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OIT Home > OITConnect > E-mail & Calendar > How to Archive E-mail in Outlook

How to Archive E-mail in Outlook

Archiving saves quota space by moving your messages from the server into an archive file on your UTSA computer. This archive file, and the data it contains, will only be accessible from the computer on which it is stored.

You can use AutoArchive, or you can manually archive your items.


AutoArchive (Outlook 2007)

The first time that you run Outlook, AutoArchive is on by default and runs every 14 days. AutoArchive automatically moves items from their original location in Outlook to an archive file folder when they expire, that is, when they pass their aging period.

You can change how often AutoArchive runs, specify the Outlook data file (.pst) used to store archived items and edit other settings for AutoArchive.

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab..
  2. Click AutoArchive.
  3. Figure 1. AutoArchive in Outlook Options

    Figure 1. Click AutoArchive in Other tab

  4. Select the check box options you would like to activate.
  5. Figure 2. AutoArchive Options

    Figure 1. Click AutoArchive in Other tab

  6. Click OK.

Archive Items Manually (Outlook 2007)

Follow these steps to manually archive your Outlook 2007, 2003, 2002 or 2002 e-mail messages.

  1. On the File menu, click Archive.
  2. Select the Archive this folder and all subfolders option, and then specify a date under Archive items older than.
  3. Figure 3. Archive window

    Figure 3. Select Archive this folder then specify date

  4. Under Archive file, click Browse to specify a new file or location if you do not want to use the default file or location (see Figure 3).
  5. Select the Include items with "Do not AutoArchive" checked check box if you want to override a previous setting to not automatically archive specific items. If you choose to manually archive these items during this procedure, the items will again be subject to the Do not AutoArchive setting unless you manually override that setting again in the future.
  6. Click OK.

NOTE: Archived folders you create are stored on your computer, not on the Exchange server. To ensure your archived items are not lost, you need to back up the archive folder regularly.


About Personal Folders files (.pst)

All of your Outlook data is saved in a Personal Folders file (.pst). Even when you have an Exchange account, you can back up data to a .pst file, which is saved locally on your computer rather than on the e-mail server.

Each .pst file contains all of your Outlook folders, including the Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts. You can have a single .pst file (usually called Personal Folders in your Folder List), but you can also have an additional .pst file that you use for archiving.

For additional help with your Personal Folder files (.pst) and how to manage the files, contact OITConnect.