Create a mail archive in Mac Mail for OSX Lion

Today I was frustrated when I was helping a customer to set up a mail archive in the mail app for OSX Lion.  This customer often exceeds their mail quota and then needs to find emails to delete.  As any Windows or Unix user knows, when you exceed your mail quota you can instead set up an archive.

Believe it or not there is an archive feature built in to Mail on Lion, however if doesn't actually archive, as I understand the term.  What it does is create a new folder called "Archive" and places the emails there.  Useful... if you can't handle drag and drop!  This obviously doesn't solve the mail quota problem I mentioned early, for that you need to move messages off the mail server and onto the local hard-drive (make sure you have a back up if you're going to do this).

If you require assistance with any of the steps below then please feel free to contact The PC Support Group on +44 (0) 845 2233116

So to create a true archive in Mac Mail, you need to follow the guidance given here:
http://www.usc.edu/its/email/applemail/local.html

And should that page disappear at some point here it is again:

1. While in Apple Mail, select the Mailbox menu. Click New Mailbox. The following window will appear:

2. Under Location, select On My Mac.

3. Under Name, type in a name with which to identify the local folder, for example, local inbox or archive. Click OK.
4. You will see the local folders you created in the Mailboxes panel on the left-hand side of the window. If you do not see the Mailboxes panel, go to the View menu and select Show Mailboxes.

5. To move messages to the new folder simply drag and drop them, they will then move from the mail server to the local computer and thereby solve the quota problem.