Carbonite not backing up .ost files

[Vincenzo]

I went into Carbonite to download an old version of the .ost file for an IMAP account, and found out that Carbonite by default does not back them up.

Carbonite Support Knowledge Base
Carbonite Support Knowledge Base

I've right clicked on it and told Carbonite to back it up.
Is there a reason why Carbonite does not back it up?
Would emails be retrievable from an old version of the .ost file?

Thanks

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Correct, they dont back up ost files because they are just offline sync folders - everything in the ost is also on the mail server. Well, everything except the contents of the 'this computer only' folders in an imap account...

plus restoring an old ost generally doesn't go well - and you can't open it except in the profile that created it.

 

[Vincenzo]

restoring an old ost generally doesn't go well - and you can't open it except in the profile that created it.

I seem to remember reading, probably on one of your pages, that you cannot reuse IMAP data files. I assumed that meant you could not use it on a new computer.
But when you say opening it generally doesn't go well, does that mean you cannot even open it even to the degree of being able to copy some emails from it?
If you can't do that, then how do you backup an IMAP account to guard against someone realizing a month or so later that they deleted an email that they now need?
Thanks

 

[Vincenzo]

My friend runs an insurance business and she is required to have dependable backups of all her emails, so this is an area of concern now.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

But when you say opening it generally doesn't go well, does that mean you cannot even open it even to the degree of being able to copy some emails from it?

To open it, you need to replace the exiting ost with the backup copy. If outlook is connected to the internet, it will resync the mailbox. Since it can only be used by the profile that created it, you cant open it on another computer - you'd need to use ost to pst recovery utilities

If you can't do that, then how do you backup an IMAP account to guard against someone realizing a month or so later that they deleted an email that they now need?

I have clients that don't delete anything.

Options include:
Use POP3.
Archive mail to a pst (removes it from the imap server)
Use an email archiving service.
One client forwards everything to a gmail account to use as an archive.

 

[Vincenzo]

OK thank you so much for the insight.
Gives me a lot think about for coming up with a plan.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Use an email archiving service.

Many of my clients who are under legal requirements to save everything use an archiving service targeted to their business. This includes some of my lawyer clients and all of the financial planners. I don't recall offhand what the insurance people do. Most of them moved to Office 365, which gives them better control over data preservation.

 

[Vincenzo]

Thanks for the info.

Most of them moved to Office 365, which gives them better control over data preservation.

Would Office 365 and an IMAP account allow you to retain copies of deleted emails? Are there some special steps you take for data preservation?
Thanks