Note: archiving instructions in this article apply to all versions of Outlook, except where stated. The only difference is how to access the Auto-Archiving settings dialog. Otherwise, the instructions are identical.

Advantages of Auto-Archiving Outlook Email

Archiving is a very helpful tool for any type of account - POP, IMAP, or MAPI. It is best if archiving is set up automatically, instead of remembering to do it periodically. In this guide, we show how to archive your emails automatically, to make the most of your Outlook email.

The archiving process is not mandatory, but it is crucial to maintain optimal speeds in your Outlook. The larger your Outlook account, the more performance slows down. Many email users have found it helpful to archive when they have a very large account, and when they have many emails that are months, or years old, that they no longer use.

It is important to keep in mind that when you archive, you are removing the emails from your email server. Archiving creates a compressed file in your computer’s hard drive. For this reason, it is STRONGLY recommended that you create a back up copy of these emails periodically. They can be burned to a CD, placed on a flash stick, or any type of memory device that can accommodate the size of the file.