Instructions for End Users on Email Archiving in MS365.

 

Overview

We are introducing an email archiving policy to help manage mailbox sizes and ensure optimal performance. This policy will automatically move older emails to an archive folder based on the following criteria:

 

- Default Policy: Emails older than 2 years will be moved to the archive.

- High Volume Users (Customer Service): Emails older than 6 months will be moved to the archive. 

- Personal Archiving Options: Users can manually override the default policy and set personal archiving options.

 

Note: This is not the full data retention policy. The comprehensive retention policy for the entire MS 365 suite will be rolled out separately after we have tested the archiving functionality.

 

Accessing Your Archive Mailbox

 

1. Outlook Web App (OWA):

   - Open your web browser and go to [Outlook Web App](https://outlook.office.com).

   - Sign in with your MS365 credentials.

   - In the left navigation pane, you will see your archive mailbox listed under your primary mailbox. It may be labeled as "In-Place Archive - [Your Name]".

 

2. Outlook Desktop App:

   - Open Outlook on your desktop.

   - In the folder pane, you will see your archive mailbox listed under your primary mailbox. It may be labeled as "Online Archive - [Your Name]".

 

Default Archiving Policies

 

1. Default:

   - Emails older than 2 years will automatically move to your archive mailbox.

 

2. High Volume Users (Customer Service):

   - Emails older than 6 months will automatically move to your archive mailbox. Unless overridden with the personal folder policy, see illustration below.

 

Managing Personal Archiving Options

 

You have the option to manually override the default archiving policy and set your personal archiving options. Follow these steps to customize your archiving settings:

 

 

Additional Tips

 

- Searching Archived Emails:

  - Use the search bar at the top of your Outlook to search for archived emails. Ensure you select the archive mailbox when performing the search.

 

- Managing Archive Mailbox Size:

  - Regularly review your archive mailbox to manage its size and ensure important emails are easily accessible.

 

- Help and Support:

  - If you have any questions or need assistance with setting up personal archiving options, please contact the PC Support.

 

By following these instructions, you can ensure that your emails are efficiently managed and easily accessible while keeping your primary mailbox organized and performing optimally.

 

Note: This archiving policy is part of a phased approach. The full data retention policy will be implemented once we have successfully tested the archiving functionality. It will include user defined and automated retention labels that will control documents deletions in MS 365.