---
title: "Outlook Archive"
url: https://lookeen.com/blog/outlook-archive-2
lang: en
description: "Outlook archives are created by Microsoft Outlook to archive old emails."
author: "Axonic"
published: 2008-06-25T06:05:22+00:00
modified: 2026-11-11T07:28:25+00:00
---

# Outlook Archive

## How do I access my archive?

If you now want to access this [archive](https://lookeen.com/blog/upcoming-version-2-0-will-search-in-closed-archives) you have two options: The first option is that Outlook automatically creates a shortcut in the Personal Folders folder, and you then only need to open the Archive folder in the Personal Folders folder to access older emails. This is the standard for newer versions of Outlook. With older versions, it is often the case that the Outlook archive must first be manually added to the Personal Folders folder. First, you need to search for the archive file. It is usually located in the application folder of the respective user. In the account settings of Outlook, the archive must be selected so that it can subsequently be added to the Personal Folders folder.

## Where is my backup?

If you want to reliably and automatically create an Outlook backup file, it is best to use a backup tool like the Lookeen Backup Manager. If you are now looking for an old email that is no longer in the inbox, you can open the Outlook archive and search it for the desired email. It is also possible to set up multiple Outlook archives for a single mailbox. Many Outlook users do not just archive older emails, but also organize their archives by topic. For example, many set up an Outlook archive for private data and another for professional data. This can save time when searching for emails, as you only need to search the archive where the email should be located thematically. An alternative to manual searching is using a [professional search tool](https://lookeen.com/download). Such programs, like Lookeen Desktop Search, find the searched emails with just a few keywords in a matter of seconds, without the user having to manually sift through old emails for hours on end.