Outlook scare

This just happened. We have at work limits on how many emails you can store. This is a challenge as I like to keep EVERYTHING just in case someone says "do you have...." - which happens at least once a quarter. I am well versed in getting around the disabled data file functionality (i have a template the tech guys gave me years ago and use it all the time) but even with only 2 weeks worth of emails on the server I was getting the dreaded "you can't send email as you're over your limit".

So...on checking I realize that my Calendar is taking up about 40% of my limit. this must be due to the fact that either I or people who organize meetings put huge attachments in there. I thought it'd be cool to archive it. Never having done it before I had to check the Help. That didn't work. It says do "File, Archive" - that didn't exist. More disabled functionality I'm sure. Anyhow....I found a way to "delete all offline content" - I thought that'd be cool, because I could always resynch my laptop.

The shock of the morning was having done that my calendar was COMPLETELY EMPTY. Like totally. Nada. Nothing. The shock - i don't know where to go, who I'm meeting, when, on what day etc etc etc.....my blood pressure went through the roof.

Having calmed down a tad I thought that i could just ask IT to reinstate my calendar from backup. I was half way writing that email and I thought maybe it'd work if I closed Outlook and restarted. Nope. That didn't work. Carried on writing my email....and then, just before I clicked send I check today's calendar again. It appeared. Everything is back.

I believe this is what is known as a "Microsoft Feature".