How To: Outlook: Mailbox Cleanup

At Tyndale, there is a 2 GB limit for all faculty and staff mailboxes.  Outlook 2010 comes equipped with tools to help you manage the size of your mailbox.

Check your Mailbox Size

  1. In Outlook 2010, select File > Info and look under the Mailbox Cleanup section

Outlook Account Information screen with "Mailbox Cleanup" option highlighted

Clean up Your Trash

  1. The first two places to check are your Deleted items and Junk e-mail folders.  Although these have been deleted from your inbox, they still reside in your mailbox.  You may delete messages individually, or empty the entire folder in a few clicks.  To do so, right click on the folder and select Empty Folder

Microsoft Outlook Junk folder right-click menu with "Empty folder" option highlighted

Find the Space-Hogs

  1. Select File > Info > Cleanup Tools > Mailbox Cleanup

Microsoft Outlook Mailbox Cleanup screen

  1. There are a few options.
    1. To see the sizes of each of your folders, select View Mailbox Size
    2. To search for larger e-mail messages, select Find after checking items larger than [choose the size – 1000 KB = 1 MB;  1000 MB = 1 GB]
    3. View Deleted Items Size and Empty the folder

Mailbox Cleanup options

Archive your Mail:  Move older mail to an Archive

  1. Select File > Info > Cleanup Tools > Archive

Mailbox Cleanup menu options

  1. Select the folder you wish to archive

Archive dialogue box with Inbox folder selected

  1. Select the date where you wish to archive (all messages before that date will be archived)

Archive dialogue box with "Archive items older than" date select highlighted

  1. Select the storage location (Recommended to save on your G: drive).  Choose a filename (archive by default)

Save file dialogue

  1. Select OK

Outlook Archive screen with "OK" submit button highlighted

  1. The archived e-mail will no longer be in your Inbox.  It can still be found through Outlook in the folders listing underneath your Inbox.

Outlook Archives folders menu