Using the mailbox archiving tools periodically can help reduce clutter in mailboxes, help folders in both MRSware and IMAP clients load faster, as well as free up storage space on the server.
Mailbox Archive Wizard Options
When running the main Mailbox Archive Wizard, there are three primary archiving options:
- "Archive all folders according to their archive settings."
The default is to archive messages older than 6 months (or custom folder rules). All messages that are archived with this option are moved (deleted) from the mailbox to the archive file to free server space. - "Create archive only, do not delete any messages from the server."
Follows the configured Archive Rules to extract matching messages into the archive file, but leaves all original messages on the mail server. - "Export the entire mailbox to an archive, do not delete any messages from the server."
Creates a complete backup copy of all messages across all folders in the mailbox, regardless of individual folder rules or message age.
Folder Hierarchy Archiving ("Archive Folder...")
Rather than archiving an entire mailbox, users can archive an individual folder and all its subfolders directly from the MailTree folder tree:
- Select Folder: Right-click on any mail folder in the MailTree and select Archive Folder... from the context menu.
- Choose Cleanup Action:
- Move messages to archive: Archives messages into the target archive file and deletes them from the server to free space.
- Archive messages only: Copies messages to the archive file while retaining them on the mail server.
- Set Date & Follow-up Criteria:
- Choose between Archive messages older than [X] months (1 to 120 months) or Archive all messages regardless of age.
- Check Skip items with an open follow-up to protect ongoing tasks and active conversations.
- Check Include subfolders to recursively process the entire nested folder hierarchy.
- Configure Archive File: Specify the archive destination (defaults to
Email-Archive YYYY-MM-DD MailboxName - FolderName.zip), optional password encryption, and compression level (Fast, Default, Maximum). - Save Rules (Optional): Check Save as folder's archive rule to persist these settings as the folder's default rule in the database.
- Real-Time Execution: Clicking Archive immediately runs the background process with live progress tracking, zipping messages with EML records and XML indexes, then verifying archive integrity.
Browsing & Restoring Archived Emails
From a created archive file, users can browse through folders just as they were set up in the mailbox prior to archiving. Right-click the folder tree and choose Open Archive... to mount the .zip file. Any messages in the archive can be selected, viewed, or copied/dragged back into any active mailbox as needed.
Archiving Tips for Administrators & Power Users
- Archive One Scope at a Time: Archiving one folder hierarchy or mailbox at a time ensures fast processing and reliable progress tracking.
- Zip File Limit (2 GB): To keep archives easy to transfer and manage, keep archive files under 2 GB. Use the folder-level Archive Folder... option to partition large historical archives by project, client, or year.
- Distribute via File Share: System Administrators archiving mailboxes or folders on behalf of team members can place the generated
.ziparchive into the central File Share repository for users to download and mount locally.