Managing PST (Personal Storage Table) files of MS Outlook is a matter of deep concern for Outlook users and Exchange administrators. Microsoft Outlook uses two types of PST files: one is ANSI PST and the other is Unicode PST. ANSI PST is used in earlier versions of MS Outlook, i.e. Outlook 2002 and before. ANSI PST is a default file format for the files which are created using these earlier versions. It has a default size limit of 2 GB which means that ANSI PST cannot store data more than 2 GB. If the size of the file reaches or exceeds 2 GB, then it might get corrupted. Similarly, Unicode PST is used in later versions of MS Outlook, i.e. MS Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010. Unicode PST has a size limit up to 50 GB. Therefore, chances of corruption are low in later versions as it has a size limit of 50 GB. The file can get corrupted if it exceeds the size limit. You can split a single .pst file into multiple .pst files to avoid corruption. There are some manual techniques to break or split a big .pst file into different .pst files. You can perform this technique by using “Import and Export” wizard or by using “Archive” feature.
You may also reduce the size of Outlook PST file by compacting it, if you are having an oversize issue with PST file. Read this blog to know how to compact an oversized PST file.
Move items from Outlook PST file by using Archive
- Open MS Outlook application in your system
- Select all the .pst files which you want to move, and then click on File tab
- Click on Cleanup Tools (beside mailbox cleanup)
- A list will be opened, then select Archive option from the list
- Archive dialog box will be appeared, check “Archive this folder and all subfolders” box
- Select folder from the list which you want to move
- “Archive items older than” option will be shown, now select a date from the calendar
- Click on Browse, select any desired location and name for the new file.
- Click OK
- You can check this new file in MS Outlook.
Move items from Outlook PST file by using Import and Export Wizard
- Open MS Outlook on your computer
- Click on File tab, now click on Account Settings box and then select Account Settings
- Archive dialog box will be appeared, click Data Files tab and select Add button
- Create and Open Outlook Data File dialog box will be appeared, then select a location to store new .pst file and a give this file a name
- Click OK
- Now again click File tab>Open>Import
- Import and Export Wizard will be appeared, choose Export to a file option and then click Next
- Choose .pst file and click Next
- Select the folder from which you have to export, expand it and select item and then click Next
- Click Browse>select desired location and type name
- An option must be selected before clicking on Finish
- In Create Outlook Data File window, it is optional to password-protect the file. Or you may cancel it.
You might face problem managing large number of PST files. Large numbers of .pst files are difficult to maintain. It will take a lot of time to open all the files one by one. You can merge all these files into a single .pst file. You can perform this function by following some easy steps given below:
- Open MS Outlook application
- Search and locate .pst files which you need to merge
- Now create a new .pst file by clicking on New Items and then click Outlook Data File
- Create or Open Outlook Data File window will be appeared.
- Give name to this new .pst file and then click OK
- New .pst file will be highlighted
- Click on File tab then Open, click on Import and Import and Export wizard will be appeared
- Select Import from another program or file option rom the list and then click Next
- Select the file type (.pst) and click Next
- Click on Browse and select the .pst file which you want to import
Also Recommended: Manual way to convert EML Files to PST format
- Check “Do not import duplicates” box and click Next
- Select the folder from which you want to import
- Check “Include subfolders” box and “Import items into the same folder in” box and then click Finish.
These are some manual techniques that help you to split large .pst file into many .pst files and it also helps you to merge different .pst files into a single .pst file. The only drawback of these manual techniques is it is time consuming and it is not effective. You can use third party software to manage your PST files easily. PST Merge and PST Split are two powerful tools that break and combine your .pst file in no time. You can visit SysInfoTools website and try its free demo version.
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