How to archive Emails in Microsoft Outlook Using Yearly PST Files Print

Title: Archiving Emails in Microsoft Outlook Using Yearly PST Files

Objective: Create yearly PST files for archiving emails and maintaining the original folder structure (Inbox, Sent, etc.) within the PST files.

Step 1: Create a new PST file for each year

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Click on the "File" tab in the top-left corner of the window.
3. Click on "Account Settings" and select "Account Settings" from the drop-down menu.
4. In the "Account Settings" window, click on the "Data Files" tab.
5. Click on "Add" to create a new PST file.
6. In the "Create or Open Outlook Data File" window, navigate to the desired location to save the PST file.
7. Name the PST file according to the year (e.g., "2010.pst") and click "OK."
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each year you want to create a PST file.

Step 2: Create folder structure in the new PST files

1. In the Outlook main window, locate the newly created PST files in the left-hand pane, under the "All Folders" section.
2. Right-click on the PST file (e.g., "2010.pst") and select "New Folder."
3. Name the new folder "Inbox" and press "Enter."
4. Repeat steps 2-3 to create additional folders, such as "Sent" and any other custom folders you have in your main mailbox.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each PST file you created in Step 1.

Step 3: Move emails to the corresponding folders in the PST files

1. Click on the main mailbox folder (e.g., "Inbox") to display its contents.
2. Use the "Inbox" or "Sent" column to identify emails from the specific year you want to archive (e.g., 2010).
3. Select the emails to be archived by holding "Ctrl" and clicking on each email.
4. Right-click on the selected emails, and click "Move" from the context menu. Then, click on "Other Folder."
5. In the "Move Items" window, expand the PST file corresponding to the email's year (e.g., "2010.pst") and select the appropriate folder (e.g., "Inbox").
6. Click "OK" to move the emails to the selected folder in the PST file.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 for the "Sent" folder and any other custom folders in your main mailbox, moving emails to the corresponding folders in the respective PST files.

Note: Ensure that you move emails to the corresponding folder in the PST file. For example, emails received in 2010 should be moved to the "Inbox" folder within the "2010.pst" file.

By following these step-by-step instructions, you can successfully archive your emails in Microsoft Outlook using yearly PST files while maintaining the original folder structure.