Microsoft Outlook - How to archive emails by creating a .PST file
If you want to archive only some emails: (For example: Because your mailbox is getting full…)
- Click on the File tab → Open & Export → Import/Export
- Select Export to a file
Select Outlook Data file (.pst)
- Select a folder you want to archive
- Click Browse
- In the top box, type c:\users\yourusername and press Enter. (For example: c:\users\patonv)
- Then click New folder and name the new folder: outlook archive
- Drag the outlook archive folder over the the left-hand-side, under Favourites. This will make a shortcut to the outlook archive folder. Click on the shortcut.
- Give the file a name, and click OK.
- Click Finish. Then when it asks for a password, just leave it blank, and click OK.
- Now you will have to mount the .pst file
Click the File tab → Account Settings → Account Settings → Data File → Add
- Click on outlook archive on the left-hand-side under Favourites, and choose the .pst file.
- Click OK, then Close. The archive file will appear in Outlook, on the left-hand-side, under your own mailbox, as Outlook Data File.
- Then you can drag more emails and email folders from your mailbox, into the archive file.
- If you want to create a new folder in the archive file, just right-click on Outlook Data File and select New Folder.
Important Note: your archive file is not backed up!
You've just saved your archive file (.pst file) in your C drive (c:\users\yourusername\outlook archive). We did this because Microsoft does not support archiving to Network drives (ie. S and H drive). But, your C drive is not backed up. Therefore, you will have to manually backup your archive file (.pst file): copy it from c:\users\yourusername\outlook archive, (shortcut on left-hand-side under Favourites), to an appropriate location on the S drive, or to an external hard drive, or burn to CD/DVD.
Then if your PC dies, even though your C drive will die along with it, your archive file (.pst file) will be safely backed up.
Want more information?
Please contact: IT Service Desk
Email: ithelp@lincoln.ac.nz
Phone: +64 3 423 0100