OL2000: Message Modification Date Determines Archive Date

When you archive a Mail message folder, Microsoft Outlook determines the message age from the Sent date/time, the Received date/time, or from the message's Modified date/time, whichever is later.

The following actions will change the message's modified date/time:

• Forwarding
• Replying
• Replying to All
• Editing and Saving
• Moving or Copying

Copying or moving the message to another message folder does not always change the modification date/time; if the destination folder is a Personal Folders file (.pst), the modification date/time does not change. If the destination folder is an Exchange Server Mailbox or an Offline Folders file (.ost), the modification date/time does change.

To determine the latest modification date/time of a Mail message, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, point to Current View and click Customize Current View.
2. Click Fields and in the "Select available fields from" list, click "All Mail fields."
3. Under Available Fields, click Modified, and then click Add to place the Modified field in the "Show these fields in this order" list.
4. Click Move Up or Move Down to position the Modified field and click OK and OK.

The modified date/time for each message now appears in the Messages view.