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How to Upgrade from Office 2013 to Office 2021 Without Losing Outlook Data
Question details
The user wants to know how to upgrade from Microsoft Office Professional 2013 to Office 2021 without losing their Outlook profiles, accounts, emails, contacts, calendars, and rules.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Upgrading an older version of Microsoft Office to a newer version while retaining critical email client data and configurations.
- Observed behavior
- Uninstalling Office 2013 and installing Office 2021 normally retains the primary data file, but secondary accounts, rules, local contacts, and calendars often fail to transfer automatically, requiring manual restoration.
Before starting the upgrade process, ensure you know all your email account passwords and server settings, and have sufficient disk space to export a complete backup of your Outlook Data File (.pst).
Manually Back Up Outlook Data Before Upgrading
Exporting your Outlook data and documenting your settings before uninstalling Office 2013 ensures you can fully restore emails, contacts, and calendars if they do not automatically migrate to Office 2021.
While the Outlook data file (.pst or .ost) is usually not deleted during an Office uninstallation, profile settings and local rules often break during the transition. A manual backup guarantees your data remains safe.
In Outlook 2013, click on 'File', select 'Open & Export', and click 'Import/Export'. Choose 'Export to a file', select 'Outlook Data File (.pst)', and ensure you select the top-level folder of your account with 'Include subfolders' checked. Save this file to a safe location like your Desktop.
Navigate to 'Home', click 'Rules' in the Move group, and select 'Manage Rules & Alerts'. Click 'Options' and then 'Export Rules'. Save the .rwz file to your computer.
Go to 'File' > 'Account Settings' > 'Account Settings'. Double-click your email accounts and take screenshots of the incoming and outgoing mail server settings, as well as the 'More Settings' port configurations.
Open the Windows 'Control Panel', go to 'Programs and Features', right-click 'Microsoft Office 2013', and select 'Uninstall'. Restart your computer, then proceed to install Office 2021 from your Microsoft account.
Open Outlook 2021. If your accounts or data are missing, use the documented settings to re-add your accounts. To restore missing contacts or emails, go to 'File' > 'Open & Export' > 'Import/Export' and choose 'Import from another program or file' to bring in your saved .pst file.
Switch to WPS Office for a Seamless, Lightweight Experience
If you want to avoid complex upgrade processes, data migration risks, and expensive licenses, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a free, highly compatible, and lightweight suite for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents without the heavy installation footprint.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button for your operating system.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded installation file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup in minutes.
- 3. Open Your Office Documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files with perfect formatting preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Outlook rules disappear after upgrading to Office 2021?
Upgrading Office versions often resets or disconnects local client-only rules. It is necessary to export your rules in Outlook 2013 via 'Manage Rules & Alerts' before the upgrade so you can import the resulting .rwz file into Office 2021.
Will uninstalling Office 2013 delete my Outlook .pst data files?
No, uninstalling Office 2013 normally leaves your .pst and .ost data files intact in your local AppData or Documents folder. However, Outlook 2021 might not automatically reconnect to them, which means you may need to manually point the new installation to your existing data files.
Do I need to re-enter my email passwords after upgrading to Office 2021?
Yes, in many cases, especially if profile settings fail to migrate seamlessly, Outlook 2021 will prompt you to authenticate and re-enter the passwords for your configured email accounts for security purposes.
