How to move the Outlook archive file to another drive?

My C drive SSD is nearly full and the biggest single file on it is archive.pst at 30GB. There is a roomy D drive sitting mostly empty.

Can the archive just be moved, and how does Outlook find it afterwards?

It moves cleanly, Outlook just needs to be told once where it went. The missing file prompt on next start is actually the official reconnection mechanism, not an error to fear.

1

Note the current location first: File, Account Settings, Data Files tab, select the archive and Open File Location. Confirm which pst it is.

2

Close Outlook completely, check Task Manager for a lingering OUTLOOK.EXE.

3

Move the file in Explorer, cut and paste to something like D:\OutlookData\archive.pst. Move rather than copy, a leftover copy on C defeats the purpose and confuses future you.

4

Start Outlook. It complains the file cannot be found and shows a browse dialog, point it at the new path and everything reconnects, folders, search and all.

One follow up setting people miss: if AutoArchive fills this file, its target path updates automatically once you reconnect, verify under File, Options, Advanced, AutoArchive Settings that the archive file path shows the D drive. And a note of caution on the destination, keep the PST on an internal drive. Network shares and USB disks that disconnect mid write are the classic source of corrupted archives, an internal D drive like yours is exactly right.

Moved, browsed, reconnected, 30GB back on my SSD. AutoArchive path had updated itself but good to have checked.