The user must use Outlook to archive a folder of messages and must use Outlook to retrieve previously archived messages. It is not possible to create or access a folder of archived messages with OWA.
Messages of a folder (and its subordinate sub-folders) can be archived, not individual messages.
Messages of a folder (and its subordinate sub-folders) can be archived, not individual messages.
Messages to be archived should be moved to a (perhaps new) folder.
The folder to be archived may have subordinate folders which can be archived at the same time.
The archiving process can be limited to messages received before a specific date; to archive all messages of a folder, use the current (i.e., today's) date.
Once the messages of a folder are archived, the messages are not charged against the user's allocation of Exchange disk quota.
The archived messages are preserved in a file (with a filename suffix of .PST) file outside of Exchange on a disk, like the local machine's C-drive or a personal or shared networked drive like the I-drive or the S-drive. Within Exchange, there will be a "placeholder" folder (named "Archive Folder") that points to the archived folder; therefore, to retrieve the archive messages the local computer must have access to where the archive file is located.
There is a slight disk quota charge (about 10 bytes) to allow for the "Archive Folder" placeholder.
To archive the messages in an Outlook folder:
Launch Outlook.
If necessary, create a folder to contain the messages to be archived; move the messages to be archived to this folder.
Use File > Archive to begin the archiving process.
Select the folder to be archived.
Select the "Archive this folder and all subfolders" option.
The "Archive items older than" slot contains the creation date (and not the received date) for messages to be archived; use today's date so that all messages of the folder will be archived. Using an earlier date will "archive" no messages since you probably moved the pertinent messages to the folder today.
Click the Browse button to locate the disk folder (which is outside of Exchange).to receive the archive file(i.e., with a .PST filename suffix), perhaps creating a new folder in the process.
Indicate the name of the archive file to be created; the filename suffix of .PST will be suffixed automatically.
Click OK to create the archive file.
To review or retrieve the messages of an archive folder:
Launch Outlook
Use File > Open > Outlook Data File
Browse to locate the previously archived file (which will have a filename suffix of .PST) and select it
Click OK; a new folder named "Archive Folders" will be created near the bottom the file list (note that there can be more than one such folder in the your mailbox)
Open the desired "Archive Folders" (i.e., click the corresponding "+" at the left) and subsequent subfolders until the desired subordinate folder is found
Individual messages may be read, moved, or deleted in the usual manner
