WHAT?

Do you prefer, as we do, to keep a large number of the Microsoft Outlook E-mail messages that you receive?  This practice can lead to a very large and hard to maintain Outlook '.Pst' (e.g. 'Personal Folders' file) unless you plan to keep up! 

WHY?

Larger '.Pst' files are more easily corrupted, take a long time to be repaired when problems occur, and  they take an un-reasonably long time to display less-used Outlook folders.  The solution is Outlook's Archive feature which is implemented to work automatically on new installations and as a result is the source of some confusion.

Automatic archiving is hap-hazard in that the archive file fills up in what appears to be a random (e.g. items six (6) months or older, moved every 14 days) way making more work when trying to find archived messages. The  Archive folder file is named simply 'Archive Folders' so you have to open it and examine messages to determine its contents.  And, finally the archive process itself does not reduce the size of the primary 'Personal Folders' (e.g. '.PST') file.

HOW?

RECOMMENDATION #1:     Turn off the automatic archiving process inside Outlook at [Tools]--> [Options] --> then the [Other] tab and the [AutoArchive...] button.

RECOMMENDATION #2:      Build year-by-year Archive files.  Once  automatic archiving is turned off, it's possible to build year-by-year archive folders that are labeled with their corresponding year, and that are each be available for searching as needed.  For example we typically  use the folder names 'z_Archive thru 2003.Pst', 'z_Archive thru 2004.Pst', 'z_Archive thru 2005.Pst', etc..

(NOTE:  The 'z_' places the folder at the bottom of the list where we prefer to see it in Outlook 2000.  Omit the 'z_' in Outlook 2003 and later where the Archive files are automatically placed at the bottom of Outlook's folder list.)

HINT: When you have existing Archives it's important  to realize that 'Archive Folder' files are essentially the same as 'Personal Folder' files.  So you can drag and drop messages between them as needed.  If you have one or more archive files to start with we recommend that you try to attach them all using procedures similar to those described below, then examine their contents.  It's not unusual to work outside Outlook to copy and rename archive files and then inside Outlook to delete certain date ranges, and/or drag and drop messages to arrive at one, two, or more Archive files.  Yoy can then rename and re-attach each file so they become the easy to search through 'year-by-year' archives suggested in the following steps.

The step-by-step is:

1. Examine your messages, most likely in the 'Sent' folder, to determine the oldest calendar year of messages that you would like to use to begin with the Archive folder list.  We typically select a year that is 3 or 4 years in the past, but for a user with a large volume of messages it might be the last calendar year.
   
   

   NOTE: The Archiving process can take some time and will slow down your PC a bit, so you may wish to do it at a time when you can be attending to other non-computer items.
   

2. Begin forming the first set of Archive folders by selecting inside outlook [File] --> [Archive].  On the resulting screen you probably want to archive all folders, so be sure that 'Personal Folders' or your equivalent is chosen, then enter the 'Archive Items older than:' date you choose above, specify the desired NEW Archive file name (Maybe 'Archive thru 2005'or another year) and press [Ok]
   
   
3. Allow the Archive process to run to completion
   
   
4. Once the Archive process is complete you'll want to rename the new Archive folders. Begin by right-clicking on the newly created 'Archive' folder in Outlook and choose 'Close...(folder name)'.
   
   
5. Re-attach and re-name the New Archive folder by selecting [Tools] --> [E-Mail Accounts] --> [View or Change...] --> [Next] --> [New Outlook Data File] --> [Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.Pst) --> [OK].
   
   
6. Navigate to the location of your Archive Folder, select it and again click [OK] to display a window titled 'Personal Folders'.
   
   
7. Enter the NEW name for the folders (e.g. maybe 'Archive Thru 2005') and press [OK].
   
   You now have an Archive file,  with Archived folders and a custom (probably Archive year) name.  These steps can be repeated for each succeeding year until you catch up to the desired point.  We typically stop this process a complete calendar year or two before the current year.
   
   
8. At any point or when the new array of Archive files is complete it's important to go back to the original 'Personal Folders File' (Often named Outlook.Pst) and compact it to gain the benefit of the removed message.  To this work inside Outlook by right clicking on the 'Personal Folders' entry and then choosing "Properties for Personal Folders'.  Continue to click the [Advanced] and the [Compact Now] buttons. 

(NOTE:  If a large number of messages have been removed the compacting process could take some time.  It's also advisable to repeat this process for any Outlook folders, for example old archive files, that have had messages removed.)

DOES ALLTHIS REALLY WORK?      We have one client with 23 GB of messages from 5 years all available in Outlook where the primary outlook file wiht 2 years of messages is just over 1 GB.  Our own array include 8 years and almost 13 GB.

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