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A solution to over-the-size-limit mailboxes

Is your Outlook mailbox overflowing? Here at the NIH Help Desk, we get quite a few inquiries regarding mailboxes going over the size limits. A very simple solution to this is creating a personal folder and moving items from your mailbox to the personal folder. By storing items in your personal folder, you reduce the size of your mailbox since your personal folder is not part of your mailbox. The instructions below will show you how to create these folders first in Outlook 2003 or, if you have been upgraded to Office 2007, in Outlook 2007.

Users who are migrating from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2007 shouldn’t have any problem with mapping their Personal Folders. Outlook 2007 automatically recognizes the folders so you can access them without any problem.

How to create a Personal Folder in Outlook 2003

To create a personal folder (also called Archive folder and .PST file) in Outlook 2003, just follow the instructions below.

Step 1 – Click on “File”

Step 2 – Click on “Data File Management”

Step 3 – Click on “Add”

This opens a new window showing the “New Outlook Data File” and types of available storage. Select “Office Outlook Personal Folder File (.pst).”

Step 4 – Click “OK”

Step 5 – Select the folder where you would like to save this file (It is always better to save on a Network Drive. A network drive is a folder on a shared drive — not on your own computer — that gets backed up regularly.)

Step 6 – Type the desired File Name, then click “OK.”

Step 7 – Again type the same name then click “OK.”

Step 8 – Close

How to create a Personal Folder in Outlook 2007

To create a personal folder (also called Archive folder and .PST file) in Outlook 2007, just follow the instructions below.

Step 1 – Click on “File”

Step 2 – Click on “Data File Management”

Step 3 – Click on “Add”

This opens a new window showing the “New Outlook Data File” and types of available storage. “Office Outlook Personal Folder File (.pst)” should be selected.

Step 4 – Click “OK”

Step 5 – Select the folder where you would like to save this file (It is always better to save on a Network Drive.)

Step 6 – Type the desired File Name, then click “OK.”

Step 7 – Again type the same name, then click “OK.”

Step 8 – Close

Moving items to the personal folder

Once you have created the folder you should see it in your Outlook under “All Mail Folders.” To move items to this folder, you can either:

1. Click on the email(s) you want to move and drag the email(s) over to this folder; or


2. You can right click on the email(s) and select "Move to Folder." Then you'll see a "Move Items" dialog box from which you select the folder you want to move your emails to, and click "OK."

Questions?

If you have questions or need assistance, please call the NIH Help Desk at (301) 496-4357, 301-496-8294 (TTY), or toll free at 866-319-4357.

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