AutoArchive not Working
AutoArchive and Archive are options in Outlook to automatically or manually initiate moving of Outlook items to an Outlook Data File based on previously made settings. Default AutoArchive settings can be made by going to Tools-> Options-> tab Other-> button AutoArchive… You can change this default set for every folder by right clicking a folder-> Properties-> tab AutoArchive. A manual Archive can be initiated by going to File-> Archive…
In some cases you’ll notice that AutoArchive or Archive is not working as expected even when all settings appear to be correct. Use the steps below to troubleshoot and get AutoArchive and Archive working again. The terms AutoArchive and Archive are being used interchangeable.
Excluded from AutoArchive
A specific item will not be archived when the property is set to exclude it from AutoArchive. You can find this option by opening this item and then choose File-> Properties-> option Do not AutoArchive this item.
Modified Date
Archiving works based on the modified date of an item. The modified date of an item can be viewed by opening the item and then choose File-> Properties. The item will only be archived when the modified date of the item is older than the date set for archiving. Actions that can cause the modified date to change are;
- reply
- reply to all
- forward
- move to another folder
- editing
- saving
- importing
In some cases (depending on the tools being used) scanning the item by for instance a virus scanner, anti-spam filter or synchronization software can also cause the modified date to be changed.
Damaged archive.pst
When the archive.pst file (or whatever the name of the pst-file is you archive to) has become corrupted it will not be possible for Outlook to archive to that file. You should then close Outlook and use the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) to scan it for errors or create a new one. The location of scanpst.exe depends on the version of Outlook that you are using. You can find an overview of where scanpst.exe is located for your version here.
Full Archive.pst
When the archive.pst file (or whatever the name of the pst-file is you archive to) is full Outlook won’t be able to store more items in it. For Outlook 97-2002 pst-files (ANSI) this limit is reached when the file has become around 2GB. You’ll then need to use this tool to repair it so you can access it again in Outlook. You can then either clean it up by deleting items or create a new archive file (recommended).
For Outlook 2003-2007 pst-files (UNICODE) the default limit is 20GB. When it’s an archive file you won’t be able to move items to this pst-file (either manually or by using AutoArchive) when the file reaches 19GB. When this size it’s reached you are still able to access the file to clean it up but it’s recommended to create a new archive file.
If you are not sure whether your pst-file is in UNICODE or ANSI mode, please see these instructions to find out.
Full Mailbox
It’s quite likely that you won’t bother about archiving your mailbox until your mailbox has reached the maximum size set by your mail administrator. When trying to send a message when your mailbox is full you’ll actually receive an error stating that your mailbox is full. However when you try to archive when your mailbox is full, Archive will not work and you won’t receive an error stating that either. To get Archive to work again you can either delete or move some items to your archive file by hand or contact your mail administrator to increase the size of your mailbox. For cleanup tips click here.
Last modified: February 7, 2009
