Extract Outlook Attachments to Local Folder – {Updated 2023}

Updated On - September 9, 2023 by Armaan |

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client that allows users to manage their emails, contacts, and schedules in one place. However, with time, the number of attachments in your Outlook inbox can accumulate, taking up valuable storage space on your computer. To tackle this issue, you can extract Outlook attachments to a local folder on your computer.

In this blog, we will guide you through extracting attachments from your Outlook inbox and saving them to a local folder for easy access and organization.

Before diving into the ways to extract Outlook attachments to a local folder, I’ll mention a few advantages of the same.

Advantages/Reasons to Extract Outlook Attachments to Local folder

There are several reasons why you may want to extract attachments from your Outlook inbox and save them to a local folder:

1. Save storage space: Attachments can take up a significant amount of storage space on your computer, especially if you have a large number of emails with attachments. By extracting attachments and saving them to a local folder, you can free up valuable storage space on your computer.
2. Easy access: When attachments are saved to a local folder, you can easily access them without having to search through your email inbox. This can save you time and increase your productivity.
3. Improved organization: When attachments are extracted and saved to a local folder, you can easily organize them into different folders based on type, project, or any other criteria. This makes it easier to find the attachments you need when you need them.
4. Better backup: By saving attachments to a local folder, you can easily back up your important files, ensuring that they are protected in case of any issues with your email account or computer.
5. Reduced email size: Extracting attachments from emails can reduce the overall size of your email account and make it more manageable.
6. Improved security: Storing attachments locally can reduce the risk of email-borne malware and make it easier to implement security measures such as antivirus scans.

So now you’re aware of why extracting Outlook attachments to the local folder is good for you, let’s know a few of the working ways.

3 Verified Methods to Extract Outlook Attachments to Computer

There are several methods to extract attachments from Outlook to a local folder; some of the most popular methods include the following:

Method 1. Backup Outlook Email Attachment to local folder one by one

This involves opening each email with an attachment and saving it to a desired local folder. Below is its step-by-step process

1. Open the Outlook program in your system.
2. Now open the email which contains the attachment you want to save.
3. Make a right-click and select the Save all Attachment option from the dropdown menu.
4. Lastly, browse a folder where you want to save the Outlook attachment.

So here, the process gets completed. The method works efficiently; however, if you have a PST file containing thousands of emails, I’ll not suggest this method.

As the name indicates, you’ve to save the attachments from each email individually, and it will take months to extract Outlook attachments to a local folder from a PST file.

Apart from this, if your PST file is damaged or corrupt, then don’t even think about this method.

Method 2. Extract Outlook Attachment Using VBA macro

You can create a macro in Outlook that will automatically extract attachments from a selected email or folder and save them to a local folder.

Many users use these scripts to extract Outlook attachments to a local folder. However, several have reported different errors and is unable to extract Outlook attachments to local folders. So I am not going to describe the method here.

Words of warning: Make sure to backup the PST file before using the VPA Macro option.

You can find it on Google, but instead of that method but there are very few chances of working.

Due to limitations and not working issues of the above solution, several Outlook professionals recommend using an automated solution for a 100% guaranteed and secure solution.

Method 3. An Automated tool to extract Outlook Attachment to Hard drive

Regain Outlook PST converter tool is an automated and specially designed Outlook PST file management software. It holds every ability required to manage PST files, including Extracting Outlook attachments to a local folder. Before highlighting its feature, let me describe its simple process.

Following are the steps to backup Outlook Attachments using Regain Software

• Install and open the software.
• Click Browse and add PST files that have emails with attachments.
• Now select emails/folders from which you want to extract attachments.

As you can see, the process is very simple and quick; even a newbie can accomplish the task easily. Regain Outlook PST converter will save attachments from all the emails in a single process. Now let me mention some of its other features which make it a must-have tool for Outlook users.

Free Download100% Secure Buy NowPrice: $39

Software features:

• Recover damaged/corrupt PST files: The software is capable of recovering corrupted and damaged PST files. You just need to browse the PST file in the software.
• Split oversize PST files: Using this software, you can split an oversized PST file into multiple small PST files. You might know that large PST files are prone to corruption, so it’s better to split them.
• Convert PST files: The software provides several file formats to convert PST files. You can choose from EML, MSG, MBOX, TGZ, and HTML.
• Export PST files: Apart from different file formats, you can export PST files into several cloud servers, such as pst to Gmail, pst to Office 365, pst to Live Exchange, etc.
• Open PST files without Outlook: The tool is a standalone utility, so even if you only use PST files, you can open and preview them for free.

Conclusion

Extracting attachments from Outlook to a local folder has several benefits, such as increased storage space, easier access and organization, improved collaboration, reduced email size, and improved security. The best method for extracting attachments will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the user, but using Regain Outlook PST converter tool is often the most efficient and user-friendly option. Regardless of the method chosen, extracting attachments from Outlook can help manage email data more effectively and provide a backup for important files.