I do it to test out, it is always a different size and if I do it after doing it once, the file grows but not doubled. Like its not just overwriting.
Plus in that folder there is another pst file called Outlook.pst. I have no idea what that is as the file it exports to is called Backup.pst.
This lives in a path of hidden folders so many of you may not know what Im talking about.

But if anyone here knows of these files and this process to backup email while also keeping it in the program (not archiving)

Then can someone shed some light on it for me. I want to know my stuff is backed up right.
Thanks

 

the .pst files are your mail files. You don't need to export a backup. I just make a copy of the original from the hidden folder and burn that to a cd for long term backup about once a month.

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