How do I reduce the size of a pst file if i cannot open it?

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I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and replaced it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

Roady said:
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size of the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the file) to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files within??


Jesper Audi said:
Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

Roady said:
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Jesper Audi said:
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Yes, you can compact it;
right click the root of the folder (usually Outlook Today)-> Properties->
button Advanced-> Compact Now...

If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


Jesper Audi said:
Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

Roady said:
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Many thanks
Jesper



Roady said:
Yes, you can compact it;
right click the root of the folder (usually Outlook Today)-> Properties->
button Advanced-> Compact Now...

If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


Jesper Audi said:
Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

Roady said:
If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


Jesper Audi said:
Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
File, New, outlook data file. DO NOT choose the Outlook 97-2002 pst format.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/



Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


JohnSS said:
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

Roady said:
If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you :-)



JohnSS said:
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

Roady said:
If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
Jesper Audi said:
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big. Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

Roady said:
You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you :-)



JohnSS said:
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

Roady said:
If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours). If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to set it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not like the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



JohnSS said:
Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

Roady said:
You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you :-)



JohnSS said:
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Just in case you mean that you now have a 2GB pst-file and would like to
take advantage of the new pst-file format in Outlook 2007 which allows up to
20GB;
You'd need to create a new pst-file in Outlook 2007 and then move your data
to that file (if you want everything in a single pst-file).
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/115



JohnSS said:
Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

Roady said:
You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you :-)



JohnSS said:
Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the UNICODE a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

Roady said:
You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to set it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not like the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



JohnSS said:
Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

Roady said:
You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you :-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
Yes, the ANSI format is the old format (Outlook 97-2002). The new Unicode
format has Unicode character support (hence its name) and indeed can also
grow beyond the 2GB. If you don't need to open that pst-file in an older
version of Outlook anymore, then I'd recommend to copy its contents to a
Unicode formatted pst-file via the instructions I referred to in my other
post.



JohnSS said:
I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the UNICODE
a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

Roady said:
You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to set
it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not like
the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



JohnSS said:
Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the
other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

:

You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you
:-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how
you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even
hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be
extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then
you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into
the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact
it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again
despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of
the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of
files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal
folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the
max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.

I've found that a lot of the MVP's expect the non-experts to read between
the lines. Sometimes there's too much taked for granted as to what us common
folks know.

Just the same, thanks for your help and it looks like I'm onto using the
bigger file size!

Roady said:
Yes, the ANSI format is the old format (Outlook 97-2002). The new Unicode
format has Unicode character support (hence its name) and indeed can also
grow beyond the 2GB. If you don't need to open that pst-file in an older
version of Outlook anymore, then I'd recommend to copy its contents to a
Unicode formatted pst-file via the instructions I referred to in my other
post.



JohnSS said:
I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the UNICODE
a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

Roady said:
You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to set
it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not like
the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



-----

Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the
other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

:

You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though. While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for you
:-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how
you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even
hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be
extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then
you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into
the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in fact
it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again
despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag of
the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of
files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal
folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over the
max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.
Where exactly did you get stuck with that?

I appreciate the feedback and you're welcome! :-)



JohnSS said:
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.

I've found that a lot of the MVP's expect the non-experts to read between
the lines. Sometimes there's too much taked for granted as to what us
common
folks know.

Just the same, thanks for your help and it looks like I'm onto using the
bigger file size!

Roady said:
Yes, the ANSI format is the old format (Outlook 97-2002). The new Unicode
format has Unicode character support (hence its name) and indeed can also
grow beyond the 2GB. If you don't need to open that pst-file in an older
version of Outlook anymore, then I'd recommend to copy its contents to a
Unicode formatted pst-file via the instructions I referred to in my other
post.



JohnSS said:
I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the
UNICODE
a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

:

You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to
set
it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not
like
the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



-----

Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that
big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the
other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

:

You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though.
While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a
file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if
that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for
you
:-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how
you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even
hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has
a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be
extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the
file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then
you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into
the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in
fact
it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again
despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in
the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag
of
the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of
files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
in
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal
folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over
the
max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
The part where I needed to cut and paste the Inbox, etc into the new file.
It is done within Outlook. Totally missed that part. The other issue I has
was that it messed up my calendar and contacts. I ended up "exporting" the
..pst to "another program" and then importing in back into the newly created
file within Outlook. The end result was near perfect! There's a hang up
with "tasks" but I'm looking into fixing that.

Net result - Outlook operates faster, I don't have to delete files due to
the .pst file being too small and mission accomplished on the whole reason to
upgrade to '07. Thanks again! JSS

Roady said:
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.
Where exactly did you get stuck with that?

I appreciate the feedback and you're welcome! :-)



JohnSS said:
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.

