Saving thousands of emails in your mailbox will slow the response time when you are using Outlook and could potentially lead to a corrupted mailbox. (All of your mail folders, i.e. Inbox, Sent, Drafts… comprise your mailbox.)  If you have too many messages in your mailbox and don’t want to delete them, please follow the instructions below for archiving email. Archiving selected messages moves them from your mailbox to a Personal Folder File (.pst).  The Personal Folder File will appear in your Outlook folder list (as illustrated below), but the contents are saved on your hard drive rather than on our mail server.  There are two methods for archiving. 

 

                       

 

 

1.       AutoArchive

 

AutoArchive will automatically prompt you to archive in accordance with a predetermined schedule.  For example, you can set auto archive to prompt you monthly and then archive messages older than 60 days.  AutoArchive will move the selected emails in all of your folders to a duplicate set of the folders in your Personal Folder File.  To set up AutoArchive, follow the instructions below.

 

·         Open Outlook

·         On the toolbar, click Tools> Options> Other (tab)

·         Check the box next to Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting.

·         Click the AutoArchive… button

·         In the AutoArchive dialog box illustrated below, indicate how often you want to archive and set the cutoff date for messages to be archived.

·         Click the Browse… button and select the location of the archive folder and file.

 

            

               

 

 

2.       Archive (manual)

 

The manual Archive function allows you selectively archive folders, one at a time.  You might use Archive if you only wanted to move emails in your inbox and leave all other messages in their regular folders.  To set up Archive, follow the instructions below.

 

·         Open Outlook

·         Click File> Archive

 

                      

 

 

Backing Up Archive Files

 

To backup archive files you will first need to download and install the PST backup tool by following the instructions below.

 

Install the PST Backup tool

 

·         Exit Outlook

·         Go to the Microsoft Office Online site by clicking on this link - Download Backup Tool

·         Click the button on the Microsoft website and following the instructions in the dialog boxes.

·         To start the setup program, double-click the Pfbackup.exe program file where you saved it on your hard disk.

·         Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

·         Start Outlook

 

Configure Backup Settings

 

1.       In Outlook, click File> Backup…

2.       In the Outlook Personal Folders Backup dialog box, click the Options… button.

 

                 

 

3.       In the Backup Options dialog box

·         Check Remind me to backup every and set the number of days

·         Check the Archive Folders listed under Backup files

·         Click the Browse… button and locate your H: drive

 

4.       In the Open dialog box

·         On your H: drive, create an Outlook backup folder and a name for the backup file.

 

 

                 

   

 

5.       Every n number of days, when you close Outlook, you will be prompted to save the backup. (Depending upon the size of your archive files(s) it could take 15 minutes or more for the backup to complete, so make sure you have adequate time before you start it.)

6.       If you want to run the backup, click Save Backup when prompted by the Outlook Personal Folders Backup. (left illustration below)

7.       The Backup dialog box will open to remind you that you need to exit Outlook before the backup can begin. (right illustration below)

8.       When you close Outlook the backup will start within approximately 30 seconds.                                                   

 

                                  

                 

 

9.       A status window will open…