Outlook: Adding an Email Archive

Outlook Archive pst

Notes about this process:

Before you import a data file to Outlook, ensure the file is in a good permanent location within your files. If you move or delete the data file after importing it to Outlook, you will no longer be able to access it via Outlook. If you move the file to a new location after importing, you will need to re-import the data file using the process below.
Keep a copy of the Outlook data file in your OneDrive folder as a backup.
If you received an Outlook data file as part of a .zip folder, you will first need to extract the data file before adding it to Outlook. See the process at the bottom of this article for instructions on how to extract files from a .zip folder.

Outlook Classic:

In the top left-hand corner, select File
Select Account Settings > Account Settings...
In the Account Settings window, navigate to the Data Files tab
Click Add...
Locate the .pst file that contains the archive. Once you locate the file, click it once to select it, then click OK.
Confirm the data file has been added by looking for it in the list of files in the Data Files tab in the Account Settings window.
You can find the newly added data file in the Mail tab. You may need to scroll down past your personal inbox and any other inboxes you may have open. Expand the file if necessary to view folders within the data file.

New Outlook:

In the top left-hand corner, select File > Open and export
Navigate to Data files > Outlook Data Files
Select +Add file. Locate the .pst file that contains the archive. Once you locate the file, click it once to select it, then click OK.
After clicking OK, the newly added data file should now appear in the Outlook Data Files window. You can manage/remove the data file from this window.
To locate the newly added data file content, close the Settings window. In the Mail tab on the left-hand side, scroll down past your personal mailbox and any other shared mailboxes - the newly added data file should be at the bottom of the list. If your personal mailbox/other shared mailboxes are not visible, you may need to expand the Navigation Pane. Expand it to view any folders contained within.