I have implemented personal archives and have been testing it using certain email accounts including mine. My Question/Issue: This testing happened over a few weeks time. I have a custom folder under my Inbox that I had tagged to archive everything older than 5 years old. This tag worked successfully. I then removed the 5 yr tag and replaced it with a tag set to archive email older than 25 years old. I then moved the archived emails from the archive back to the live mailbox. This new tag worked successfully too because the emails now stayed in the custom folder and were not moved to the archive because none of the emails are even close to 25 years old. To run one more test, two days ago I removed the 25 yr tag and set the folder to use "parent folder policy". The problem is the emails are still in the custom folder and have not been moved to the archive even though my "default tag" used for all folders that do not have a specific tag applied is set to archive everything older than two years old. What am I doing wrong? Why aren't the emails being moved to that archive? Sorry for the long confusing statements. thanks

hi, The age of the messages have been changed, so it can't work. Try the below action: Create a policy that move to archive 1day ago to your custom folder. Move the archived mail back to the folder, it will not be move to archive until you wait for one day. Because Items that have an archive tag are stamped with a move date. The policy will use the move date to operat. About how to Calculate the message age you can see this link:http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb430780.aspx hope can help you thanks,CastinLu TechNet Community Support

I am not sure that I understand. You want me to create a policy tag that will move emails to the archive older than one day old then apply this tag to my custom folder. Then you want me to move the archived emails (assuming the are actually moved to the archive) back to the custom folder. I don't understand after this point. Can you please explain further? I will read the technet article about calculating the msg age. thanks

hi, Yes, you should create a policy tag, tag type is move to archive, the age limit is one day. Then assign the policy to your custom folder.After do this, all message in your custom folder will be move to your archive mailbox one day later. If you move back your archived mails, Although it has existed for a long time, but do not meet the rules of calculation of time. So it will not be move to archive at once. The time will be calculated when these message are moved to the folder. The purpose that i ask you do the operation is to let you understand the calculation of time. hope can help you thanks,CastinLu TechNet Community Support

So are you telling me if I move a msg from the archive back to the custom folder that it doesn't matter how old the msg is the age will start over from 0 days? That is crazy. Can you reference another article that explains this? The article you reference above does not explain this time calculation very well. I am beginning to think that I should not set a default tag and I should make users manually move emails to the archive. What are your thoughts?

hi, I will search another article for you. But you can simply do a test. This will better help you understand it. >>>I should not set a default tag and I should make users manually move emails to the archive. What are your thoughts? I should not set a default tag and I should make users manually move emails to the archive. What are your thoughts? If you can do, just do it. hope can help you thanks, CastinLu TechNet Community Support

I did what you said. Yesterday I created a tag for 1 day old. I applied the tag to the custom folder that contains very old emails. This morning the emails are still in the custom folder and have not been moved to the archive. Why weren't they moved to the archive? I opened up one of the emails and at the bottom of the email it shows "Archive: 5-14-2005". The email is originally from 5-14-2004. I double checked the tag that was applied to the custom folder containing this email. It still has the 1 day tag I set for it yesterday. Then I went to the Exch server and ran "start-managedfolderassistant" for my mailbox. The assistant took the emails from the custom folder set with tag of 1 day and moved them to the archive. I don't understand this. It doesn't make sense to me. Why did I have to run the assistant? Why weren't they moved sometime last night? Like I said yesterday I may just remove any default tags and have users move the emails manually. The first time an email is moved or not moved and I can't explain why, I will face trouble. Thoughts? thanks

hi, >>>Then I went to the Exch server and ran "start-managedfolderassistant" for my mailbox. The assistant took the emails from the custom folder set with tag of 1 day and moved them to the archive. The policy will be process when the managerdfolderassistant service is run. For example: if you move your message to a folder at 2012.4.45 8:00 AM, but your managerdfolderassistant service will run at 11:00 AM every day. The message will be move to archive to your archive mailbox at 2012.4.26 11:00 AM, it will not be move to your archive mailbox at 2012.4.26 8:00 AM. hope can help you thanks,CastinLu TechNet Community Support

hi, Any update? Please remember to mark as answer. thanks,CastinLu TechNet Community Support

Update: I have been using a custom folder to test these tags, etc. I have changed the tag on this personal folder a couple of times. I created a "test-1-day-move" tag and applied it to the folder, but now it is set back to "use the parent folder policy". The Default tag that is in place (that will effect all folders and emails that do not have a tag applied) is set to move everything to archive older than 2 years old. When I move the archived emails from the archive back to the custom folder, within 24 hours they are moved back to the archive. This is understandable to me because all of the emails in this folder are very old (older than 5 years). But if I look at one of the emails (in the custom folder) it shows archive in 1 day. Sort of like the "test-1-day-move" tag is still applied to this folder (or emails) even though it is no longer applied. But it looks like it is still in effect for this folder. I do not understand what is going on with these tags. It seems that when you move emails into a folder they would inherit the tag settings applied to that folder. Can someone help me understand this without sending a bunch of links to generic articles on Exch2010 email retention, etc? thanks

I have re-tested my Personal archive and settings it seems to be working properly. Just be sure to check your settings and give the agent time to run on a particular folder that you change a policy tag on.