Duplicate Archive Folders to Same Archive File

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I have Outlook 2019 in Windows 10. I have my inbox set to archive to file “archive.pst.” For some reason, I have two folders in my Outlook panel under the “Archive” label that both point to this archive file. One has all of my old files in it dating back to the start of the year, as it should.

The other has fewer files but is the current destination of my latest archived emails. I’m not sure how this happened nor why, but I need to combine these into one folder. The properties of both folders indicate the destination is the file “Archive.pst” but the contents are displayed separately. How do I combine them into one folder and have my system continue to archive to it?

Do I copy the emails from the smaller folder with the most current files in it to the one with the older emails and then delete the folder? Or do I copy the emails from the older folder but larger one into the smaller one that is the current archive destination? Or does it matter?

I’m assuming that I have two folders in the same file. How did this happen?

Thanks so much!

WSC3

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WSC3 wrote:

The other has fewer files but is the current destination of my latest archived emails.

You need to check exactly where each Archive.pst file is located as somehow the location of where the Archive file is saved has been changed and the current archiving is being stored in different folder, causing a new Archive.pst to be created. The location had to be changed because Windows can not have two files with the same exact name in the same folder. Once you correct the Archiving settings to go to the location of the older Archive.pst the next archiving should bring it up to date, depending on your archive settings.

HTH, Dana:))

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Drcard: I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. Both archive folders point to a single archive file in the same directory (folder) on my drive, at least based on the properties box for each of these folders that appears in Outlook.

I moved my archive folder from my boot drive to a data drive a long time ago. There are two on my computer, but the oringial one hasn’t changed in size; the one i created a couple of years ago is growing and is sizable. This issue I see now has started in the past month or so.

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WSC3 wrote:

Both archive folders point to a single archive file in the same directory (folder) on my drive, at least based on the properties box for each of these folders that appears in Outlook.

Let’s get clear about this.
You have folder on your drive that has two “Archive.pst” files in it and both have the same exact name and not Archive(1).pst and Archive.pst? If this is what you are saying then Windows cannot have two files with the same exact name in the same folder. You need to look at the full Path address to these files and find out where these folders are. The Path address may differ by only on folder in the Path to make it be in a different folder of a similar name. I suspect when you carefully look at the Full Path address (each folder listed in the Path) for each you will see a slightly different Path address for one of the Archives.pst. Also use file Explorer and go to the folder where you store the Archive.pst file. Do you see two Archive.pst files there?

HTH, Dana:))

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No. I explained it poorly. I have an old archive file archive.pst in C:\user\name\…\Outlook Files\archive.pst. It 76,401 kb in size and doesn’t change in size.

I have the working one in E:\Outlook\archive.pst which is 1.2GB in size.

Auto-archive is set in Outlook Settings to the E:\Outlook\archive.pst file.

Can the archive.pst file have two separate “sections” in it, I’m calling “folders”? One of my “folders” in Outlook itself under the Archive heading to the left side of my email inbox is called “Inbox” which has 770 archived emails and starting receiving archived emails 4/21/20204. The other “folder” under Archive is called “Archive Inbox” which has 2,299 archived emails dated from Jan 1 to 4/21/2024. I may have created the second “folder” for some reason; I don’t remember. I just want to consolidate all of these emails into one archive destination “folder” and delete the other.

Again, sorry I wasn’t clear. Thanks for helping.

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WSC3 wrote:

Can the archive.pst file have two separate “sections” in it, I’m calling “folders”? One of my “folders” in Outlook itself under the Archive heading to the left side of my email inbox is called “Inbox” which has 770 archived emails and starting receiving archived emails 4/21/20204. The other “folder” under Archive is called “Archive Inbox” which has 2,299 archived emails dated from Jan 1 to 4/21/2024. I may have created the second “folder” for some reason; I don’t remember.

I need to know exactly how these Archive “folders” appear in the Outlook left pane.

Are both the “Inbox” and “Archive Inbox”  under the only Archive heading or is each of these folders under their own separate Archive heading?

Also,
Right click this “Inbox” under the Archive heading and select Properties.  Select Auto Archive tab.  Do you have this folder set to AutoArchive?

HTH, Dana:))

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The top one is what mine looks like.
Neither of these folders is set to auto-archive, just the regular inbox folder that receives my new email. This would make sense, right?

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Can you post a screenshot of your navigation pane in Outlook?

--Joe

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See attachment below for panel pic

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WSC3 wrote:

The top one is what mine looks like. Neither of these folders is set to auto-archive, just the regular inbox folder that receives my new email. This would make sense, right?

The way Archive works is to move the emails that match the AutoArchive settings to a different pst file named Archive.pst by default. To do this AutoArchive will create a folder under Archive heading that is the same name of the folder that is being archived. Thus AutoArchive of the regular Inbox will create the “Inbox” folder for the Archive pst file. To create the “Archive Inbox” folder one of two things had to happen….your have a folder in your regular account named Archive Inbox that is Auto Archiving to the Archive pst file and created the Archive Inbox folder OR the “Inbox” folder in the Archive pst was archived to the same Archive pst file which cause the “Archive” name to be added to the Inbox folder name to not conflict with the Inbox folder name.

Since you confirmed that the ‘Inbox” folder under the Archive heading is NOT set to AutoArchive and if you have no Archive Inbox folder in your regular account folders, it is safe to assume there will be no more archiving to the Archive Inbox folder. This archiving needed to be stopped before we combine the folders.

