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Configuring Outlook AutoArchiving Options

This document provides instructions for configuring Outlook to automatically manage short-term messages. It involves setting up auto-archiving to move messages older than a set number of days to an offline folder. A rule is then created to move incoming messages matching certain criteria to a sub-folder. Finally, the sub-folder is configured to permanently delete messages older than the set number of days using auto-archiving. This helps reduce clutter in the inbox by automatically processing and deleting short-term messages on a regular basis.

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Eric Woodford
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52 views2 pages

Configuring Outlook AutoArchiving Options

This document provides instructions for configuring Outlook to automatically manage short-term messages. It involves setting up auto-archiving to move messages older than a set number of days to an offline folder. A rule is then created to move incoming messages matching certain criteria to a sub-folder. Finally, the sub-folder is configured to permanently delete messages older than the set number of days using auto-archiving. This helps reduce clutter in the inbox by automatically processing and deleting short-term messages on a regular basis.

Uploaded by

Eric Woodford
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Configuring Outlook for Short-term Message Management

Often the number of email messages coming into a mailbox on a given day is cumbersome to deal with.
This often includes regular short term messages (like newsletters, company announcements, and various
notifications or alerts). By utilizing a combination of Outlooks own tools, you can automatically process
these messages, helping keep your mailbox manageable.

This uses an Outlook rule to move incoming email to a sub-folder in the mailbox. After a set number of
days, Outlook cleans up the messages in this folder using the AutoArchive functionality.

1. Setup Auto-Archiving
AutoArchiving processes all mail folders in your mailbox and moves
messages over a specific date to an external personal folder (PST). These
steps will modify the frequency of the AutoArchiving process so that we
can use it later to cleanout our short-term folder.

a. From Outlook, select Tools menu, then Options, then the


Other tab.
b. Click the AutoArchive button
c. Change Run AutoArchive every __ days to 7. Note: If
you use a different number here, make sure you match the
value used in Step 3d.
d. Unselect checkbox for Prompt before AutoArchive runs.
If this option is left selected, Outlook will ask you before
running every 7 days.
e. Select an offline personal folder to move old items to. This
folder will contain email from your mailbox that meets the
criteria set in the field for Clean out items older than
____ for all folders in the mailbox (excluding contacts and
Image1: Screen shot for steps 1c-1f
calendar items).
i. Click Browse
ii. Type in a new name, like Q1_2007
iii. Click OK
f. Change any other optional settings
g. Click OK to accept settings. Click OK to close all windows, until back at Outlook.

2. Create rule to move new messages.


We are going to take advantage of Outlook’s internal Rules processing to move new messages as they arrive
in the Inbox. Be careful, rules will automatically move messages immediately upon arrival. If a generic rule is
configured it can move too many messages. Make sure that the rule applies to a specific situation (single
sender, specific subject, identical attachment name, etc.).

a. The easiest way to create this rule is using an existing email messages.
i. Select a copy of an existing message in your Inbox, from the Tools menu, select
Organize.
ii. Use the wizard for Move message and point to an existing, or create a new
destination folder.
iii. When complete, make sure to select the option move messages now.
b. If you don’t have an existing message you will need to create the rule by hand. This process
differs depending on your version of Outlook. These steps are for Outlook 2003, but the steps
are similar for older versions of Outlook.
i. From Outlook, select Tools then Rules and Alerts
ii. Select the E-mail Rules tab

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iii. Click New Rule and select Move
messages from someone to a
folder (see Image2)
iv. Click Next and complete the wizard
for the email address of the Internal
user (you’ll need to select their
name from your internal Global
Address List).
v. You can use the Start from a blank
rule to create a similar rule that
looks for Internet email addresses.
vi. Click OK to exit the Rules and
Alerts section

3. Configure cleanup
This process will take advantage of the AutoArchive process to
delete messages delivered to the short-term folder. This will
permanently (or hard) delete the messages, so do not expect
them to show up in the Deleted Items folder. Recovery of
these messages depends on the Deleted Item Retention
settings set by the email administrator(s). If the setting is Image2: Screen shot for steps 2bi-iv
sufficient, turning on the DumpsterAlwaysOn setting will help
with recovery. For the first few days, check this folder regularly to make sure the rule is moving the correct
messages here.

a. Find the folder created in Step 2, right-click the folder and select Properties from the pop-up
menu. (Or select the folder, Select Folder from the
File menu, then Properties for ____ folder.) (see
Image 3)
b. Click on the AutoArchive tab.
c. Select the radio button for Archive this folder
using these settings.
d. Change the date value on Clean out items older
than ___ to match your value selected in Step 1c.
e. Select the radio button for Permanently delete
old items.
f. Click OK to accept these settings.

Final Notes
Now the short-term repository is configured and messages should
be moved here automatically. Be careful that the rules don’t
overlap for the same message. Also, watch the folder for a few
days after creating the rule to make sure the correct messages are
moved.

Additional folders can be configured with different expiration dates.


Just remember, that Outlook is only going to do clean up every 7
days (per Step 1c). So, if you choose a 15 day expiration (in Step
3d), the folder will contain up to 20 days of messages.
Image3: Screen shot for steps 3a-3e
Depending on how the rule functions, it may happen only if
Outlook is open. Don’t be surprised if messages start moving when Outlook is opened first thing in the
morning.

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