Why should I archive my email messages?
Each
person on campus has an email account, or "Mailbox" on our email server. Each mailbox
contains a number of different folders, including a calendar, an inbox, and a contacts list.
Everything you have on these folders is actually stored on the email server. To maintain the server in optimum operating condition, it is important that Computer Services periodically run maintenance on the email database. The email maintenance compacts and reorganizes the database. As part of maintenance, Computer Services will often delete old messages to free up space and reduce the size of the database. Once these messages have been deleted, they will not be recovered for you -- it is up to you to make sure you archive any messages you want to keep.
Archives are a way to keep items that would normally be deleted from your email mailbox. It can
also be a way to create a "backup" of important information. For example, you can create
an archive copy of your email Contacts as a backup in case of an emergency.
How do I archive my email items?
In order to save email items, you'll have to store these items in some location other than on the email server. That means the items will have to be moved from your inbox or other folders into a separate file. This takes just a few simple steps:
Create a "Personal Folders" file.
"Personal Folders" files are stored in some location not on the email server -- they don't take up space in the email database and messages in them are not subject to cleanup during email maintenance.
Open Microsoft Outlook.
Click on "Tools" from the Outlook menu.
Choose "Services."
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You'll be shown a dialog box similar to the one shown here. By default you'll probably have only two information services in your list -- "Microsoft Exchange Server" and "Outlook Address Book."
Click the "Add" button. A list of available services will open -- choose "Personal Folders" from the list.
You'll be shown a file dialog box that allows you to browse to the location where you'd like to store your file, and lets you enter a name for your file. Click the button labeled "Open" when you've filled in both pieces of information. Hint: If you save your file on your Z:\ drive it will be backed up by the nightly server backup!
Next, you'll be asked to specify the settings for your personal folders file. Choose a name for your file. Note that this is different from the file name you entered in the previous step -- this name is what you'll see displayed in Outlook.
Other options allow you to set the type of encryption on your file and to specify a password. Both of these options help increase the security of your personal folders file. Enter the name for your personal folders file, specify any security settings, then click "OK."
When you're returned to the "Services" dialog box, you should see your new personal folder listed. Click "Ok" to return to Outlook.
Display the Outlook folders list.
Perhaps the easiest way to use your new personal folders file is to display all your Outlook folders.
Choose "View" from the Outlook menu.
Select the option labeled "Folder List."
Your Outlook window should look similar to this:
Your new personal folders file should be displayed in the list. By default, Outlook folders are arranged alphabetically by the folder's display name.
Create subfolders in your personal folders file (optional).
One thing you can do to make it easier to organize and find the messages you'll be storing in your personal folders file is create subfolders. For example, you might create a subfolder called "Academic Items" to store messages from the VPAA's office, while another folder could be called "Personal Messages" and could be used to store personal email messages. You can create as many subfolders in your personal folders file as you need. Again, subfolders will be arranged alphabetically by the subfolder name.
Right-click on your personal folders file to open a short-cut menu.
Choose "New Folder" from the menu.-
Outlook will display a "Create New Folder" dialog box. Make sure your personal folder file is selected from the list labeled "Select where to place the folder." Notice that you can specify what types of items the folder can contain. Subfolders can contain one type of item, be it Appointments, Contacts, Journal entries, Mail items, Notes, or Tasks. Choose the type of item to store in your new subfolder, type a name for your new subfolder then click "Ok."
You'll be returned to Outlook -- your newly created subfolder should now be displayed under your personal folders file.
Move or copy items into your personal folders file.
Now that you've created your personal folders file you can start using it as a storage location for those items you want to keep.
To move items into your personal folders file:
Open the folder in your mailbox that contains an item you want to keep. This could be your "Inbox," your "Sent Items," etc.
Click on the item to highlight it. Click and hold down the left mouse button to drag the item over to your personal folders file, then over the desired subfolder. Remember -- each subfolder can hold only one type of item, so make sure you're dropping the item on a subfolder of the correct type. Otherwise you may find that the item does not actually get moved into the subfolder!
Release the mouse button to drop the item into the subfolder.
- To copy items into your personal folders file:
Open the folder in your mailbox that contains an item you want to keep. This could be your "Inbox," your "Contacts" list, etc.
Click on the item to highlight it. Hold down the Control key (Ctrl on your keyboard) then click and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the item over to your personal folders file, then over the desired subfolder.
Release the mouse button and the Control key to drop the item into the subfolder.
