Running rules against existing email on an inbox with 20,000+ email. It isn't working.

Question

I have recently migrated to O365, and have gained significant storage in my mailbox. As a result, I've imported .pst files that I previoiusly used as archives to keep my mailbox within previous storage limits. My newly consolidated Outlook inbox has more than 20,000 email messages, spanning a time period of about 9 years.

I'm trying to run existing rules to organize the new messages that are now in my inbox. The rules have historically worked just fine with smaller amounts of email, but when I run them now, nothing happens. When I look at the subfolder in my inbox, I do not see any of the older messages being sorted as the rules should.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Hi @David Ryan

Welcome to our forum!

Does the issue occur recently on Outlook Desktop Client?

Do you have any specific operation before the issue occurred? 

What is the version of your Outlook? It is recommended that you please check the Outlook client version (File>Office Account>Product Information) and try to upgrade to the latest version to see if the problem is resolved. 

Meanwhile, here a few steps you may take:

1. Check Rule Settings: Ensure that your rules are enabled and correctly configured. Go to File > Manage Rules&Alerts and verify the settings.
2. Run Rules Manually: Sometimes, running the rules manually can help. Go to File>Manage Rules&Alerts and use the Run Rules Now option to see if the rules process correctly.
3. Reduce Rule Complexity: If your rules are complex or there are many of them, try simplifying them. This can sometimes help with performance issues.
4. Recreate Rules: Delete and recreate the rules. This can resolve issues where rules have become corrupted or are not functioning as expected.
5. Check for Conflicts: Ensure there are no conflicts between rules. Sometimes, one rule can prevent another from running.

Hope it helps! 

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