Procedures to Reduce Mailbox Size

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

Mailbox Management

As your mail storage grows you will need to manage your mailbox size. There are a number of things you can do to assist in this maintenance. Listed below are current recommendations to help reduce the storage space. The reduction of used space can be accomplished by saving email attachment(s) to a file location on a local or networked drive. Deleting items in various folders in your mailbox including the Sent Items folder and making sure that the Deleted Items folder is purged or emptied. Finally, you can create a PST (Personal Folder) file for long-term storage of your important email messages as well as set Outlook to Auto Archive your mailbox.

Just how big is my Mailbox?

To determine just how big your Mailbox is:

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

·  Select "Properties for Outlook Today"

·  Under the "General" property tab select "Folder Size"

·  You will then be presented with a list of sub-folders and their size.

To find your large email messages add the Size column to your view of the mailbox or simply sort by size.

• Adding size column to message view:
  • Select View menu, Arrange By, Current View, Customize Current View...
  • Select Fields Button, choose from Available Fields window, add 'size' field

Save Attachments to Another Location

To save attachments to another location follow these guidelines:

• Clearing/saving attachments:
  • In the message with an attachment, right mouse click on the attachment, choose 'Save As'.
  • Select the location where the attachment should be saved: local drive or your network folder.
  • The attachment is now saved and can be cleared from the message by selecting the attachment and pressing the 'Delete' key on the keyboard.
  • Select File menu, Close and click on 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.

Note: Deleted items can be undeleted for up to 5 days after deletion.

• To empty (purge) Deleted Items:
  
  Option A: Select 'Tools' from the menu bar and "Empty deleted items folder"
  • Outlook Express, select Edit menu and select Purge Deleted Messages.
  • Eudora, 1) highlight the items to be purged, 2) select Delete from Message menu, 3) select Remove deleted messages from 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:
  • On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab.
  • Select or clear the Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting check box.
    • Note: To be notified before you empty the Deleted Items folder, click the Tools menu, click Options; click the Other tab, click Advanced Options, and then select or clear the Warn before permanently deleting items check box.