Archive Files & Reducing Outlook bloat

[Sitara Lal]

Using Outlook 2003 I have archived most of my e-mail message folders into
various archive folders.

To reduce the space occupied by these archives (and Outlook in general), may
I simply burn these files into a CD and then delete the archives? Will
OL2003 go crazy if it cannot find these archive files the next time it
opens?

If that is not the ideal m.o., then what better way is there to reduce
Outlook's footprint on my laptop?

Thanks

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

Close the archives in Outlook before trying to do any of that. Right click
on them and choose 'Close'. Also, make sure that the files you move to
read-only media don't include your active auto-archive file. Note that
you'll have to copy the PSTs back to your hard drive to open them since PSTs
can't be opened from read-only media

 

[Brian Tillman]

Using Outlook 2003 I have archived most of my e-mail message folders
into various archive folders.

To reduce the space occupied by these archives (and Outlook in
general), may I simply burn these files into a CD and then delete the
archives? Will OL2003 go crazy if it cannot find these archive files
the next time it opens?

Depends on whether or not they appear in the Folder List view. If they
don't appear and they're real archive PSTs (i.e., handled by the AutoArchive
function), then Outlook will simply create new ones the next time
AutoArchive runs. If they're not archive PSTs, but simply PSTs to which you
copied data, as long as they don't appear in the Folder List you should be
OK. If they do appear in the Folder List, close them first (right-click the
roots and choose Close). Always make sure Outlook is closed as well when
you copy PSTs.

 

[Cary Liu]

Step 1: right click the Archive Folder in Outlook 2003 and choose close
"Archive Folder"
Step 2: Refer to the C:\Documents and Settings\Your user name\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook and find the Archive.pst
Step 3: cut it to your another place or CD-R for backup

 

[Brian Tillman]

Step 1: right click the Archive Folder in Outlook 2003 and choose
close "Archive Folder"

You forgot Step 1.5: Close Outlook.

Step 2: Refer to the C:\Documents and Settings\Your user name\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook and find the Archive.pst

This isn't the only place archive PSTs can be found. An archive PST can be
anywhere on the hard drive. The best way to locate the archive is with
Tools>Options>Other>AutoArchive where you can read the location
unabiguously.

Step 3: cut it to your another place or CD-R for backup

Or copy it.