BACKGROUND:
What is an archive?
An archive is a back-up of a user’s e-mail. By using archives, users can download e-mails off the server, store them in a safe place, and delete them from the server to free up space. Then, if the user needs to access those e-mails, they can load the archive.
Archives save in the .pst file format. This is the same format used for saving Outlook configurations and profiles.
The official Microsoft documentation for creating archives can be found here.
CREATE AN ARCHIVE:
- Go to File in the ribbon across the top
- Within the Info tab, make sure the desired account is selected in the dropdown
- Click “Clean-up Tools”
- Click “Archive”
-
Select the filters for the archive:
- You can select specific folders. By default it will archive the entire account folder.
- You can select the cut-off date for the archive. By default, it will archive all e-mails older than 3 months.
-
You can change where the archive gets saved by clicking the “Browse” button.
-
By default the archive will save to:
C:\Users\<domainname>\Documents\Outlook Files
And it will be named archive.pst.
-
By default the archive will save to:
- After clicking OK, the files will be archived and removed from Outlook.
- To access these files again, import them back into Outlook through these same menus.