How to remove an account but keep its emails in Outlook?

Imagine you've set up multiple email accounts in Microsoft Outlook, but find that you seldom use some of them. You might consider removing these less active accounts. Typically, deleting an email account from Microsoft Outlook also removes its associated emails. However, this article will guide you through various techniques to eliminate email accounts from Microsoft Outlook while preserving their messages.

Remove an account but keep its email by saving original data file

This method will guide you to remove an email account from Microsoft Outlook, but keep all items of this email account in Microsoft Outlook.

1. Open the "Account Settings" dialog box by clicking "File" > "Info" > "Account Settings" > "Account Settings".

   

2. In the "Account Settings" dialog box, on the "Email" tab, follow these steps:
   1. Select the email account that you will remove. Make sure the account you select is associated with a .pst data file. If it's linked to an .ost file, removing the account could result in the loss of all emails.
   2. Click the "Remove" button.
   3. Click the "Close" button at the bottom to exit the dialog box.

      

3. Now you are back to the main interface of Outlook. Click "File" > "Open & Export" > "Open Outlook Data File".

   

4. In the pop-up "Open Outlook Data File" window, locate the data file you wish to access. Select it, and then click the "Open" button. Tip: If your .pst file is stored in a non-default location, navigate to that specific folder to open the .pst file.

   

Result

The email account has now been removed from your Microsoft Outlook; however, the folders associated with this account remain visible and accessible in the Navigation pane.

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Remove an account but keep its email by copying and pasting

Actually, before removing an email account from Microsoft Outlook, we can save all of its emails into other folders by manually copying and pasting. Here's a detailed guide to do this:

1. Open the email folder in the Navigation Pane associated with the account you plan to remove that contains the emails you want to preserve.

   

2. Press "Ctrl + A" to select all the emails in the opened folder.
3. Press "Ctrl + C" to copy these email messages.
4. Navigate to the folder where you wish to transfer these emails. In my example, I would open the Inbox of a different email account as shown below.

   

5. Press "Ctrl + V" to paste all copied email messages into this opened folder.
   Tips:

   • Repeat steps 1 to 5 to move email messages from other folders of the account you're removing.
   • This method does not include subfolders. For emails in subfolders, you'll need to replicate steps 1 to 5 for each subfolder.
6. Open the "Account Settings" dialog box by clicking "File" > "Info" > "Account Settings" > "Account Settings".

   

7. In the "Account Settings" dialog box, on the "Email" tab, follow these steps:
   1. Select the email account that you will remove.
   2. Click the "Remove" button.
   3. Click the "Close" button at the bottom to exit the dialog box.

      

Export emails to a PST file before account removal

To retain emails from an account you're removing in Outlook, exporting them as a PST (Outlook Data File) is a reliable method. This process creates a backup of your emails, which can be accessed even after the account is removed. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the "Import and Export Wizard" dialog box by clicking "File" > "Open & Export" > "Import & Export".
2. In the wizard, select "Export to a file", and click the "Next" button.

   

3. In the "Export to a File" dialog box, select "Outlook Data File (.pst)" > "Next".

   

4. In the "Export Outlook Data File" dialog box, select the email account that you will remove later to export its data, ensure "Include subfolders" is checked, and click "Next".

   

5. Set export parameters as follows:
   1. Click "Browse", select a folder to save the PST file, and name the file.
   2. Choose the "Do not export duplicate items" option.
   3. Click "Finish".

      

6. The "Create Outlook Data File" dialog will appear:
   • To add a password, enter it in both "Password" and "Verify Password" boxes, then click "OK".
   • To skip adding a password, click "Cancel".

     

After completing these steps, you can proceed with the procedure outlined in the initial method to delete an existing email account while retaining the original emails.

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