pst File Size Over the Limit

K

Katherine R

I'm using Outlook 2003 and I've started getting messages that the storage
limit for the mailbox has been exceeded. My email goes to Outlook and I drag
emails I don't want to lose over to a pst personal folder. I thought the
problem was with the emails in my Inbox but now I think its the pst file that
has exceed the storage limit. The size is 2,105,041 KB. From Outlook I've
now deleted some of the files and subfolders from my pst Personal Folder but
when I go to Windows Explorer to recheck the file size it's still 2,105,041
KB. What can I do to decrease the file size?
 
L

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]

In
Katherine R said:
I'm using Outlook 2003 and I've started getting messages that the
storage limit for the mailbox has been exceeded. My email goes to
Outlook and I drag emails I don't want to lose over to a pst personal
folder. I thought the problem was with the emails in my Inbox but
now I think its the pst file that has exceed the storage limit. The
size is 2,105,041 KB. From Outlook I've now deleted some of the
files and subfolders from my pst Personal Folder but when I go to
Windows Explorer to recheck the file size it's still 2,105,041 KB.
What can I do to decrease the file size?

Sounds like you're using an old-style PST file, not the new Unicode OL2003
format. The latter doesn't have a 2GB limit. Upgrading from an older version
of OL to 2003 does not upgrade the files.

Create a new PST file (make sure you choose Personal Folders and not the
old-fashioned one) and then start copying your data manually into it from
the old one, presuming you can still open it. If you can't open it, and you
don't have a good backup from before you hit the limit, you'll need to find
the PST Crop Utility from MS - and you will lose some data.

Make sure that none of your PST files is using the old format unless you
have a need to open the files in older versions of Outlook. Check the PST
file you're using as your delivery location, too.
 
K

Katherine R

Thank you. I've created a new PST file and I am in the process of manually
moving the data into it from the old one. After moving data from the old one
I am deleting the "empty" folders. The file size is now a little smaller
(2,083,217 KB) when I check through windows explorer, but if I check the file
size from OL by clicking the File Size link below the list of folders it
shows 1,730,095. Why the difference and which one is correct?
 
M

Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

REmoved files do not remove the "white space" formerly occupied by the files. You will need to manually compact the .pst file (but why since you are not going to use it??) by right clicking on the root of the personal folders file, select properties, then advanced, then "compact now."

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Katherine R asked:

| Thank you. I've created a new PST file and I am in the process of
| manually moving the data into it from the old one. After moving data
| from the old one I am deleting the "empty" folders. The file size is
| now a little smaller (2,083,217 KB) when I check through windows
| explorer, but if I check the file size from OL by clicking the File
| Size link below the list of folders it shows 1,730,095. Why the
| difference and which one is correct?
|
| "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
|
|| In || Katherine R <[email protected]> typed:
||| I'm using Outlook 2003 and I've started getting messages that the
||| storage limit for the mailbox has been exceeded. My email goes to
||| Outlook and I drag emails I don't want to lose over to a pst
||| personal folder. I thought the problem was with the emails in my
||| Inbox but now I think its the pst file that has exceed the storage
||| limit. The size is 2,105,041 KB. From Outlook I've now deleted
||| some of the files and subfolders from my pst Personal Folder but
||| when I go to Windows Explorer to recheck the file size it's still
||| 2,105,041 KB. What can I do to decrease the file size?
||
|| Sounds like you're using an old-style PST file, not the new Unicode
|| OL2003 format. The latter doesn't have a 2GB limit. Upgrading from
|| an older version of OL to 2003 does not upgrade the files.
||
|| Create a new PST file (make sure you choose Personal Folders and not
|| the old-fashioned one) and then start copying your data manually
|| into it from the old one, presuming you can still open it. If you
|| can't open it, and you don't have a good backup from before you hit
|| the limit, you'll need to find the PST Crop Utility from MS - and
|| you will lose some data.
||
|| Make sure that none of your PST files is using the old format unless
|| you have a need to open the files in older versions of Outlook.
|| Check the PST file you're using as your delivery location, too.
 

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