Windows cannot find archive file

[Uncle Scotty]

Hello,

I wanted to backup my email folders in Outlook 2003 run on WinXP. So,
I used the archive tool, and archived my folders to an external HD.
The problem is once I disconnect the external HD, everytime you open
Outlook- it searches for the archive on the external drive, doesn't
find it (as the drive is now disconnected) and keeps popping up this
annoying, warning message: "The path specified for the file F:\...
\archive.pst is not valid".

So some questions:

1. Is the archive tool the right one to be using to backup your email
folders?
2. Is there a way to back them up to an external HD that avoids this
problem?
3. What do I do to stop that warning message from popping up?

Many thanks, Scott

 

[K. Orland]

This is the best method for backing up and restoring:

http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Thanks, and can you tell me what to do in order to get Outlook to stop
looking for the archive I put on the external HD and continually
popping up that warning message?

 

[K. Orland]

I'm not using Outlook 2003 on this laptop so I'm going from memory...

Tools > Options > Other (tab) > Auto Archive (change the path there)

Or something along those lines. Good luck! Post back and let me know how you
make out.