Moving Outlook Mail Files to Separate Data Partition

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By Gene Barlow User Group Relations Copyrighted August 2008 I recently published an article on how to Backup Data and Program Files Separately. Using Acronis Disk Director Suite, you should be able to create a separate partition on your main hard drive to contain your important data files and folders. Once you have set up this separate partition, it is up to each individual to move their data files to the new partition. In most cases, this can be easily accomplished with Windows Explorer and a little work. However, to move your email files to the new data partition can be a bit more complex. There are many email programs and browsers on the market and each one works in a different way. How to move there various files and folders to a separate data partition would take a bit of research with the software manufacturer. Since I personally use Outlook and have moved it successfully to my data partition, I have defined the following steps move these files:   1- You cannot have your email message automatically downloading and uploading while you are moving your email folder, so you need to turn this automatic Send/Receive function off until you get your mail folder moved. Then you can turn it back on again if you want the automatic Send/Receive function. To do this run Outlook and click on Tools, Options, and the Mail Setup tab. Then in the next box under the Send/Receive section, make sure that the box next to Send Immediately When Connected is NOT checked. Then click on the Send/Receive button and make sure that the three boxes at the bottom of this window are NOT check. These three all include the word "automatic". This should turn off this automatic function on your Outlook email program. To make sure these settings work, exit Outlook and then bring it up again and you should not get any auto downloading of your mail. I personally like my mail to only arrive and only be sent when I want it to be done and click on the Send/Receive button, but you may like the automatic feature. Just make sure it is turned off for this move.   2- Next you need to find where your email file is stored on your computer. The easiest way to do this is to open Outlook, then right click on the top folder shown by the name of Main Folder. Then right click on that Main Folder and click on Properties and then the Advanced button. This will show you the path to your main email file which is normally named mailbox.pst. Write this path down as you will need it in the next step. Then exit out of Outlook.   3- Next, you need to open up Windows Explorer (or My Computer with the Folders button clicked) and create a folder on your new data partition to contain your email files. I called mine Email, but you can call your folder whatever makes sense to you. Then find your mailbox.pst file by following the path that you wrote down in the last step and copy (not move) this file to your new Email folder on the Data partition. So, now you have the same identical main email file on both partitions.   4- Open Outlook and it will still open from the old location on your c: drive. You can check this by following the procedures in step 2 above. Do not be tempted to download or upload any email messages at this time. Otherwise, they will be lost when you change to the new mail folder in your Data partition.   5- Now we need to open up your email folder in the Data partition. To do this click on Main Folder line to select it and then click on the File menu and the Open menu and then click on Outlook Data File menu. This will bring up a box to let you find your new mailbox.pst file on your Data partition's Email folder. Once you find it, click on the file name and then open. Now you will see both the old mailbox.pst and the new mailbox.pst files in your list of folders on the left of the Outlook screen.   6- The next step is not critical, but it will save confusion in the following step. Follow the procedure in step 2 above to show you the new mailbox.pst file in your Data partition, Email folder. Once you see the path, you should change the name of this file from Main Folder to Main Folder 2. You just need to place your cursor in the Name field and type in the 2 at the end to change this name. As I said, this will just make the next step a bit easier to follow. Click on OK or whatever to get back to your main Outlook window.   7- Now click on tools, Email Accounts, and View or Change Existing Email Accounts. This will bring up the main Email Accounts box. You probably only have one entry listed and it will be selected and highlighted. Below the box with your email account highlighted, will be a small box with the caption, Deliver New Email to the Following Location. Click on the down arrow to show the options and find and click once to highlight Main Folder 2. Then click on the New Outlook Data File button. This will change the delivery of your future email to the mailbox.pst file in your Data partition. Click on OK and then exit Outlook to set that change in place.   8- Just one or two steps to go. Now open up Outlook and you will notice that you still have the two main folders, but one will be named Main Folder 2. This is the current active one. To test this, click on the Send/Receive button at the top of your Outlook main screen and your email will be downloaded and placed in the inbox of your Main Folder 2.   9- Right click on the old Main Folder entry and click on Close to close this old entry. Now you should only have your new mailbox.pst file in your Data partition left. Again, you can check the location of this file by following step 2 above.   That is all there is to it. If you have problems doing any of these steps, send me a note to gene@ugr.com and I will try to assist you. If you use another email client and successfully move your email folders to a separate data partition, send me the detailed steps that you used and I will make them available to others. Working together, we can all get our email stored on our new data partitions.