Archiving - Outlook data file

R

Robert Neville

Please let know if someone could give some insights and tips regarding
archiving and organizing the data folder in Outlook 2002. My PST file
has grown immensely large over several years of Outlook usage. In the
past, Outlook archive feature was abrupt and unintuitive. It often
placed items in the archive pst without allowing the user to rollback
any changes. It did not create a log file or delete the archived items
from the current pst. It also created duplicates if you accidentally
ran the same filter twice. So verification and fixing erroneous data
was a pain in the butt.

Basically, I need to archive all folders according to year and
subdivide the tasks and email into appropriate folder categories.
These archived pst should be transferable to my laptop as well. In
addition, I would like to optimize Outlook, so it runs faster and more
robust.

This inquiry is less about the "How-to" portion. It relates to
suggestions on efficient and effective Outlook data management; and
how to avoid the common annoyances found in Outlook.

How do you remove duplicate entry in the archive folder? Do I need a
specific Add-on product?

How do you rename the Archive Folder with a more useful name (like
Archive 2002 or Archive 2003)? Do you rename the filename (*.pst)
itself?

How do you streamline the pst file to expedite sync the pst between
computers? Generally, I copy the pst from my desktop to my laptop. But
the process takes a long time with a 150 mb pst file.
 
D

DL

The archive feature works on modified date, which may not be the same as the
email date.
Depending on this you may have to physically move mail to the appropriate
archive.
You dont roll back changes, you physically move mail to where ever.
Archived mail is removed from current pst, it doesnt leave a copy.
Archives may be opened, in OL, as any other pst
OL, pre OL2003 has a 2gb size limit, allthough problems can occur from 1.6gb
 
B

Brian Tillman

Robert Neville said:
Basically, I need to archive all folders according to year and
subdivide the tasks and email into appropriate folder categories.

You can arrange any PST in any way that you see fit. You can create in it
any folders you please. It's completely up to you. Personally, I wouldn't
use Archiving to accomplish what you describe. I'd just do it myself. That
way I have complete control.
These archived pst should be transferable to my laptop as well.

Any file on your desktop PC is transferrable to your laptop if they share an
exchange medium (CD, network, etc.) Some methods of transfer impose the
Read-Only attribute on the transferred file. PSTs must have this attribute
removed.
In addition, I would like to optimize Outlook, so it runs faster and more
robust.

The Knowledgebase at http://support.microsoft.com/ may help.
How do you remove duplicate entry in the archive folder? Do I need a
specific Add-on product?

Delete it. There are commercially available products (see
http://www.sperrysoftware.com/ for example) that will do this automatically.
How do you rename the Archive Folder with a more useful name (like
Archive 2002 or Archive 2003)?

Right-click on the root of the folder, choose Properties, then Advanced.
Change the "Name" field to any display value you'd like. This display value
is independent of the file name.
Do you rename the filename (*.pst itself?

Close Outlook. Browse to the folder containing the PST. Rename it to
whatever you'd like. This does not affect the name Outlook will display
when you open the file. To adjust Outlook so that it uses this file agai,
Control Panel's Mail applet is one way. Outlook's File>Data File Management
or File>Archive menu items are another.
How do you streamline the pst file to expedite sync the pst between
computers? Generally, I copy the pst from my desktop to my laptop. But
the process takes a long time with a 150 mb pst file.

There's no better way.
My PST file has grown immensely large over several years of Outlook usage.

150 Mb is not large for a PST at all. Your PST can grow by about a factor
of ten before it is bordering on "immensely large", since Outlook 2002's
maximum PST is 1.8 Gb.
 
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