Email Maintenance

The following instructions describe several ways to enhance the performance of your email client and maintain its storage space on the email server. It applies to the Microsoft Outlook 2003/Windows XP client configuration.

As you receive more and more email, you will need to manage your mailbox size. Listed below are current recommendations to help reduce the storage space:

  • Save email attachments to a file location on a local or networked drive.
  • Delete items in various folders in your mailbox, including the Sent Items folder and the Deleted Items folder.
  • Create a PST (Personal Folder) file for long-term storage of your important email messages.
  • Set Outlook to automatically archive your mailbox.

Determining Mailbox Size

To determine just how much storage space your mailbox is taking up:

  1. Right-click on "Outlook Today - [Mailbox - Your Name]"

  2. Select "Properties for Outlook Today"

  3. Under the General tab, select "Folder Size"

To find your large email messages, sort by size or add the Size column to your mailbox view:

  1. Select the View menu, and then Arrange By > Current View > Customize ...
  2. Select Fields > Size

Save Attachments to Another Location

To save attachments to another location follow these guidelines:

  • In the message with an attachment, right-click on the attachment and choose "Save As."
  • Select the location where the attachment should be saved: local drive or your network folder.
  • After the attachment is saved, it can be cleared from the message; select the attachment and pressing the "Delete" key.
  • Then select File > Close. Click "Yes" when prompted "Do you want to save changes?"

Clean out Sent Items Folder

Periodically checking and deleting unwanted messages in your Sent Items folder will also help the storage space on the exchange server. Make sure you re-check the Deleted Items folder after clearing out the Sent Items folder.

Emptying Deleted Items

Messages in the Deleted Items folder are still counted towards your mailbox size. Prompt purging of unwanted messages in this folder will help alleviate the space allocation on the server.

Deleted items can be undeleted for up to five days after deletion.

To empty Deleted Items:

Option A: Select "Tools" from the menu bar and "Empty deleted items folder"

  • For Outlook, select Edit > Purge Deleted Messages.
  • For Eudora, highlight the items to be purged and select "Delete" and then "Remove deleted messages" from the Message menu.

Option B: Right-click on Deleted Items and click on Empty "Deleted Items" Folder.

  • To turn on or off automatic emptying of the Deleted Items folder:
    • In the Tools menu, click Options > Other.
    • Select "Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting."
      • To be notified before you empty the Deleted Items folder, click Tools > Options > Other > Advanced Options, and then select or clear the "Warn before permanently deleting items" check box.