Cannot compact MS Outlook 2003 pst

[Tnerd]

Hi - hope someone can help prompt!?



I am running WinXP Pro with Outlook 2003 and a 1.7GB .pst file. I have archived well over the years and Outlook runs fine, yet a little slow at times... ( of course - with that size ;-)



However I thought I could just compact the .pst via Outlook Today/Properties, but when I clicked the icon it just says compacting now and lasts only for 2-4 seconds - i.e. not compacting. Why would this be? I have not compacted for years, is this the reason? Can anyone recommend a 3rd party compacting software I can use if Outlook is unable to compact itself?



Your prompt feedback is much appreciated - many thanks



Tnerd

 

[Chuck Davis]

-----Original Message-----
Hi - hope someone can help prompt!?



I am running WinXP Pro with Outlook 2003 and a 1.7GB .pst

file. I have archived well over the years and Outlook runs
fine, yet a little slow at times... ( of course - with that
size ;-)

However I thought I could just compact the .pst via

Outlook Today/Properties, but when I clicked the icon it
just says compacting now and lasts only for 2-4 seconds -
i.e. not compacting. Why would this be? I have not
compacted for years, is this the reason? Can anyone
recommend a 3rd party compacting software I can use if
Outlook is unable to compact itself?

Your prompt feedback is much appreciated - many thanks



Tnerd

Try OutBack Plus 4: Try it for 15 days:
http://www.ajsystems.com/obp4.html

From their site:
Backup your Outlook Personal Folders (.pst files) in a
compressed, zip compatible, archive. The ".pst" files grow
very quickly. The Outback Plus backup file is smaller and
more easily managed.

 

[Tnerd]

Hi Chuck



Thanks - I do use OutBack Plus 4 for back-up, however I wish to reduce my
day-to-day .pst file, compress it, delete empty space after general
archiving and deleting items. I have used compacting before and recall it
worked well - I am now just surprised I cannot use it any longer - why would
this be? Can a .pst get too big to compact or ...? Any feedback much
appreciated - thanks



Tnerd

 

[Brian Tillman]

However I thought I could just compact the .pst via Outlook
Today/Properties, but when I clicked the icon it just says compacting
now and lasts only for 2-4 seconds - i.e. not compacting. Why would
this be? I have not compacted for years, is this the reason? Can
anyone recommend a 3rd party compacting software I can use if Outlook
is unable to compact itself?

If your PST is a Unicode format PST (the new format that Outlook 2003
supports), then 1.7Gb is not large and probably wouldn't benefit from
compacting, at least as far as the speed goes.

 

[Andrew F.]

If your PST is a Unicode format PST (the new format that Outlook 2003
supports), then 1.7Gb is not large and probably wouldn't benefit from
compacting, at least as far as the speed goes.

The compacting function does not appear to work. I also use Outlook 2003,
and have a difference of 40mb between the file size on disk (200mb) and the
folder size in Outlook(160mb). The "compact now" routine last 2 seconds,
indicating to me that nothing is happening.