Outlook PST file reached max. size

Hi Miles B,

That message indicates the Outlook file being used is either a file created with a version of Outlook prior to 2003 or when files were transfered to the new machine the option to use 97-2002 type file was selected. There are a couple ways to fix this problem.

1) Archive the emails - you can set the archive settings to move emails greater than X months old. The archived mail will be stored in its own pst file. After archiving you compact the Outlook file to regain the space from archive. You can also set up Outlook to add the archived emails to the personal folders view so you have the same access to those emails only in a different folder in the folder list. This fix is the easiest, but is no cure as the file grows the 2 GB limit will be reached again.

2) Create a new profile using the pst file format. Import the old file into the new file. Once the import is done and you close Outlook, all the old emails imported will now save in the newer pst file that no longer has the 2 GB limit. This will fix the problem for good, but it does involve setting up the new profile like the first time with all the settings for your account to receive emails.

Decide which way you want to go. I will help you, but all the instructions you will need lie in the Outlook help files.

No matter which way you choose, you should set up Auto Archiving. Outlook opens faster, runs smoother, and responds quicker if the number of emails kept in the main pst file are fewer. Since all emails are still immediately accessable in the personal folder tree there is no down side to archiving and compacting the main pst file.

Hi Miles,

Just notice your reply. Yes, I'll be happy to help.

Actually, upon rereading your set up; it will be easier than setting up a new profile. Your profile is OK, but when you set up it the data file for the first time you selected Outlook 97-2002 pst file format which has a 2 GB limit.

First you create a new data file which your Outlook 2010 will create as an Unicode pst file (which has a 20 - 50 GB workable limit). Next, you import the data (emails) from your full, current pst file into this new data file that has a much larger limit. The link below has the detailed instructions from Microsoft on how to do this.

office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/increase-the-storage-capacity-of-outlook-data-files-pst-from-outlook-97-2002-HP010356304.aspx?CTT=1

Let me know if you need further help.

I will make this suggestion: study the help files on Auto Archiving. This moves emails to a different pst file which can be opened as needed. Keeping the main Outlook pst file thinned keeps Outlook running quick and smoothly. Each time Outlook opens and then opens the pst file for this account, it has to decode each email stored in that pst file AND has to code them again when it closes the pst file. The larger the file, the more decoding and coding has to be done and is why Outlook appears to slow down over time and seems to take longer to open and close.

Hi Miles,

Very good so far.

The in use message you got was because when you opened Outlook to create the new file, it open under the old data file and was still open and in use at the same time you were trying to import it. The file being imported should not be in use when you import it.

As you found out that changing folders closed the old data file and with it closed allowed the import. This is an important step: Outlook must be set to open only the new ODF (.pst) file. Open Account settings and select the Data Files tab. It should show the old data file and your new one. The new one should be marked as default. If not make it so. Also note in the Filename column the location of the both files on the HDD. Use Explorer to go to where the files are store and see what size each file is. If the import was good then the new data file will be as large as (if not larger) than the old data file.

When Outlook imported the old data file a whole new separate tree of folders. Yes, You can drag these folders into the new tree with a few exceptions. You should not move the default folders (Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, etc.), only move the personal folders you had created to store emails in. Once you have moved all the folders (and emails in them) to the new data file tree, delete the old data file tree and all the duplicate default folders. Once you you have moved all the emails to the new data file tree and you have open and closed Outlook several times, close Outlook and use Explorer to move the old data file to another location.

The problem about sending is a glitch that happens sometimes when a new data file is created. Open Account Settings and select the E-mail tab if not already displayed. With the default account highlighted look below the account box for the Change Folder button. Next to it should be XXXXX/Inbox (where XXXXX is the name of the new data file at the top of the tree). This is the way it should be, but sometimes what's listed is a broken link. Clickthe Change folder button and in the box that opens select the new data file Inbox and OK all. Setting this default Inbox also sets the default Outbox (to send). The Inbox prtion was OK but the send folder location was broken, so resetting one resets the other.

Let me know how it goes.

Hi milesb,

Sorry to take so long in answering, been very busy.

The error message indicates that when Outlook is opening it is opening the old pst file also.

With Outlook open, look in the left pane which is called the Navigation pane which displays an Explorer type view of the mail folders. This is a tree display. Notice the alignment if the + and - boxess used to expand and colapse a tree. The top folder line will be expanded and has a name. That name is the name of the pst file. What is that name. If you click the - sign in the box to the left of the name of this pst file it will colapse and none of the folders in that pst file will be visable. After you colapse this top tree folder, is there another line under the top tree? If there is another line, this indicates that another pst file has opened and is accessible. What is it's name? Is this the name of the old pst file? If it is the old pst file, then right click the file name and select Close "XXXX" (where XXXX is the name of that pst file). Once the old pst file is closed, you should be able to import it into Outlook into the new pst file.

IF the answers to my questions are no or if you still get the error message and can't import let me know and will go to a work around. The work around is simple....with Outlook closed move the old pst file to another place on the HDD. When Outlook opens and can't find this old pst file it will post an error message that will let Outlook to open without this file. Thus not in use when you try to import.

Let me know how it goes and what happens.

Many thanks for all your help, Dana -

That's all worked fine, and I'm back up and running. Somewhere along the way all my Categories disappeared, but that's a small price to pay for being able to send and receive messages once again.

Thanks again for your help and patience –

Best regards,


Miles