December 2003

Archiving Outlook Folders

By Teresa Lightle- Technology Coordinator                            Printable Version (pdf)

Why Archive?

First, users need to understand why they need to archive Outlook Folders.

All mailboxes reside on an email server; these email servers are separate from the file server located in your office or building. The email server routes email, stores any folders you create under your Inbox and houses the Public Folders. Using an email server allows users to access email using remote services on the web or from the users desktop.

All email folders from the Mailbox down are stored on the exchange server. This includes: everything in the Inbox, all sub folders, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. If you have a tendency to send email with attachments, this can quickly fill your mailbox space on the server. Leaving deleted items, which should really be permanently deleted, will also use space. It is also important that when you receive email with an attachment, you open the attachment, and save it to your file server or hard drive, then delete the file from the email message. If you need to keep the message in your inbox folders, do so without the file attached.

 

 

 

If you receive a message from the System Administrator that your mailbox is over its size limit, first check to see if you have followed all of the above suggestions to see if you can reduce the size of your mailbox. If so, then it may be time to Archive. Archiving Outlook items compresses the information and stores it in another location; usually on the users file server or hard drive, thus removing from the email server. These messages will still be available for viewing and access; they are simply stored in another location.

Archiving

To archive your Mailbox follow these steps:

1)      In Microsoft Outlook Inbox, with the folders list showing, click once on the Inbox to select all of the folders and sub folders contained in the Inbox.

2)      Choose File from the menu bar.

3)      Select Archive…. This will bring up the Archive dialogue box as shown.

NOTE: In this dialogue box the information titled Archive items older than: <Choose a date here>.

**Outlook refers to the item date as the last time the item was accessed, read, opened, or moved. Not the date the item was sent, created or delivered. If you run an archive and still see items previous to the date you requested the archive, chances are it has been accessed since that date.
Outlook assumes that the item is still active and will not be archived until a later date.

 4)      Choose a past date, to archive items that have not recently been accessed.

2)         5)   In the Archive file: text box, it is important to direct your archive folders to a specific area. The standard path for users with access to a server is:

\\Servername\Public (Folder) \User Directories (Folder) \username (folder) Outlook (Create Folder)\username.pst

 Example: \\Stibitz\Public\User Directories\ Teresa Lightle\Outlook\Teresa Lightle.pst

 6)      For users without access to a file server you may use the My Documents folder on the C: drive of your computer. Use the Browse button to create a path. The location would be:

My Documents\Outlook\Teresa Lightle.pst
Note: you would have to create a folder under My Documents named Outlook.

It is important to follow a path that can be easily followed for access.

Once all the options have been set, click the OK button. A small icon will appear in the lower right corner of your Outlook screen showing that the archiving is taking place.

Once the Archiving is complete the icon will disappear.

Repeat Steps 1, 2, and 3 to archive other folders such as your Sent Items and Calendar if necessary.

 Note: If you select the Mailbox Folder and all subfolders  to archive items, you could end up archiving your Contacts as well, something most users do not wish to do.

Accessing Your Archived Items

Archived items are stored in the .pst format. To access this file and to have it appear as just another folder in Outlook, you must link to the folder.

In Microsoft Outlook, choose File in the menu bar and Open. Select Outlook Data File (Outlook XP) or (Outlook 2000) Personal Folders File pst.

Follow the path to the location where you archived your items. Click on the file name to select and click OK.

Your archived items will appear as Archived Folders located above your Inbox in the Folders List.

The + icon to the left of the folder indicates that the folder can be expanded. Click on the + to expand the list.

Your Archived Folders are a duplicate of your Inbox Folders. They contain items with a date prior to the archive date you specified. The difference is the items in the Archived Folders are located on a file server and not on the email server.

You can perform all of the same actions with Archived items as with those in your Inbox.

You can execute the archive command as often as you wish. The items will just be added to the folders. There is no need to rename or relocate a file each time you archive. Keeping on file will make it easier to maintain. 

 

 

Note: Because items in Archived Folders reside on your file server and not on the email server, the Archive Folders are not accessible through Web Access Outlook.

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For Questions or Comments about this newsletter please contact: tlightle@bcoe.org

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