How to Archive Old Mail Automatically using Outlook AutoArchive

Do you visit your email folders frequently, moving old messages to an archive folder to keep their size small? Or are you plagued by mail folders getting bigger and bigger in Outlook?

Turn on AutoArchive, and Outlook can do the job of moving older messages to an archive for you.

Archive Old Mail Automatically using Outlook AutoArchive

To turn on the AutoArchive feature in Outlook:

• Select Tools | Options from the menu.
• Go to the Other tab.
• Click the AutoArchive button.
• Make sure AutoArchive Every is selected
• Specify how often you want Outlook to look for old messages.
• Click OK two times.

Tell Outlook When a Message is Old Mail

Now that you have generally turned on AutoArchive, make sure you specify on the folder level what constitutes old mail and how it should be treated.

Of course, you can also archive items manually if your main Outlook file grows too large.