Manage stored e-mail folders in Microsoft® Office Outlook®

Note that these procedures can be used with either Archive Folders or Personal Folders.

Read Messages

In the Folder List, click the plus sign next to the folder that contains the messages that you want to read.  The folder opens and the subfolders appear. Click a subfolder to see the messages in it.

Change the name of an e-mail storage folder

1. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
2. From the list in the dialog box, select the data file for which you want to create a new name, and click Settings.
3. Select the text in the Name box and replace it by typing the new name that you want to use.
4. Click Apply and then click OK.

Create a password

1. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
2. Select an Archives Folders or Personal Folders file in the dialog box and click Settings.
3. Click Change Password.
4. Type a password in the New Password and Verify Password boxes.

Hide an e-mail storage folder from the Folder List

To keep Archives Folders or Personal Folders (or whatever name you have given one of those) from showing up in the Folder List on the Navigation Pane, right-click it and click Close.

Re-open a hidden e-mail storage folder

1. On the File menu, point to Open, and click Outlook Data File.
2. Select the file that you want to show on the Navigation Pane, then click OK.

See the last modified date of a message

Messages are archived based on the date when they were last modified. To create a custom view for messages that shows you the Modified field, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click to close Reading Pane and Navigation Pane.
2. Right-click the gray area at the top of the list of messages (where the From field appears), and click Field Chooser.
3. Click the arrow next to Frequently Used Fields and select All Mail Fields.
4. Scroll to and select the Modified field. Then drag it next to Size in the gray top area.

Manage AutoArchive

Check that AutoArchive is turned on

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Other tab, and click AutoArchive.
3. If the Run AutoArchive every check box is selected, AutoArchive is active.

Customize archive settings for a folder

1. Right-click the folder for which you want to create custom archive settings.
2. Click Properties on the shortcut menu.
3. Click the AutoArchive tab.
4. Click Archive this folder using these settings. Specify the settings that you want to use for the folder.

Run AutoArchive at any time

Use this procedure to archive messages before the next scheduled AutoArchive operation.

1. On the Tools menu, click Mailbox Cleanup.
2. Click the AutoArchive button.
3. Click Close to close Mailbox Cleanup.

Manage Personal Folders

Create personal folders

1. On the File menu, point to New, and click Outlook Data File.
2. Select Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst), or, if you will be using these folders in an earlier version of Outlook, select Microsoft Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (.pst). Click OK three times.

   Personal Folders appears in the Folder List.

Create subfolders in Personal Folders

1. Right-click Personal Folders, then click New Folder.
2. In the Name box, type the name that you want to give the subfolder, and click OK.
3. Click the plus sign next to Personal Folders to see the new subfolder.