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How do I back up my signatures?

People often ask how to copy Outlook signatures between multiple computers. In this post, I’ll describe how to accomplish that task using a little known keyboard shortcut.

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1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and select the Mail Format tab

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2. Hold down <ctrl> key while clicking the Signatures… button

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3. The folder containing your signatures will open

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4. Copy all of the files and folders in the Signatures folder to the location where you back up your files (e.g. flash drive, external hard drive, another computer)

5. Now open the Signatures folder on your other computer by repeating the first three steps and then copy the files you just backed up to that folder

6. The next time you use Outlook on the other computer, your signatures will show up in the E-mail Signatures tab of the Signatures and Stationery dialog box and on the Insert tab in the inspector

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7. If you’d like any of those signatures to be automatically applied to new messages or replies/forwards when using the other computer, open the E-mail Signatures tab of the Signatures and Stationery dialog box to configure a default signature for either type of message

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Ellen Adams, Microsoft Office Outlook Program Manager

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Posted: Friday, July 11, 2008 10:41 PM by outblog

Comments

MichaelD! said:

Ctrl-click a button?  INCREDIBLY INTUITIVE! ;)  Perhaps for the next version of Outlook you will have an uber "Backup/Restore" story that will take ALL the countless features of Outlook (literally) and make it easy to backup/restore this application. :)

Better yet, integrate with SkyDrive so we never have to worry about this process again!

# July 12, 2008 12:29 AM

Tom said:

While I appreciate the information (never knew about the ctrl-click option) can I just say it is _so_ frustrating that signatures are not kept on the Exchange server as part of the mailbox.

# July 14, 2008 3:38 AM

Outlook user said:

This is useful, but can you make it work automatically between multiple computers(and with Outlook Web Access) if I am using Exchange?

# July 14, 2008 12:49 PM

Alan Robertson said:

When transferring PSTs regularly between machines (for those of us who don't have Exchange servers!) is there any way to backup the Instant Search database - otherwise after every transfer it ends up having to re-index again right from the beginning.

# July 14, 2008 3:18 PM

Sally said:

I will have to agree with Michael! This should be part of the feature. And like Tom said, should be on the exchange server!!

Every few years, we get a new machine and every time I have to try and remember which folder that Signature folder was hiding!! Always forget that it isn't under the Outlook folder!

Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

Back up that folder, then on the other machine, copy and paste them over.

ps. Can we have the feature of allowing multiple signatures in the email back in Outlook 2007? We use it to store reply templates as it is quick and easy to access! Insert signature, and it's done! Until we move to 2007...

Anyways, thanks for listening :)

# July 15, 2008 5:33 PM

outblog said:

@Sally

Check out the Quick Parts feature in Outlook 2007. It allows you to save building blocks of text and you can insert as many as you want into a single message.

http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?AssetID=HA10208653

# July 15, 2008 5:49 PM

Rick said:

Thanks, a great help for us ignorant !

# July 16, 2008 9:21 PM

Anthony Stedman said:

Awesome tip and done in seconds. Thanks for the great work. Anthony

# July 28, 2008 9:32 PM

heath said:

Iw as wonderign if anyone knew how u can make a default signature format like for a company to use so that every person inside the compnay has the same format of signature ?

# August 6, 2008 4:58 PM

Crystal Smithwick said:

Fantastic tip.  We use a set of signatures to help with our stock responses to feedback and have been frustrated by not being able to share or work on multiple computers.

Thanks!

# August 13, 2008 1:36 PM

Jo said:

on my computer, the Ctrl click function seems not to be available.

# August 19, 2008 3:30 PM
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