How do I stop emails from going to archive in Outlook 365

For most versions of Outlook, clicking on File > Folder > Properties > Storage — or right-clicking on any folder and selecting Properties — will display the total size not only of a chosen folder but also of any associated subfolders.

Outlook’s Auto Archive function is set to automatically back up Deleted Items, Sent Items, and expired tasks and calendar items. But if you get hundreds of messages per day and don’t delete them or move them from your Inbox, you run the risk of sabotaging your account. Exceed 2GB of storage in an overstuffed Inbox and Outlook really starts to run slow.

Yet solving the problem is doable. CMIT Solutions recommends that you or your IT support team follow the five (5) steps outlined below to change Auto Archive’s settings.

            1. Create a new local folder or .pst (Personal Folders) file to hold Archived Mail. Right click on the On My Computer heading at the bottom of your folder list and choose New Folder.  Name the folder Archived Mail or something else that’s easily recognizable. In older versions of Outlook, you can select File>Archive and change the date under Archive items older than.

            2. Create a new Archiving Rule. Click on Tools > Rules, select Exchange from the On My Computer section, and click the + near the bottom of the window. Name the rule something meaningful and recognizable, like “120 Days, Auto Archive.”           

            3. Define the time limit and destination for emails eligible for archiving. Under the When a new message arrives menu, change Date Received (we suggest 120-180 days) and then change Do the Following to a defined action like “Move Message + Archived Mail.” Click the check box for Enabled and click OK. In older versions of Outlook, clicking Tools>Options>Other>Auto Archive brings up a similar set of options.          

            4. Run the new rule on existing email folders. If you set a new rule that all emails over six months old will be archived, don’t let aging messages received before that rule was implemented continue to clog up your Inbox. Select the preferred mail folder, click Messages>Rules>180 Day, Auto Archive, and wait patiently while your email account reorganizes itself. Remember, you’ll have to perform this function on each desired folder; also, Outlook uses “Last Modified Date” to archive, not “Received Date.”

            5. Want to access your archived emails? Simple — they’re waiting for you right on the left-hand column of folders — or under the list of .pst files on your computer — with all of your other mail folders. The key? They’re no longer taking up space in your mailbox.

Of course, archiving can’t cure all email diseases. If you access your mail via an Outlook Web App, any emails archived on your local computer won’t show up online — archiving them means they’re no longer hosted on the Exchange server. And a .pst file or archived folder stored on your local hard drive is still susceptible to disastrous data loss if it’s not backed up as part of your backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan.

Also, remember that Outlook is not a real email archiving solution — this QuickTip will simply help you free up storage space within the program, NOT keep your email secure via offsite backup or searchable across years of accumulated messages.

To learn more about how CMIT Solutions can get your Outlook account back in fighting space and provide unparalleled security for your email, stay tuned for Part Two of our Email Archiving QuickTip detailing the benefits of CMIT RADAR (Rapid Archiving, Discovery, and Recovery) next week. 

• Need more info...

  How many users ?

  What email software & version ?

  Any AV running on all the machines ?

• How many users ? --only one user
  

  What email software & version ? Outlook 2016
  

  Any AV running on all the machines ? No
  

  
  

• spicehead-35ax2 wrote:

  no rules created on both Outlook and OWA but mails are moving randomly to archive folder MSFT support still not able to find resolution and even root cause this issue.
  

  Is this on Office 365? if so, it would be a retention or archiving Policy on your Exchange Server or Office 365. Check your retention policies

  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/create-retention-policies?view=o365-worldw...
  

  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/set-up-an-archive-and-deletion-policy-for-...
  

• In Outlook they moved the locations of the delete button a while back.  I click Archive instead of Delete probably 1/4 of the time accidentally.

  A thought

• Is this on Office 365? if so, it would be a retention or archiving Policy on your Exchange Server or Office 365. Check your retention policies
  

  Still we can't find cause of this issue retention policy is set as move 1 year old emails MSFT support check that as well i think that's not a problem.
  

• In Outlook they moved the locations of the delete button a while back. I click Archive instead of Delete probably 1/4 of the time accidentally.

  A thought

  How to check this? Can you please brief your thought --Thanks.
  

• They moved the location of the "Delete" icon.  I accidentally click Archive all the time when I mean to click Delete.  Maybe your user is doing the same?

• They moved the location of the "Delete" icon. I accidentally click Archive all the time when I mean to click Delete. Maybe your user is doing the same? 

  No mails are moving automatically to archive folder.
  

Outlook provides an AutoArchive tool that can automatically clean up your mailbox by deleting some old items and transferring others to an archive folder. If you are concerned about losing older items such as email messages, journal entries and notes that are still important to your business, you can disable the automatic cleanup and run it manually instead to gain greater control over what is moved or removed. You can disable the cleanup on all folders or change folder settings individually.

Turn Off Cleanup for a Single Folder

1. Start Outlook. Right-click the folder for which you want to disable AutoArchive and select "Properties."

2. Click the "AutoArchive" tab in the Folder Properties dialog box.

3. Select "Do Not Archive Items in This Folder" and click "Apply." Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

Turn Off Cleanup for All Folders

1. Start Outlook and click the "File" tab.

2. Click "Options" in the left pane. Select "Advanced" in the left pane of the Outlook Options window.

3. Click the "AutoArchive Settings" button in the AutoArchive section.

4. Clear the "Run AutoArchive Every _ Days" check box and click "OK." Click "OK" to close the Outlook Options window.