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Any updates on PST files bigger than 2 GB? 2
- Thread starter TMGuy
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it looks like they fixed this in outlook 2003, or didnt bother to update the KBA.
as far as why 2GB is the limit..
I will speculate, 2GB is 2,147,483,648 bytes, which is 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 in binary. Perhaps outlook can't handle >32bits, may be fixed in 2003, can't confirm that though.
it looks like they fixed this in outlook 2003, or didnt bother to update the KBA.
as far as why 2GB is the limit..
I will speculate, 2GB is 2,147,483,648 bytes, which is 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 in binary. Perhaps outlook can't handle >32bits, may be fixed in 2003, can't confirm that though.
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The speculation by nlm9802, is good but not quite right. I'm not sure I have the answer, but I know that a 32-bit program can address a file up to 4GB in size (2^32 = 4,294,967,296 bytes or 4GB). This is also the same limitation with any 32-bit operating system trying to access memory (RAM). In order to have more than 4GB of memory, you would need a 64-bit OS (actually 33-bit or higher).
Looking over some documentation on the web, it seems that older versions of Outlook used the ANSI format which is limited to 2GB in size. In Outlook 2003, PST files by default use the newer Unicode format which has a theoretical upper limit of 33TB (Terabytes), although other limitations such as your OS would come in to play first before you'd ever reach that limit. Many say the realistic upper limit on a modern system today is around 20GB.
Just keep in mind that a PST using the newer Unicode format cannot be read in an older version of Outlook.
What is Unicode? Check these links out:
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
![[stpatrick2]](/data/assets/smilies/stpatrick2.gif "[stpatrick2] [stpatrick2]")
[navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
Looking over some documentation on the web, it seems that older versions of Outlook used the ANSI format which is limited to 2GB in size. In Outlook 2003, PST files by default use the newer Unicode format which has a theoretical upper limit of 33TB (Terabytes), although other limitations such as your OS would come in to play first before you'd ever reach that limit. Many say the realistic upper limit on a modern system today is around 20GB.
Just keep in mind that a PST using the newer Unicode format cannot be read in an older version of Outlook.
What is Unicode? Check these links out:
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884Oh yeah...forgot to mention that when using older ANSI PST files, they can grow larger than 2GB and still work in Outlook. I've seen some as large as 3GB, believe it or not! But as soon as the user tries to remove, read, or edit old emails or documents stored in the PST, it is likely to become corrupted. At that point, you would have to follow the instructions laid out in nlm9802's link above.
I just wanted to make the point that a PST doesn't become corrupted immediately after it hits 2GB. In fact, some can become corrupted at 1.82GB, which is explained in the fourth link I posted above.
I just wanted to make the point that a PST doesn't become corrupted immediately after it hits 2GB. In fact, some can become corrupted at 1.82GB, which is explained in the fourth link I posted above.
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kind of ambiguous.. but:
This was answered at that 3rd link in my original post straight from Microsoft:
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
right.
*note* size limit does not increase automatically though. you have to create a pst in the new (unicode) format, then import all the messages and folders from the old pst into the new one.
if you leave an existing pst in the old (ansi) format, the file will still become corrupt at some point after 1.82 GB.
*note* size limit does not increase automatically though. you have to create a pst in the new (unicode) format, then import all the messages and folders from the old pst into the new one.
if you leave an existing pst in the old (ansi) format, the file will still become corrupt at some point after 1.82 GB.
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