Good new is combining the two folders is very easy.

In Outlook click this Archive Inbox folder to display all the emails in that folder in the right pane.
Click anywhere in that right pane list of emails to activate the pointer there.
Press Ctrl + A keys at the same time to select all the emails in that folder. This will have all the emails highlighted.
Press Ctrl + C keys at the same time to copy all these emails.
Click the ‘Inbox” under the Archive heading to display all the emails in that folder.
Click anywhere in that right pane list of emails to activate the pointer there.
Press Ctrl + V keys at the same time to paste all those emails in this folder.
This may take a while to paste that many emails so be patient.
After all the emails from the Archive Inbox folder have been pasted in to the Inbox folder under the Archive heading right click the Archive Inbox and delete it and all the duplicate emails in that folder.

As far as the old Archive.pst file in that C:\user\name\…\Outlook Files\archive.pst location, it can be combined to your current Archive.pst but in a different way (Import function). Let’s finish this combining of the above folders before we start the next one.

Also we need to discuss the purpose of archiving and what you expect it to do? Archiving is moving emails to a different pst file or is can be an auto delete function. It is not a backup of Outlook or your emails.

HTH, Dana:))

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WSC3

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Thanks Dana. I will attach a pic of the properties for my “Inbox” archive folder. This one and the “Archive Inbox” look the same. Neither archive anywhere, which i would expect. New backup

I realize these are archives of old emails and not a back up. I follow your process.

Are these two “folders” separate folders in the file E:\Outlook Files\Archive.pst?

Thanks.

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Hmmm. Can’t figure out why my two attachments didn’t upload. I’ll try again.

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WSC3 wrote:

Are these two “folders” separate folders in the file E:\Outlook Files\Archive.pst?

Yes.
An Archive file is just another Outlook Data File with the default name Archive. Just like an Outlook Data file it can have numerous folders under it including the default ones. After seeing your screenshot of the folder hierarchy, I think the Inbox under Archive heading is your default Inbox for that Archive PST file and the Archive Inbox is the archiving folder created for archiving your regular account Inbox. The screenshot helped prove this and was very helpful in understanding what was going on. Default folders are listed first followed by added folders. Having the Inbox so high in the folder listing points to being a default folder whereas having the Archive Inbox folder listed below other default folders indicates that it was an added folder. Easy to prove. Right click the Archive Inbox folder and you should see the Delete Folder as an option; However, right click the Inbox under Archive will show the Delete Folder greyed out and not available. The Delete Folder function does not apply to default folders but does for created folders.

This changes things. You need to copy the emails in the Inbox and move them to the Archive Inbox folder, then delete the emails from the Inbox.

This is very strange as I have no idea other than physically moving the emails as how any emails could be in your Archive default Inbox. That folder is for incoming emails from the server and since this pst file has no connection settings to download emails there should never be any emails in this default folder.

You archive the Inbox of your account. Do you store most of your emails in the Inbox? Do you have folders you created in your regular account to move emails to from the Inbox? Also is your regular email account an IMAP or POP?

HTH, Dana:))

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WSC3

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Hey Dana,

I just completed your first set of instructions before I got your update! The “Archive Inbox” is in the “Deleted Items Folder” (but still there). All of my archived emails are now in the “Inbox” as expected. The file counts add up.

No, the “Delete Folder” option is available for the “Inbox” too. As I noted, the “Archive Inbox” is under the “Deleted Items” in the Archive place. I guess I can undo this…

Hmmm. Should I undo this or wait to see if Outlook archives emails to the one it was already archiving to (“Inbox), at least for the past month or so…

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Most of my emails are archived. I think it’s set on 3 days old before they’re archived. My account is IMAP.

I don’t have any folders under my Inbox.

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WSC3 wrote:

mmm. Should I undo this or wait to see if Outlook archives emails to the one it was already archiving to (“Inbox), at least for the past month or so…

Wait a while to see where the new archives are placed to see what folder is archiving and decide which one to keep.

WSC3 wrote:

o, the “Delete Folder” option is available for the “Inbox” too.

My bad, the default folders when not necessary such as those in the Archive file will allow deletion.  Since the Inbox in not connected to download emails it is not necessary it allows deletion.

Post back when you find out which folder the current archiving is placing the archived emails.

 

WSC3 wrote:

Most of my emails are archived. I think it’s set on 3 days old before they’re archived. My account is IMAP. I don’t have any folders under my Inbox.

What you have set up is a good way to keep copies of your emails on your PC.  Just remember that copies of all those emails will remain on the email server even if you delete them in Outlook.

HTH, Dana:))

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Thanks Dana. I don’t know how far back comcast keeps my email. I’m guessing not far. We’ll wait and see. Stay tund!

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There are emails that have been moved from my Inbox into my Archive “Inbox.” It seems to be working. Thanks so much!!

I’m not sure if there are any emails in my old Archive.pst file in that C:\user\name\…\Outlook Files\archive.pst location. But, would it hurt to combine it with my current Archive.pst but in a different way (Import function).

Ideally, I’d like to see what’s in there…

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WSC3 wrote:

But, would it hurt to combine it with my current Archive.pst but in a different way (Import function). Ideally, I’d like to see what’s in there…

No problem. I wrote specific instructions with screenshots for this task. I placed the instructions in the attached pdf (easy way to post all the screenshots with one file to upload).
Read thru first and make sure you understand each step. Ask if you have any questions.

Import-a-pst-file-into-another-pst-file

HTH, Dana:))

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