Outlook archived Calendar Issues


There is an AutoArchive setting in Microsoft Outlook (Tools -> Options -> Other -> AutoArchive) that by default will remove old items from your calendar. Disabling AutoArchive will leave old items on your calendar. I'd recommend once a year that you manually either delete old calendar content or archive it to personal store (.PST file) to reduce mailbox bloat, as calendar items count against your mailbox quota in your Exchange server.

First check the AutoArchive settings for your Calendar folder -- right
click the folder, choose Properties, then click the AutoArchive tab. If
it's set to archive old items after a certain amount of time, and it's
set to send them to an archive file, that's what's happening. You will
be able to see the path to the archive file as well. Of course, if your
global Outlook AutoArchive settings aren't turned on, no AutoArchiving
will occur, so check those settings as well -- Tools | Options | Other |
AutoArchive.

The only program that can open a .PST file is Outlook, and you have to
do it from within Outlook -- it can't be opened from Windows Explorer.
The following page will help you retrieve your archive items in the most
efficient manner:

http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/readarchive.htm

Don't use the Import and Export command on the File menu! If you do, you'll just have to archive everything again. Instead, open the archive pst directly.

  • Outlook 97: File | Open Special Folder | Personal Folder
  • Outlook 98 or 2000: File | Open | Personal Folders File (.pst)
  • Outlook 2002 or 2003: File | Open | Outlook Data File...

    • After you have finished working with your archive .pst file, here's how to put it away:

    1. Display the Folder List if you don't already see it (View | Folder List).
    2. Right-click the icon for the archive file, then choose Close from the popup menu.

    Note that, if you copy an archived Personal Folders .pst file to a CD, you will not be able to read it. Outlook requires write access to open a .pst file. Even archives must be stored on a medium that you can write to.

    My notes: Open the archive properties--> right click on the calendar, choose properties.

    This will also show you the default archive folder location.