How to: Using archive files in Microsoft Outlook Preface This 'How To' will guide you in archiving or making a backup of your Outlook folders. Keep in mind that these are two different actions: A backup does not remove anything from your Outlook, it will only copy messages to a different location. An archiving action will (re)move messages from your Outlook to a file. Both actions use the same destination type: a file with a PST-extension, also called a PST-file or an Outlook archive-file. Archiving a folder to a PST-file 1. Select from the Outlook menu: File -> Archive Select the folder you wish to archive and check the date. Then select a location and a name for the archive (PST) file. Do not use the 'default' name and location, because that will make the file very difficult to locate. Check the given date very careful: All items older than the given date will be removed from the folder(s). /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 1
2. After clicking the OK button, the archiving process will start. It may take several minutes, depending on the number of messages. After the process is finished, you have a new folder in your Outlook folder list, named Archive Folders. This contains all (re)moved messages: 3. It is advisable to backup the just created PST file to an external drive or DVD-ROM disc. Outlook must be closed during this operation. See also the next sections: Restore from an archive file, Remove an archive folder from your folder list, and Renaming an archive folder Making a full Backup to a PST-file 1. First select the outlook folder you wish to backup. Then choose from the menu: File -> Import and Export. 2. Select Export to a File, click the Next> button, select Personal Folders File and click the Next> button again: /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 2
3. Verify the chosen folder. If required, select include subfolders. Click the Next> button and select a location and a filename for the archive file (use the Browse.. button for folder selection): 4. Click the Finish button. At Name: enter a good description for the content of the archive file. This is highly advisable, so you know what it contains when restoring the file in the future: 5. When clicking the OK button, the backup will start. This will take seconds to a few minutes, depending on the folder size. 6. To backup other folders to the same archive file, select the mail folder you wish to backup and perform steps 2 to 4 again using the same file name. Optional: The backup file can be saved to an external hard drive or burned to a CD/DVD disc. /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 3
Restore from an archive file 1. If the archive file is located on a read-only medium (like a CD/DVD disc), you have to copy the file to a temporary location on your hard drive. Then right-click the copied file and choose Properties. Verify that the Read-only attribute is turned off, like shown in the example below: 2. Start Microsoft Outlook and choose from the menu: File -> Open -> Outlook Data File. Browse to the folder where the archive file is located, select the file name and click the OK button: /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 4
3. The contents of the archive file will now be accessible from your Folder List. In most cases it will be added to the bottom of the list and is named after the description of the file you have given when performing the backup: 4. Please be aware that the archived file can be modified. Sometimes this is a desired feature (e.g. when you need to add something to an existing archive). Or this may be undesirable, when the file came from a CD/DVD disc (resulting in differences from the original archive). Remove an archive folder from your folder list To close an archive file, right click the folder name and choose from the menu: Close (archive name) This will only remove an archive folder from the folder list, it will not remove the file from the hard drive. /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 5
Renaming an archive folder An archive has a file name (ending with.pst) and a separate name that is used in the Outlook Folder list. Outlook always uses the name 'Personal Folders' by default for archive files. If you forgot entering a name during archive creation, you can always rename them afterwards. 1. Right click the archive folder and choose from the menu: Properties for (archive name) 2. Click the Advanced button and enter a new name in the Name: field: 3. Click the OK buttons to confirm the change. Do you have any improvements to this How to or do you have more How To's to share with us? Don't hesitate to contact us at: servicedesk.ieis@tue.nl or give us a call at 2361. How to #09-08: Using archive files in Microsoft Outlook Author: Service desk IE&IS (servicedesk.ieis@tue.nl) Version: 1.0 Date: 2009-12-17 Reference: http://ba.ieis.tue.nl/webdocs/pdf/09-08-using-archive-files-in-microsoft-outlook.pdf /Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences 6