Lotus Notes Archive File- Location, Size Create & Unarchive

Last updated on September 25th, 2021 at 04:12 pm

IBM Lotus Notes is one of the most well-organized ways for businesses to communicate. It creates a .nsf file format that stores all of the mailbox details, such as emails, contacts, schedules, and events. However, using IBM Notes with or without a server leads to a continuous collection of Notes NSF databases. As a result, NSF files grow in size, causing the machine to become slow. We should store our Lotus Notes NSF database to prevent this. We’ll talk about how to Archive Emails in Lotus Notes and more in this blog.

Users who use IBM Lotus Notes for email and other purposes can see, it is difficult to deal with the problems that arise due to the system’s complexity. Many of their customers are unaware of all of the functionality available in the Notes and Domain applications. Outlook functions are even easier for these users. They can quickly migrate from Lotus Notes to Outlook by converting nsf files to pst using eSoftTools NSF to PST Converter Software.

DOWNLOAD NOW

What is Lotus Notes Archiving?

One of the most significant features of the IBM Notes client is “Archiving“. In Lotus Notes, archiving email is a useful function for controlling mailbox size. It allows users to copy specific documents to a folder that has been archived. After that, the user will remove those emails to make the mailbox database size smaller. A user can archive his database by day and add settings to monitor what happens when the database is archived.

What is the need of creating a Lotus Notes Archive File?

Some of the most valid reasons to archive emails in IBM Lotus Notes include:-

  • It reduces the chances of errors caused by mailbox size.
  • Lotus Notes Archive files can be used as a mailbox backup.
  • It frees up space in your mailbox, which is necessary for saving new emails and other incoming messages.
  • Using an archive file, you can transfer your mailbox from one Lotus Notes-based system to another.

Lotus Notes archive file location

IBM Notes Archive Default Location:

C:/Program files/IBM/Notes/Data/Archive/archive.nsf

How to Create Archive in Lotus Notes?

  1. Log in to your IBM Notes account and navigate to your inbox.
  2. Create a folder for the archive data you want to transfer.
  3. From the Action tab, select Archive and then choose to create criteria.
  4. In the Create Archive Criteria window, give the folder a name and select the Enable this criteria checkbox.
  5. Now, select mailbox items for archiving by clicking the selection criteria button.
  6. Select the folder and click the OK button to continue.
  7. Set an archiving schedule and press the OK button to finish. 
  8. Return to the menu tab and choose Actions. Then select Archive, then Archive Now.
  9. You’ll see a dialogue box asking for your permission to archive. You should click on Yes to archive the Lotus Notes database.

Reducing the large archive folder’s file size

Through archiving, we save server space by moving the Notes database to a different location, ensuring that file size and capacity are not a problem. However, archiving is only possible up to a certain stage. There is a risk of data corruption and failure if the consumer reaches the limit. You must take the following measures to prevent this situation.

  • Open the large-sized archive file.
  • Select File > Application > Properties from the menu.
  • Go to the last tab and select the Compress document data checkbox.
  • After that, go to the second tab and select compact. After compacting, check the file size.

How to unarchive emails in Lotus Notes?

Unarchiving is the process of restoring data from an archive folder to its original location. The steps to unarchive email in Lotus Notes are as follows:

  1. Select the option Archived emails from IBM Notes.
  2. Deselect the mail things that you want to unarchive.
  3. Now, select “return to inbox”. All of the emails and other things you deselected will be unarchived and restored to their original system locations.

How to Fix “File does not exist” Error?

This error message “File does not exist” appears when users attempt to archive files, It happens when the archive NSF file isn’t located in IBM Notes’ assigned directory. The issue may be anything; most likely, the database has been renamed, transferred, or removed.

The following method can be used to resolve this problem:-

  • Evaluate the Archive file’s properties to see where it would be expected.
    Select File > Database > properties > Archive Settings -‘Where do you want these documents archived to?›
  • Next, go to the archive file folder using Windows Explorer to see if the Archive file has been renamed or is missing.
  • Look for the archive file on the system in other locations.
  • If the file was already renamed, revert the changes. Move the file to the correct location if the archive location is modified.

Conclusion

The archiving technique in Lotus Notes is the subject of this article. Since archiving is essential for daily Lotus Notes users, their users should be aware of it. As a result, we’ve covered the meaning of archive in IBM Notes, as well as the creation of archive NSF files and their importance in Lotus Notes. It’s worth noting that you can only open a Lotus Notes archive file in the Lotus Notes program. You’ll need to use an NSF to PST conversion tool to open your Lotus Notes emails in Outlook.

Post a comment

*