Huge Exchange Mailboxes

Hello

We have taken on a new client who has SBS2003 installed. Their mailboxes are huge, they literally have thousands of emails for each user still in their Exchange mailboxes. The client has said that they have been informed that they must maintain the emails for 6 years as they are a legal firm and the emails are all classed as legal documents.

My question really is, what would be the best way to reduce the size of these mailboxes whilst ensuring that no emails are lost in respect of the advice they have been notified given?

Any help really appreciated,

Thanks,
Jeff

 

In Outlook Click "File" then "Archive "
That will archive the database (depending on your setting choices) to the local machine and get it out of the Exchange Database.
I usually tell it to Archive 6 months and older.
Make sure they empty their deleted items also.

Now if you want to backup Archive.pst that's your choice.

 

Thanks Scott

With regards Archive.

1) Can I import the archive pst back into outlook to view the emails in future just in case the client asks me? and if so, will retrieving the archive have any conflict with emails already in Outlook?

2) I gather it maybe worth backing up the archive to a folder on the server?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

Yep what he said. Outlook will add an archive folder to the tree with inbox, sent, deleted, etc.

 

Thanks Guys

I will take your advice on board.

Many thanks,
Jeff

 

The .pst will be located by default C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

See attached to see what outlook shows.

 

Thank you

Naturally, i'm sure it would be a good idea to put a backup of the file to the server in case the PC crashed?

Many thanks,
Jeff

 

Yes,
Thats why I posted the path to the file.

 

Thanks Scott,

Jeff

 

Come on guys you have to be joking right? Backup PST files and archiving emails??? For a legal firm trying to retain their email for 6 years???? How big do you think the PST files will be in 6years??!!

Corporate clients like this with the need to comply with such records retention need a proper email archiving solution.

There are plenty of products on the market that can provide this at minimal cost - GFI Email Archiver, Quest Email Archiver.

Basically these products intergrate with the email server, they have the ability to capture all ingoing and outgoing email and then archive this into a seperate database (not the exchange information store)
This has two benefits - Keeps the exchange server running better as there is no large databases to load and maintain, and it archives ALL email to the one database - Including PSTs....

They can set retention policies on the email, the database is highly searchable and the implementation is seemless to the client running outlook. It just appears as an archive folder and they are none the wiser.

 

Where were you 6 days ago?

 

Thank you for all responses.

Regardless of the advice, I am happy to look at all avenues and advice provided. So thanks to all you guys for passing on any information which may help. A lot of this looks really useful.

Many thanks,
Jeff

 

Sorry sleeping....