How to Archive Email ?

Understand that email messages aren't actually stored on your computer, but on an email server like Microsoft Exchange or a web-based email service. If you never clear the messages, the email server will eventually not allow any further messages through.

Locate your email program's archive tool, generally under "Tools." Email servers may use different names for it. For example, Microsoft Outlook email is archived in a personal storage (PST) file. Archive folders are data files that are based on your computer system, not the email server.

Set up your own archive folders, also known as personal folders, if you want more control over which messages go to which locations.

•  Name the folder, and designate its location. For example, you might want a folder named "biking," that includes email related to a bicycle club you belong to. Another folder might be named "school," if you're going to school.
•  If you don't see your folder, click on the + sign next to the other folders.
• You can even create a "temp" folder for items that don't need immediate attention, but that you want out of Inbox for the time being.
•  In Outlook, these personal folders have a .pst extension.

Archive your own messages, when you want, by using the drag and drop method

•   Create a new folder using the toolbar at the top of the page.
•   Just put the mouse pointer on the message, left-click and hold the button down as you drag it to the appropriate folder.
•   When you release the mouse button, the email message is moved.
•   In Gmail, just click the box next to the email, then click "archive."

Allow your email program to do the work for you by clicking 'yes' when you receive a message asking if you want to automatically archive.

•  Programs with an auto archive function allow you to set up which messages you want archived and how often you want to archive. For example, the default for Auto Archive in Outlook is every 14 days.
•  If your email program isn't automatically archiving, you may need to set this up under the Tools menu.

Contact your IT department at work about archiving policies. Some perform mass archiving or email storage for the entire company. Most companies that do this allow archives to be searched for quick retrieval of email.