AutoArchive Defined

The process Microsoft Outlook uses to move old items to a specified location on your computer.

Advantages of AutoArchiving

How to View Archived Folders

From your Outlook Inbox, Go to the View menu and select Folder List.

Archive folders are a part of your Outlook folder structure as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1

Aging periods and dates used to archive items

The default aging periods for folders are:

·         Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, Journal, Drafts: 6 months 

·         Sent Items, Deleted Items: 2 months

·         Outbox: 3 months

Note:   Folders you create that contain the same type of items as Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, or Journal are subject to the 6 month aging period, too.

The way Outlook determines the age of an item varies based on the item type.

E-mail message

The sent or received date or the last modification date/time, whichever is later.

Calendar item

The appointment, event, or meeting date or the last modification date/time, whichever is later. Recurring items are not AutoArchived.

Task

The completion date or the last modification date/time. Tasks that are not marked complete are not AutoArchived. Tasks assigned to others are archived only if marked complete.

Note

The last modification date/time.

Journal entry

The date the journal entry was created or the last modification date/time.

Contacts

Not archived.

Enable AutoArchive Settings

1.      From the main Outlook window, go to the Tools menu and Options.

2.      Under Other, select AutoArchive.

3.      Select the following settings, as shown in Figure 2.

4.      Shut down your computer every night. Outlook will not detect whether an AutoArchive is due unless it is closed and restarted at least once a day.

Figure 2

Specify expiration dates on email messages

1.      Create a new mail message.

2.      Click Options, (the area circled in Figure 3).

Figure 3

3.      Under Delivery options, select the Expires after check box, and then enter the expiration date you want as shown in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4