Ever notice that your Microsoft Outlook account has slowed to a crawl? Basic email functions like Send\/Receive acting a little funny? Consider checking the size of your mailbox. You might be shocked to discover just how bloated it is.<\/p>\n
For most versions of Outlook, clicking on\u00a0File<\/em>\u00a0>\u00a0Folder<\/em>\u00a0>\u00a0Properties<\/em>\u00a0>\u00a0Storage<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 or right-clicking on any folder and selecting\u00a0Properties\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 will display the total size not only of a chosen folder but also of any associated subfolders.<\/p>\n Outlook\u2019s Auto Archive function is set to automatically back up Deleted Items, Sent Items, and expired tasks and calendar items. But if you get hundreds of messages per day and don\u2019t delete them or move them from your Inbox, you run the risk of sabotaging your account. Exceed 2GB of storage in an overstuffed Inbox and Outlook really starts to run slow.<\/p>\n Yet solving the problem is doable. CMIT Solutions<\/a> recommends that you or your IT support team follow the five (5) steps outlined below to change Auto Archive\u2019s settings.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> Under the\u00a0When a new message arrives<\/em>\u00a0menu, change\u00a0Date Received\u00a0<\/em>(we suggest 120-180 days) and then change\u00a0Do the Following\u00a0<\/em>to a defined action like \u201cMove Message + Archived Mail<\/em>.\u201d Click the check box for\u00a0Enabled\u00a0<\/em>and click\u00a0OK<\/em>. In older versions of Outlook, clicking\u00a0Tools>Options>Other>Auto Archive\u00a0<\/em>brings up a similar set of options.<\/p>\n If you set a new rule that all emails over six months old will be archived, don\u2019t let aging messages received before that rule was implemented continue to clog up your Inbox. Select the preferred mail folder, click\u00a0Messages<\/em>>Rules<\/em>>180 Day, Auto Archive<\/em>, and wait patiently while your email account reorganizes itself. Remember, you\u2019ll have to perform this function on each desired folder; also, Outlook uses \u201cLast Modified Date\u201d to archive, not \u201cReceived Date.\u201d<\/p>\n Simple \u2014 they\u2019re waiting for you right on the left-hand column of folders \u2014 or under the list of .pst files on your computer \u2014 with all of your other mail folders. The key? They\u2019re no longer taking up space in your mailbox.<\/p>\n Of course, archiving can\u2019t cure all email diseases. If you access your mail via an Outlook Web App, any emails archived on your local computer won\u2019t show up online \u2014 archiving them means they\u2019re no longer hosted on the Exchange server. And a .pst file or archived folder stored on your local hard drive is still susceptible to disastrous data loss if it\u2019s not backed up as part of your backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan.<\/p>\nHow To Archive Outlook Emails To Save Space<\/h2>\n
1. Create a new local folder or .pst (Personal Folders) file to hold Archived Mail.<\/h3>\n
\nRight click on the\u00a0On My Computer\u00a0<\/em>heading at the bottom of your folder list and choose\u00a0New Folder<\/em>.\u00a0 Name the folder\u00a0Archived Mail\u00a0<\/em>or something else that\u2019s easily recognizable. In older versions of Outlook, you can select\u00a0File>Archive\u00a0<\/em>and change the date under\u00a0Archive items older than<\/em>.<\/p>\n2.Create a new Archiving Rule.<\/h3>\n
\nClick on\u00a0Tools\u00a0<\/em>>\u00a0Rules<\/em>, select\u00a0Exchange\u00a0<\/em>from the\u00a0On My Computer\u00a0<\/em>section, and click the + near the bottom of the window. Name the rule something meaningful and recognizable, like \u201c120 Days, Auto Archive.\u201d<\/p>\n3. Define the time limit and destination for emails eligible for archiving.<\/a><\/h3>\n
4. Run the new rule on existing email folders.<\/a><\/h3>\n
5. Want to access your archived emails?<\/a><\/h3>\n