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    How to backup Yahoo! emails

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    This article applies only to Backup4all. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    Sep 10, 2019
    Backup4all 8.x; Zimbra desktop 7.x; YPOPs! 0.9.5.8 or higher; Mozilla Thunderbird 2
    We strive to keep our articles as accurate as possible. If you notice any inconsistencies or outdated info please let us know.
    This article explains how to backup the emails stored online in your Yahoo! account, even if you are not an Yahoo Mail Plus subscriber (that gives offline access with POP for your emails).

    On this page:

    In order to back-up the emails stored in your online Yahoo account, you need to download them on your computer in a local folder. Yahoo offers IMAP access to your mailbox for free, thus the easiest way to download your Yahoo emails is to add it as an IMAP account in any email client that supports it.
    Once you've added the account, you can configure Backup4all to back-up your Yahoo emails regularly. The tutorial below shows how you can add your Yahoo IMAP account in Outlook, the Mail app and Mozilla Thunderbird, however you can use any email client.

    Backup Yahoo emails using Microsoft Outlook

    Add Yahoo as an IMAP account in Microsoft Outlook

    Add Yahoo in Microsoft Outlook
    If you have Microsoft Outlook installed, you can add a new account for your Yahoo IMAP email account to have emails stored locally:
    1. Open Outlook (2013, 2016 or later).
      • If it's the first time you're opening Outlook, a new window will ask you to enter your email address. After you add the email address, click on Connect.
      • If you already have other accounts defined, on the File tab, under Account Information, select Add Account. Select E-mail Account, and then enter your name and email address.
    2. Enter the password for your email account. Click on Connect. Outlook will automatically configure the account by checking the connection, downloading the account settings and logging you in.
    3. You'll see a Congratulations! message shown when everything is correctly configured. Select Finish, and then restart Outlook.
    4. Access the newly created account in Microsoft Outlook and wait for the application to download your emails.

    Configure Backup4all to back-up Microsoft Outlook automatically

    Once you have your Yahoo emails on your local computer, you can configure Backup4all to automatically back them up:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a backup destination.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, under "Applications" list, select Microsoft Outlook. This will automatically add all the necessary Microsoft Outlook files as a source for the backup.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption. It is recommended to leave Smart as the default backup type. Click Next.
    6. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    7. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    8. Press Save and run to start backing up your Yahoo emails.

    Backup Yahoo emails using the Mail app

    Add Yahoo as an IMAP account in the Mail app

    Add Yahoo in the Mail app
    Windows 8/10 comes with a default Mail app included that can be used to set up the Yahoo account locally.
    1. Open the Mail app by clicking the Windows Start menu and choosing Mail.
    2. Select Add account to get started if it's the first time you've used the Mail app, or from the bottom of the left navigation pane, select Settings and then choose Manage Accounts.
    3. From the type of accounts choose Yahoo. Enter the required information and click Sign in. For most accounts, this is your email address, password, and the account name.
    4. Click Done. Your data will start syncing as soon as your account is set up.

    Configure Backup4all to back-up the Windows Mail app automatically

    Once you have your Yahoo emails on your local computer, you can configure Backup4all to automatically back them up:
    1. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    2. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a backup destination.
    3. On the What do you want to backup page, under "Applications" list, select Windows Live Mail. This will automatically add all the necessary Microsoft Outlook files as a source for the backup.
    4. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    5. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption. It is recommended to leave Smart as the default backup type. Click Next.
    6. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    7. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    8. Press Save and run to start backing up your Yahoo emails.

    Backup Yahoo emails using Mozilla Thunderbird

    Add Yahoo as an IMAP in Thunderbird
    Mozilla Thunderbird is an open source email client that can be used to store Yahoo emails locally.
    Here's how you can configure Yahoo as an IMAP account in Mozilla Thunderbird and then back-up your emails:
    1. Open Thunderbird and under Set up an account click on Email. You'll be asked to enter your credentials, click Continue and it will automatically pull the Yahoo server details.
    2. Access the newly created account in Thunderbird and wait for the application to download your emails.
    3. Open Backup4all and select File -> New (Ctrl+N).
    4. In the Where do you want to save the backup? section, select a backup destination.
    5. On the What do you want to backup page, under "Applications" list, select Mozilla Thunderbird. This will automatically add all the necessary Microsoft Outlook files as a source for the backup.
    6. On the Filter the backup sources page, you can set include/exclude filters for backup sources. Then press Next.
    7. On the How do you want to backup page, you can choose the backup type and the encryption. It is recommended to leave Smart as the default backup type. Click Next.
    8. On the When do you want to backup page, you can set the backup job to automatically run on the specified time and days. Press Next.
    9. On the Personalize your backup job page, enter a name for the backup in the Backup name field.
    10. Press Save and run to start backing up your Yahoo emails.