I've found that a lot of the MVP's expect the non-experts to read between
the lines. Sometimes there's too much taked for granted as to what us
common
folks know.

Just the same, thanks for your help and it looks like I'm onto using the
bigger file size!

Roady said:
Yes, the ANSI format is the old format (Outlook 97-2002). The new Unicode
format has Unicode character support (hence its name) and indeed can also
grow beyond the 2GB. If you don't need to open that pst-file in an older
version of Outlook anymore, then I'd recommend to copy its contents to a
Unicode formatted pst-file via the instructions I referred to in my other
post.



-----

I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the
UNICODE
a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

:

You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to
set
it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not
like
the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



-----

Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that
big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the
other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

:

You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though.
While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a
file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if
that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for
you
:-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how
you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even
hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has
a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be
extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the
file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then
you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into
the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in
fact
it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again
despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in
the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag
of
the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of
files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
in
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal
folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over
the
max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
one last question - I have tow phantom messages going out each time I sent a
message. Tried the downloads found on the Discussions pages. (Way too deep
but I figured it out....) Bottomline was there weren't the "return receipts"
anywhere to be found. Thanks for your interest... JSS

Roady said:
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.
Where exactly did you get stuck with that?

I appreciate the feedback and you're welcome! :-)



JohnSS said:
I finally figured it out but what I think would be more helpful would be
to
tell the questioner exactly where the info is being copied from and copied
to.

I've found that a lot of the MVP's expect the non-experts to read between
the lines. Sometimes there's too much taked for granted as to what us
common
folks know.

Just the same, thanks for your help and it looks like I'm onto using the
bigger file size!

Roady said:
Yes, the ANSI format is the old format (Outlook 97-2002). The new Unicode
format has Unicode character support (hence its name) and indeed can also
grow beyond the 2GB. If you don't need to open that pst-file in an older
version of Outlook anymore, then I'd recommend to copy its contents to a
Unicode formatted pst-file via the instructions I referred to in my other
post.



-----

I just figured out that my .pst file is ANSI formatted. Isn't the
UNICODE
a
better format and one that will allow for the file to be larger?

:

You can set it to a lower value as well of course; you don't have to
set
it
to the max ;-)
Note that it is just the maximum size that it could reach, it's not
like
the
file will directly grow that large when you make the changes.

Where do you get stuck with the second method? Did you look at the
additional guide about changing computer policies?
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/policies.htm



-----

Sorry - I should have been more clear. I don't want a file that
big.
Just
want one that has a bit more space. (2x the norm?)

I really don't mess with the registry stuff. Not my forte' and the
other
recommendation looked good but it was a bit too criptic for me.

:

You mean expand it beyond the 20GB?
See http://www.msoutlook.info/question/99

You might want to ask yourself if you really want this though.
While
responsiveness of Outlook isn't really an issue anymore after the
February
2009 Cumulative Update (I highly recommend you to install it with a
pst-file
that big), you might still run into practical limitations with a
file
that
big. Also backup/restore time might be quite high for you but if
that
isn't
an issue to you either; the registry edit should do the trick for
you
:-)



-----

Roady:

I'm liking the 20GB size for the .pst file. I"m not clear on how
you
make
this happen. I'm using Outlook '07.

Thanks!
JSS

:


If you have deleted a lot this could take a long while (even
hours).
If
you
are running Outlook 2003 you can create a new pst-file which has
a
virtual
unlimited size (by default limited to 20GB but this can be
extended).

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
message
Many thanks Roady, but 1 more question if I may

I got there in the end; I downloaded the tool to reduce the
file
size
of
the
oputlook folder below 2gb. It chops off some of the file then
you
have
to
use the scan.pst inbox repair tool to repair the file.

After several attempts, this worked and I was able to get into
the
file
and
delete thousands of old messages and dozens of files with
attachments
ranging
from 20mb to all files with attachments over 1/2 mb. .

I had expected this to at least halve the file size, but in
fact
it
was
still 1.9gb when I copied it back to the original computer.

Ok so this now works ok, but I may go over the limit again
despite
having
cleared out all the stuff that made it go over the limit in
the
first
place.

Is there something else I need to do (eg some form of defrag
of
the
file)
to
get it back to something that reflects the number and size of
files
within??


:

Thanks for pointing me to that; I shall try that now!!

:

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296088

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
in
message
I am trying to reduce the size of an outlook pst file from
another
pc
which
is over 2gb and moved my own outlook.pst of the normal
folder
and
replaced
it
this big one.

It tells me it will not display correctly as it is over
the
max
limit
and
asks me to delete some files so that it will be below the
limit.

Is there anyway I can do this?

Thanks Jesper
 
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