Microsoft Outlook Archiving

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1 Microsoft Outlook Archiving What is Archiving? Archiving is moving messages from an on-line folder to an off-line folder, thus freeing server space. While organizing mail in folders is a great way to keep them organized, if the folders are under your Mailbox folder, they are not archived. On-line Offline Folders (.pst files) Archive Folders An archive folder file is created by Outlook when you use auto archiving. While Outlook archives, it will create subfolders that match the subfolder in your mailbox that the message had been stored in. Thus, your messages will be organized exactly as you organized them, only off line. Personal Folders Personal folders are used for manual archiving. You can create subfolders within the Personal Folder file (and subfolders within the subfolders) to organize your mail. Creating New Offline Folders and Subfolders The difference between a pst and a subfolder Imagine that a pst file is a file cabinet. It is a piece of equipment that holds your files in drawers and folders. A subfolder within a pst file is like the drawers and folders within a file cabinet. Creating an Offline Folder An Archive Folder is created automatically the first time AutoArchive runs. You create Personal Folders yourself. Creating a Subfolder Archive Folders create the subfolders automatically to match during an archive. You can create your own subfolders in an Archive Folder just as you do in any folder online or offline. -1- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

2 Auto Archiving What happens? Folder structure Outlook will duplicate your current folder structure. For example, if you have created a folder within your account named Department Policies, and within that folder there is a folder called Vacation which contains an old message, Outlook will create the Department Policies folder, then the Vacation folder under it and move the old message to the Vacation folder, just as you have it. dates Outlook uses the items Created Date to determine which items to move. If you move an item from an offline folder into an on-line folder, the created date will change to the current date. Global Settings You need to first set the global Auto Archive settings. Go to Tools Options Other Auto Archive Outlook Archiving -2- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

3 Individual Folder Settings You can change the archive settings on individual folders. Note: The Inbox does not inherit the auto archive settings they must be set manually. Running AutoArchive manually If you need to do an archive before it is scheduled, you can perform it manually. This function is found under Tools Mailbox Cleanup AutoArchive Now. This function runs automatically according to the AutoArchive settings. Manual Archiving Why archive manually? If you prefer to store your mail in folders according to category, or simply want complete control over which messages are moved (and where), then you want to use Manual Archiving. Outlook Archiving -3-

4 Creating a Personal Folder To create a Personal Folder, go to File New Outlook Data File. Give it a location (the default location will be in a secure location accessible only with your login or by an administrator). Creating subfolders You can go to File New Folder, or right-click on the folder you want the subfolder under and click New Folder. Outlook Archiving -4- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

5 Moving items and folders To move Outlook items and/or folders, you can either drag and drop them on the folder, or right-click and choose Move to Folder (this option is also on the Edit menu). To move multiple items (folders must be moved individually), hold the Ctrl button on the keyboard while you click (if the items are not next to each other): or if the items are in a block, click the first item, hold the Shift key and click the last item: Outlook Archiving -5- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

6 Finding your archived messages Simple search Selecting Find will search the To and Subject fields (or all text in the message if you select that option under the Options pull-down). You can specify the folder in the Search In pulldown. Once you have set your parameters, click Find Now. Advanced find With Advanced Find, you can set a variety of criteria, such as urgency, file size, sent or received dates, etc. Managing your Mailbox Checking your mailbox size Faculty and Ph.D. students have 100Mb of space, while staff have 50Mb of space. To check the size of your mailbox, either go to Tools Mailbox cleanup Outlook Archiving -6- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

7 or right-click on your mailbox from the folder list, choose Properties, then Folder Size. Identifying large s If your mailbox is still large after archiving, add the Size field to a folder (especially the Inbox and Sent Items folders) to see if you have any large messages (probably with attachments) that are causing the problem. Or you can have Outlook search for items of a certain size through Tools Mailbox Cleanup Outlook Archiving -7- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

8 Compressing your folders Adding, deleting and moving messages can leave gaps in your pst file, causing it to use more memory than needed. Fortunately, Outlook XP makes it easy to manage and compress your offline folders. Go to File Data File Management choose the file and click Settings then Compact Now. You can also compact a folder by going to the properties of the file (click the top level of the file in the folder list, go to either File Properties or right-click and choose Properties, then click Advanced). Opening pst folders You can open a pst file through Data File Management under the File menu Outlook Archiving -8- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu

9 or under File Open Outlook Data File Closing pst folders You can close a pst file by right-clicking on the top level in the Folder List and choosing Close???????? or through Data File Management under the File menu. Outlook Archiving -9- UMBSSoftHelp@umich.edu