eHelpCal Poly Pomona’s new email system provides larger email storage quotas for all categories of users than the previous system. However, email storage is also being consumed more quickly than ever. Storage space is a finite resource that needs to be managed by the email system and by users. This eHelp page offers some tips for managing your email.
When disk a user’s email storage approaches its quota the user will receive a message from the central Exchange email application saying that they are about to exceed their electronic mail disk storage quota. The message may be similar to the one below:
Your mailbox has exceeded one or more size limits set by your administrator. Your mailbox size is 404006 KB.
Mailbox size limits: You will receive a warning when your mailbox reaches 400000 KB. You may not be able to send or receive new mail until you reduce your mailbox size.
To make more space available, delete any items that you are no longer using or move them to your personal folder file (.pst). Items in all of your mailbox folders including the Deleted Items and Sent Items folders count against your size limit. You must empty the Deleted Items folder after deleting items or the space will not be freed. See client Help for more information.
If you receive one of these messages it is important to clean out your mailbox, deleting messages you no longer need and moving messages you want to save to file storage. Better yet, you can avoid reaching your email quota through the following good email practices.
To prevent exceeding email disk quotas, users should consider the following email practices:
Make Sure You Really Delete: Assure messages are actually deleted by emptying the Deleted Items folder. Messages are not actually deleted until the Deleted Items folder is emptied. In some applications, the Deleted Items folder is named Wastebasket or Trash. Most email programs allow the user to set up automatic deletion of files once they are deleted from the In box. However, this must be indicated by the user, usually in the form of checking a box or a radio button, commonly in the application's preferences section.
Delete Sent Messages: If you have checked the option of maintaining a copy of every email you send, you should periodically delete the Sent Items messages that are more than a few months old. Again, unless you have the option to automatically delete, you will need to then delete files from the Sent Items (or simply “Sent” in some email clients) folder and then the Deleted Items folder.
Don't Automatically Forward Attachments from Unknown Email Addresses : Make sure you are certain that an attachment is from a legitimate user before sending it on to others. Many spammers "spoof" legitimate email addresses. If it looks like it's from your friend John but it doesn't look like something he would send, you would be wise to not only not open the attachment without first talking to John but also not to automatically send it on to others. And, if the email message is from an unknown email address, you would be wise to not open it or send it on. Attachments from spammers and hackers sometimes contain dangerous files that "take over" other computers, spreading havoc in the form or botnets, worms and viruses.
Don't Leave Large Attachments on the Mail Server: Save large attachments on some other file space, and then delete the email containing the attachment from your Inbox. Ideally, the attachment should be saved on a network drive (if available) and not on the email server indefinitely. Like Sent and Deleted messages, Attachments count toward the email quota until they are fully deleted.
Manage User-Created Folders: If you have other folders that you copy email messages into, you should periodically empty them. You might label these folders “For Immediate Follow Up,” “Urgent Items for This week,” or “Awaiting Info from Others.
Manage Incoming Spam: No matter how email administrators try to fight it, spam, those unwanted solicitations coming to your Inbox, continue worldwide at increasing rates. However, there is help. See spam control for tips on how to slow incoming junk emails.
Empty the Junk Folder: If you have spam filtering set to send spam to junk folders, empty the junk folder and then the deleted items (or similar) folder.
Following these sound email practices and doing periodic email box management will allow most users to live within their email quota. Users with special needs may request quota increases by calling the Help Desk at 909.869.6776.
This page was last updated on December 12, 2007.
