As a staff member or student, you can copy some or all of your Outlook mailbox data to a Personal Storage Table (PST) file. This is a locally stored data file that can be opened in Microsoft Outlook.

It is recommended to create archives every 6–12 months, as large archive files can take large periods of time to import, export, or load.

Exporting vs Archiving

Exporting and Archiving although related, serve different purposes, please read below and see which best applies to your needs.

• Archiving Emails: typically means moving them out of your inbox and into a separate folder or archive.
  • This helps declutter your inbox without permanently deleting the emails. It's like organizing your emails for future reference without removing them from your email account. 
  • Useful when you want to sort your inboxes and email to allow for a more visual pleasing Outlook.

 

• Exporting Emails: involves creating a copy of your emails and saving them as a file, often in a specific format (such as .pst or .mbox).
  • This file can be stored on your computer or another storage device. Exporting is useful when you want a backup of your emails or if you plan to move them to a different email service. 
  • Useful for when your Inbox Quota is reaching or has reached its limit.

WARNING: If you are exporting emails because your mailbox is full, you will still need to delete the original emails from the server. Please refer to the instructions below on how to delete the original emails from the server.

 

WARNING: Do not sync .pst files with OneDrive. Syncing these files can lead to corruption and may consume a large portion of your OneDrive storage quota. If the .pst file is not synced, it must not be opened directly from OneDrive. Always copy the file to a local drive before opening it in Outlook

Looking to export or archive your emails?

If you're looking to export or archive your email, please see our Instructional Guides below:

Getting Started   Refer to the instructions as follows to get started.

Are you a Windows user? Consult the guide below.   Email Export & Archive – Instructional Guide (PC)   Are you a Mac user? Consult the guide below.   Email Export & Archive – Instructional Guide (macOS)