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Archiving Old Outlook Mails on Mac (Office 365)

Anonymous
2024-10-14T09:29:48+00:00

Hi, I am using Outlook for Mac (Version 16.89.3). I want to remove all my mail that is more than one month old, but I want to keep a backup of all this mail on an external drive in case I need to ever refer back to it.

How can I archive mails in this way? And also if I need to refer to an older mail from the backup, how do I easily do this?

Many thanks for reading

Frank

Outlook | MacOS | New Outlook for Mac | For home

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-11-27T21:59:48+00:00

    Thank you so much for the detailed answer.

    Yet, this is not working for me. I have a comprehensive folder structure that I would like to keep also for my archived mails. If I recall correctly, Outlook for Windows (at least earlier) offers a feature to archive mails given a date span while keeping the folder structure also in the archive file.

    Is there any chance I can replicate this behavior also on Outlook for Mac?

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-14T10:35:41+00:00

    Hello Frank265,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community. We are happy to assist you with your query.

    After reviewing your situation, I regret to inform you that the feature for taking email backups directly from the new Outlook for Mac is currently unavailable. To back up your emails, you will need to switch back to the legacy version of Outlook for Mac. Once you have reverted, you can proceed with the backup process. For more information, The new Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support.

    To archive Outlook emails that are older than one month and back them up to an external drive, please follow the steps below:

    1. Open Outlook: Ensure that your Outlook for Mac is open and running.
    2. Select Emails to Archive:
      • Navigate to your Inbox or the folder containing the emails you want to archive.
      • Use the search functionality or manually select emails older than one month.
    3. Archive Emails:
      • With the selected emails, click on the Archive option in the ribbon. This moves the emails to the Archive folder within Outlook.
    4. Export to an Archive File:
      • Go to Tools > Export.
      • Select Archive File (.olm) for export and ensure the Archive folder is included.
      • Click Continue.
    5. Save the Archive File:
      • Choose a location to save the .olm file.
      • Connect your external drive and select it as the destination.
      • Click Save to complete the export process.

    For further information,

    If you need to access the backed-up emails later, follow these steps:

    1. Connect External Drive: Ensure your external drive is connected to your Mac.
    2. Import the Archive File:
      • Open Outlook, then go to Tools > Import.
      • Select Outlook for Mac archive file (.olm) and click Continue.
      • Locate the saved .olm file on your external drive and select it.
    3. Follow the Import Wizard:
      • Follow the prompts to import the items.
      • Once complete, the imported emails will appear in a new folder labeled Imported Items or similar.

    For further information, Import email messages, contacts, and other items into Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

    By following these steps, you can effectively archive your older emails and maintain a backup on your external drive for future reference.

    Please let us know if you have any further questions or need additional assistance. We appreciate your time and cooperation.

    Best regards,

    Feroz Mahmud | Microsoft Community Moderator

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