Outlook 2003 Auto-Archive doesn’t archive all folders
I'm running Outlook 2003 SP3. My Auto-Archive Settings are set to:
* Run every 7 days
* Delete expired items
* Archive or delete old items
* Show archive folder in folder list
* Clean out items older than 2 months
AND
* Move old items to an archive.pst file on my hard drive
I have frequently hit the 'Apply these settings to all folders now' button.
The problem is that old some folders just don't get archived (auto or manual). Inbox and Sent Items do, but no others get archived.
When I right-click on a folder in the Folder pane and go Properties -> AutoArchive, it has Archive items in this folder using the default settings. I've experimented with 'Archive this folder using these settings' and customized it in a few ways, but it always acts as though 'Do not archive items in this folder' is selected.
How can I get AutoArchive to work on all folders? Thanks.
Software/Hardware used:
Software/Hardware used:
ASKED:
May 14, 2009 8:27 PM
UPDATED:
May 18, 2009 4:05 PM
Answer Wiki:
Add the field "modified date" in the folders that are not archiving and see what that date is. One maddening thing I found out working with a case like yours is archiving actually takes place based on last modified date, not receive or sent date. This is a "feature" with outlook, not a "problem". One user whose mail would not archive I found out had recently set up his outlook to use cached mode. Well guess what? Turning on cached mode changes the modified date to the date it was cached. So although he had lots of mail that was older than the auto-archive settings, none of it would archive because the modified date of all of it was too recent! And it changes it on the server side so no matter what computer he went to he had the same problem! Oh and there is no way to change the modified date back either.
Update from hoodbu: I got this to work. Indeed, old items that are moved (such as due to creating a new folder once you realize that your Inbox is growing big) are considered modified. Hence they don't get Archived. The trick is to reduce X in the 'archive items older than X days' field.
To see all answers submitted to the Answer Wiki: View Answer History.
How do you add a ‘Modified date’ field to a folder in Outlook? What do you mean by that?
Glad you got it working Hoodbu. Yes, reducing the X date in “archive items older than X days” will pick up that mail, and of course all other mail that meets the reduced criteria. Sweet logic though isn’t it? Lovely…