Archiving email in Outlook

Storing the emails

Before you begin the process of archiving your email, you need to make a decision as to how you want them to be stored. There are generally two ways in which to store them:

1. Archive to a separate Outlook mailbox (PST file)
2. Export from Outlook as individual files (usually plain text or HTML)

If you want to be able to access and manage the emails from within Outlook it is best to archive to a separate Outlook mailbox (option 1).

If, however, you want to archive your emails to different directories (folders) on your computer and not have to rely on Outlook software, you will have to save them as individual files (option 2).

Below are some pros and cons to both methods:

Option 1: Archive to a separate Outlook mailbox:

Pros:

• View and manage your emails from Outlook
• Simple and quick method of archiving (using auto archive)
• Easily searchable using Outlook's search feature

Cons:

• All mail is saved to a single file (called a PST file) which can become large, slow to load and cumbersome to backup
• Email is only viewable using Outlook and as such you are tied to Outlook. If you switch email clients your mail will not be easily accessible
• If you back up the PST file to another hard drive, you would then need a computer with Outlook software to view the emails
• Emails are not stored with other relevant data. For example, you may prefer to create separate folders for different projects and file all the documents, photos and other data within these folders

Option 2: Exporting as individual files:

Pros:

• Can be stored individually in separate directories with other relevant data
• The file size is only as large as the individual email
• Outlook software is not required to open the mail, and emails can be opened and viewed by anyone

Cons:

• Managing and searching for mail can be more complex if you are used to working with Outlook software
• Archiving each email takes time

Archive email to a separate Outlook mailbox (option 1)

Outlook has a feature called AutoArchive, which, when activated, will automatically archive your emails to a separate mailbox. Once set up this will run at a specified time and will archive all mail from a specific date. The default settings are to run every 14 days and to archive any mail older than 6 months.

For more flexibility, you can also create a new mailbox yourself allowing you to choose when and which email to archive. It also allows you to move email from different date ranges. This is done by simply moving them into the new mailbox folder from within Outlook. You can highlight multiple emails and move them all at once.

Option 1a: Use Outlook AutoArchive to archive your emails:

Step 1:

Run Outlook

Step 2:

From the menu select Tools » Options, then select the tab other and choose AutoArchive

Step 3:

Check the box marked Run AutoArchive every, and then choose how often you want it to run and any other options required. See below for an example:

Option 1b: Create a new mailbox and manually archive your emails:

Step 1:

Run Outlook

Step 2:

From the menu select File » New » Outlook Data File

Step 3:

Choose the type of storage (this should usually be the first option Office Outlook Personal Folders File - the other 97-2002 file type is only used if you need it to be compatible with older versions of Outlook)

Step 4:

Choose a place to save the file, enter a file name and then click OK

Step 5:

Choose a name (this is the name you will see in Outlook's folder list) and, if required, enter a password. Click OK

The folder should now be viewable in the left hand column (folder list), under the name you chose earlier. Click the plus sign to open out the mailbox, and, from here you can create new folders and simply drag and drop any messages from your default mailbox into the new folders.

Archive email by exporting as individual text-based files (option 2)

Step 1:

Run Outlook and open an email to archive

Step 2:

From the menu select File » Save As

Step 3:

Choose a place to save the email, choose a file name, and choose the file type

Step 4:

From the menu select Save

Notes and Tips:

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