Repair of .pst files for use by Outlook 2003 ?

[Richard0411]

I ran into the 2GB limit on .pst files (from Outlook 2000) and so upgraded to
Office 2003 where .pst files are NOT limited to 2GB.

However, Outlook 2003 will not open the old 2GB+ .pst file, and the "Inbox
Repair Tool" won't fix it ... probably because it's too big. I had run
PST2GB.exe on it, but the file it produced was seriously truncated, seemingly
removing the most recent data first.

QUESTION #1: Does running over 2GB in some way damage the file, or is it
that Outlook simply won't run it?

QUESTION #2: Is there some way of copying that old 2GB+ .pst file into the
newer format, larger .PST file that Outlook 2003 will accept?

QUESTION #3: Is there a way to repair the old 2GB+ .pst file so that Outlook
2003 will use it? I have several years of business emails, contacts, etc.,
which I really need and would hate to loose.

Any suggestions, solutions, etc., would be enormously appreciated.

Richard ([email protected])

 

[DL]

1) The data file is simply a database that can only hold a finite size, once
oversize it becomes corrupt
2) Not unless you can open the old data file, within Outlook
3) Only by truncating then running scanpst.exe several times until it can be
opened in outlook
There maybe third party pst recovery specialists, who will take your money

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

See http://www.slipstick.com/problems/scanpst.asp and
http://www.slipstick.com/problems/repair2gbpst.asp for repair methods and
tools. Advanced Outlook Repair and Stellar's utility both work well. Those
two along with PST Walker and Kernel tool were among the first tools
available. I don't know much about the others.

1. The 2 GB limit is a fixed size - it's damaged and outlook can't use it
until you reduce the size and repair it. Its like trying to put another cup
of water in a 2 quart pail that is filled to the brim - water spills out.
You can't carry it to the garden without some sloshing out.

2. Not till you fix it. The tools on the pages above may be able to recover
the data from the damaged pst.

3. See the links above.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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