Split vs Compress Outlook PST Files

Outlook PST File

A .pst file is an Outlook Data file that stores your emails messages and other mailbox items. An Outlook .pst file is saved on your system hard drive therefore, it uses the space of your hard drive. If a .pst file exceeds its size, it requires more space to be stored and you will get less free space on your hard drive.

Need to Split or Compress Outlook PST File

On the contrary, many users face the problem of oversized PST files and are not able to load any new data. Although Microsoft came up with a solution to restore the inaccessible PST file due to oversize. But the pst2GB tool provided by Microsoft truncates the file rather than reducing its original size. This solution was not feasible, as it failed to restore the oversized files and maintain data integrity.

For an Outlook user, the size limitation of .pst files is one of the most critical issues. An Outlook .pst file has a limited file size. For example: if you are using older versions of MS Outlook, i.e. Outlook 2002 or earlier version, the .pst file is saved in ANSI format. Or if you are using newer versions of MS Outlook, i.e. Outlook 2003 or later, the .pst file is saved in Unicode format.

Split vs Compress PST File

If we talk about splitting a PST file then a large PST file is split into multiple small PST files. Suppose you have a PST file of 2 GB and you want to reduce the size then you can split it into 4 0.5 GB PST files.

On the other hand, if you don’t want multiple PST files then you can compress a single PST and reduce the size of that file. Compressing a PST file will not create multiple PSTs but it will rescue the size of the original PST file.

How to Compact the Outlook PST File?

Compressing the PST file is not a hard-hitting task if you are using a non-exchange version of Outlook. Users can compact their PST files easily through the manual procedure, mentioned below:

1. Firstly, select the File tab and click on Info.
2. Then, go to Account Settings and click on Account Settings.
3. Now, click on the Data Files tab and select a PST file in the list that you would wish to compact.
4. Select Setting and click on Compact Now.
5. A Compacting Now a dialog box will appear showing the compacting process.
6. After the process gets completed, click OK.

Since Microsoft Outlook does not have any feature to overcome such issues, the only option left is to look for alternate solutions.

When the manual methods fail to compress Outlook PST files from a large PST file, then you must try an automated solution i.e; SysInfo PST Compact Software, which can easily compresses the large PST file as PST with a compact version of it.

How to Split Outlook PST File?

1. Run ‘SysInfo Split PST Software‘
2. Browse to the path and choose the PST File, which will show you the file info here
3. Now select the split criteria; by Date, by Size, by the sender.
4. Choose the destination folder to save the split PST file.

This software has got an advanced recovery algorithm using which it can swiftly split the oversized PST files within a few clicks. It is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Outlook. So, I would like to recommend this software, you can also try the free demo version of this software.

Bottom Lines

Above, I have mentioned the methods to split and compress Outlook files of Microsoft Outlook including the manual method as well as an automated solution. As the manual method has some limitations so you can try the professional tool. Now, it’s your call to select the right one for you. Hope this article helps to resolve your query.