OL98: (IMO) Creating and Viewing Archive Items from a Custom Location

ID: Q179773

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article describes how you can customize Microsoft Outlook 98 to archive items in a specific location and file on your hard disk. It also describes how you can later add the archive file to a profile so that you can retrieve the archived items.


MORE INFORMATION

By default the Outlook AutoArchive feature is set to run every 14 days. In addition, each folder contains an archive property, which determines when items in that folder are archived. Several Outlook folders are installed when AutoArchive is on. These folders and their default aging periods are Calendar (6 months), Tasks (6 months), Journal (6 months), Sent Items (2 months), and Deleted Items (2 months). AutoArchive is not automatically available for Inbox, Notes, and Contacts.

When you archive folders, you are moving the items from their existing folders into an archived Personal Folders or PST file. By default, Outlook saves archived items in the following location:

c:\My Documents\Archive.pst
The file Archive.pst is just like any other Personal Folders file (PST) in that it retains the same file structure as the original folders, and you can add or remove an Archive.pst file from an Outlook profile.

You can change the default file name (Archive.pst) and location (C:\My Documents) so that the Outlook items are archived in another location.

Selecting a Custom Archive Location

To change the location and file name of the archived items, follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools Menu, click Options, click the Other tab, and then click AutoArchive.


  2. In the Default Archive File box, type the path and file name for the location in which you want to archive items. Be sure to use the .pst file name extension at the end of the file name.

    Note the "AutoArchive every X days at startup" check box. This determines how often the AutoArchive feature runs.


  3. Click OK to close the Autoarchive dialog box, and then click OK to close the Options box.


The next time Outlook successfully archives items, Outlook creates the archive file that you named in step 2. This new file contains all of the archived items in the same folder structure.

Because the archive file is a PST file, you can view archived items either by importing them, or using the Export and Import Wizard, or by adding the archive Personal Folders file as a service in your profile.

If you choose to import the items, they are moved back to their original locations. For more information about importing a PST file, please see "Importing Personal Folder Data" section in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q181014 OL98: How to Back Up Outlook Data
If you add the archive Personal Folders file to your profile, you can view the items from the archive folder.

Adding an Archive File to Your Profile

To add an archive file to your profile so that you can view the archived items, follow these steps.

NOTE: Keeping archived items in your profile defeats the purpose of using the archiving feature. You should use these steps to view or copy archived items, and then remove the archive file from your profile.

  1. On the File menu, point to Open and click Other Outlook File (.pst)


  2. In the Open Personal Folders dialog box, find, and then click to select the custom archive PST file you created in the previous section in this article. Then, click Open.


  3. On the View menu, click Folder List to use the folder list view. In your folder list, you should see an Archive folder with the archived items in the appropriate subfolder.



REFERENCES

For more information about retrieving archived items, search the Help Index for "retrieve archived items," or ask the Microsoft Office 97 Office Assistant.

For more information about controlling the archive location, search the Help Index for "Archive or delete old items" and then click the link for "Turn on AutoArchive," or ask the Microsoft Office 97 Office Assistant.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : GnlFold 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999