Outlook provides several ways to configure and manage your data-archiving settings. For example, suppose that you want Outlook to run AutoArchive every day, but you want to be prompted before it starts. You can configure AutoArchive to do just that. In addition, you might want to delete old items after a specific date (say, after a message sits in the Inbox for six months). This section shows you how to configure AutoArchive to handle many of your archiving needs.

To set AutoArchive options, choose Tools, Options, click the Other tab, and click Auto- Archive to open the AutoArchive dialog box. The following sections explain the options you’ll find in the AutoArchive dialog box.

Run AutoArchive Every n Days

Outlook allows you to run AutoArchive on a per-day cycle. For example, if you want to run it each day, set it to run every 1 day. To archive every other day, set AutoArchive to run every 2 days, and so on.

To set the length of time between AutoArchive sessions, set the Run AutoArchive Every n Days option - (see Screenshot below) to the number of days you want between archiving sessions. The number you enter must be between 1 and 60.

Prompt Before AutoArchive Runs

You can have Outlook display a message before it starts an AutoArchive session. The message includes a Cancel button to let you cancel the AutoArchive for that day. To activate this option, select the Prompt Before AutoArchive Runs check box in the AutoArchive dialog box.

Delete Expired Items

In your message folders, AutoArchive can delete messages if they are older than a specified amount of time. To set this option, select the Delete Expired Items check box. Also make sure that the Archive Or Delete Old Items check box is selected.

In the Default Folder Settings For Archiving area, set the amount of time you want to pass before AutoArchive automatically deletes e-mail messages. The default is six months, but you can set this to as high as 60 months or as low as one day.

Archive or Delete Old Items

If you want AutoArchive to archive or delete old Outlook items, select the Archive Or Delete Old Items check box. Then set the amount of time that should elapse before old items are archived or deleted. Again, the default is six months, but you can set it to as high as 60 months or as low as one day.

Show Archive Folder in Folder List

If you want Outlook to display your archive folder in the folder list, select the Show Archive Folder In Folder List check box. You might want to select this check box if you think you’d like to be able to see which items have been archived. Also, you might find that some items are removed from your working folders (such as Inbox or Calendar) before you want them removed. By showing the archive folder in the folder list, you can quickly and easily move items back to a working folder.

Specify How Archived Items Are Handled

In the Default Folder Settings For Archiving area, you can set the number of days that should pass before e-mail messages or other items are archived or deleted (see other forum entries on Archiving). 

In addition, this area includes options for the way old items are handled. With the Move Old Items To option, you can specify a PST file to which Outlook should move archived items. Click Browse to identify a different location and the PST file in which you want to store archives.

On the other hand, if you want to delete archived items, select Permanently Delete Old Items and Outlook will delete items during the AutoArchive sessions. This option is probably not a good choice if you want to retain information for long periods of time.

Apply Settings to All Folders

If you want these AutoArchive settings to apply to all your folders, click Apply These Settings To All Folders Now. Any settings you establish for individual folders (see the next section) are not overridden by the default settings in the AutoArchive dialog box.

AutoArchive Settings for Individual Folders

When you configure AutoArchive settings, you can use the default settings just described, or you can specify options for individual folders.

To take the latter approach, open the Properties dialog box for the folder, click the Auto- Archive tab, and click Archive This Folder Using These Settings. Then set the following options:

Do Not Archive Items In This Folder Specify that the current folder should not be archived.
Archive This Folder Using These Settings Direct Outlook to archive items in the folder based on the custom settings you specify in the dialog box.

Clean Out Items Older Than n This option lets you specify the number of days, weeks, or months that should pass before AutoArchive removes items in the selected folder.

Move Old Items To Default Archive Folder You can have Outlook move old items to the folder specified for default AutoArchive settings.

Move Old Items To This option lets you specify a different folder in which to archive old items. Click Browse to locate a different folder or file.

Permanently Delete Old Items You can direct Outlook to delete items in this folder during archiving