What "export all" means and why you'd do it

Exporting means saving your data in a format you can move to another program or keep as a backup. When you export all, you're taking everything — emails, contacts, photos, documents, settings — out of one program and putting it somewhere you control. This is different from just saving a file: export creates a copy in a standard format that other programs can read.

You might export all your data because you're switching to a different program, you want a backup in case something goes wrong, or you need to move your information to a new computer. The process changes depending on what program you're using and what kind of data it holds.

Key Takeaways

  • Export functions are usually found in File menu or Settings, and they create a copy of your data in a format other programs can read.
  • Email programs like Outlook and Gmail export to PST or MBOX files; contact programs export to CSV or VCF files; photo libraries export as folders of image files.
  • Before you export, check how much space the exported file will need — a full email archive can be several gigabytes.
  • After exporting, test that the file opens correctly before you delete the original data from the program.

Exporting email from Outlook

Open Outlook and go to File at the top left. Click Open & Export, then select Import/Export. A window will open asking what you want to do. Choose Export to a file and click Next.

Select Outlook Data File (.pst) as the file type. This format holds your emails, calendar, contacts, and tasks all together. Choose which folder you want to export — you can pick your entire mailbox or just specific folders like Inbox or Sent Items. Click Next, choose where on your computer to save the file, give it a name, and click Finish. Outlook will create the PST file, which may take several minutes if you have years of email.

Once the export is done, Windows will show you where the file was saved. Keep this file somewhere safe — it's now your backup. You can move it to an external drive, email it to yourself, or upload it to cloud storage.

Exporting email from Gmail

Gmail doesn't have an export button inside the program itself. Instead, you use Google Takeout, which is Google's tool for downloading your data. Go to takeout.google.com in your web browser and sign in with your Gmail account.

You'll see a list of all Google services connected to your account. Uncheck everything except Mail unless you also want to export your Google Calendar, Contacts, or Photos. Click Next Step. Choose your file format — Gmail exports as MBOX, which most email programs can read. Select how often you want the download link (one-time is fine), what file size you prefer, and what storage method (Google Drive, Dropbox, or email the link to yourself).

Google will prepare your export, which takes anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on how much email you have. You'll get a link to download the file. Save it to your computer and keep it safe.

Exporting contacts from your phone or computer

On an iPhone, open Contacts, tap Groups at the top left, make sure All Contacts is selected, then go back. Tap the three dots (more options) and select Export. Choose vCard format, which is the standard for contacts. This creates a file you can email to yourself or save to iCloud.

On Android, open Contacts, tap the three lines (menu), go to Settings, then Export. Choose whether to export to your phone's storage or to a Google account. If you export to storage, you'll get a VCF file you can move to your computer.

On Windows, open Contacts (or People in older versions), click the three dots, select Settings, then Export contacts. Choose CSV format, which opens in Excel and other programs. On Mac, open Contacts, select the contacts you want (or press Ctrl+A for all), go to File, and click Export. Choose vCard format.

Exporting photos from your library

In Windows Photos, click the three dots at the top right and select Settings. Go to Storage and click Change where we save photos. This doesn't export — it just changes where new photos go. To actually export existing photos, select the ones you want (or press Ctrl+A for all), right-click, and choose Copy. Then open File Explorer, create a new folder, and paste them there.

In Apple Photos on Mac, select the photos you want, go to File, and click Export. Choose your file format (JPEG is most common), where to save them, and click Export. On iPhone, you can't export all photos at once through the Photos app. Instead, go to Settings > Photos > iCloud Photos, make sure it's on, then sign into iCloud.com on a computer and download from there.

In Google Photos, go to takeout.google.com, uncheck everything except Photos, and follow the same steps as Gmail export. Google will create a folder with all your photos organized by date.

Exporting documents and files

Most document programs don't need a special export function — you can usually just save the file in a different format. In Microsoft Word, open your document, go to File > Save As, and choose a different format from the dropdown (PDF, RTF, or older Word versions). In Google Docs, click File > Download and pick your format.

For entire folders of documents, use your computer's file manager. Open File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac, select the folder you want, right-click, and choose Copy. Navigate to where you want to move it (an external drive, cloud storage folder, or another computer), right-click, and choose Paste. This copies everything inside that folder.

What to do after you export

After you've exported your data, open the exported file to make sure it actually contains what you expected. If you exported email, open the PST or MBOX file in your new email program and check that your messages are there. If you exported contacts, open the CSV or VCF file and count the entries to make sure nothing was lost. If you exported photos, open the folder and scroll through to spot-check that images are intact.

Once you've confirmed the export worked, move the file to a safe location. External hard drives, cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox), or a second computer are all good options. Don't keep it only on the same computer where the original data lives — if that computer fails, you've lost both copies.

You don't need to delete the original data from the program right away. Wait a week or two to make sure the export is working in your new setup, then you can remove it from the old program if you want to free up space.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much space will my exported data take up?

Email archives are usually the largest — a year of email with attachments can be 500 MB to 2 GB. Photos vary wildly depending on how many you have and their resolution; a library of 10,000 photos might be 50 GB or more. Contacts and documents are usually small, under 100 MB. Check your program's storage settings to estimate before you export.

Can I export data from a program that's no longer installed?

No — you need the program running to export from it. If you've already uninstalled it, you may be able to recover the data files directly from your computer's storage, but this requires technical knowledge. Reinstall the program if you can, export your data, then uninstall again.

What if the exported file won't open in my new program?

Make sure you exported in the right format — different programs expect different file types. If you exported email as PST but your new program only reads MBOX, you may need to convert the file using a free online converter or a dedicated tool. Test with a small export first before trying to move all your data.

Is it safe to store exported data in cloud storage?

Yes, cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox is secure for backups. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest. However, make sure your cloud account has a strong password and two-factor authentication turned on so someone else can't access your backup.

Do I need to export if I'm just switching computers?

Not always. If you're moving to a new Windows or Mac computer, you can use the built-in migration tools (Windows Easy Transfer or Mac Migration Assistant) to move everything automatically. Export is mainly for switching between different programs or keeping a backup separate from any computer.