Overweight PST file

[mscallisto]

Dispite warnings there is always one who will come to you with the question of the year.

My personal folder (.pst) has exceeded 2 gig what do I do?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q296088

says there is a utility which will crop the file to under 2GB...but loses some of the data.

I can also restore the file from backup from a time when it was under two gig but will still lose some current data.

Does anyone know if .pst's over 2 gig can be fully restored?

 

[yomang]

My experiences with PST files have shown me that they are fragile little critters. You can treat different PST's in the same fashion and enjoy no consistency in the breadth of file integrity, especially when they get over 1.5G or so. I have had no success recovering whole PST files that are over 1.2G. Good luck.

Michael Godinez

 

[joegz]

Just to post the definitive answer, unfortunately it is no. The 2GB is the limit and once you have problems because the limit is exceeded the only way to recover will be with data loss.

Sorry. joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[ElijahBaley]

I managed to get into a overweight .pst file just long enough to rescue its contents by moving them to new .pst files named alphbetically - when the data was safe I discarded the old file.

But of course this is only a solution if you can open the file, have you tried compressing/reindexing the file or using the inbox repair tool - I suggest you try this on a copy.

Graham
"r tape loading error"

 

[ruthcali]

Hi,

I am using Outlook 98.

Is there some kind of utility or add-in that will warn me if my Outlook 98 pst file is close to 2 Gig?

Thanks,
Ruth

 

[mscallisto]

ruthcali

You get no warning period you will need look and monitor the file size.

It's probably prudent to do something well before the infamous 2 gig limit, some have reported problems with PST's around 1.5 gig's and smaller.

Break PST's into smaller more manageable size.
Have 2 or 3 or more PST's for whatever meets your needs, maybe by customer or groups or fiscal year. Just keep them smaller and more manageable and you should be fine.

much luck

 

[BradSQLGuy]

You can pick up software on the web. You need to download a pst shaver and break off a chunk of that file. Then you will be able to scan the peice you shave off. The corruption will be in the first bytes of the pst so shave that portion off. Once you've done that i'd break that file down into a couple pst's and compact it once your done. I have a pst shaver on my home computer and not here at work unforuntately. I forgot where I got it from but I can send it to you tommorow if I can remember if you'd like. Microsoft does not support pst shaver software but it's the only solution when you get over the pst limit. -Brad
A+, MCSE NT4, MCDBA SQL7

-Best cartoon of all time :-D 'Spongebob Squarepants'

 

[ruthcali]

mscallisto and brad,

thanks for writing. i was looking for a utility similar to what outlook 2002 has:

"Microsoft has released an update to Microsoft Outlook 2002. This update includes fixes to warn you when you are approaching the 2 gigabyte (GB) size limit of Personal folder and Offline Store files (.pst, .ost)"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q300551

Maybe there isn't one available for Outlook 98.

Currently, my pst file is 1.5 gb.

I followed the directions on the Outlook help files and I tried to break my PSTs, but it didn't work. (Tools, Services, Add button. Click on the 'Available information services' box, click Personal Folders). But, in my 'Available information services' box, I don't have 'personal folders' available.

I also tried to archive, but then i get the message "error while aging store 'personal folders'".

I looked a lot on the internet for the 2GB truncator (pst2GB.exe) but couldn't find a good one.

 

[mscallisto]

ruthcali

Thanks for the link, I didn't know it existed.

You said you saw no personal folder in your information service dropdown list, this meams you need to add one.

You can go to help and find (available information services)
then click on (set up an information service)

Basically it says from the control panel:
Click add/remove programs
Click install/unstall tab
Click microsoft office then add/remove
click add/remove features
click the + sign next to Outlook for windows
click the option you want
click run from my computer

The way I broke-up large pst's was to create a new pst(s) then cut and paste from the large to the newly created one.

The large pst remain it's original size until it's compacted. Compacting a 1.5 gig pst may take a few hours.

 

[ruthcali]

mscallisto,

thanks for writing back. actually, just today, the software guy came to my desk and re-installed outlook98 on my computer. he said i was having problems because some components were missing in the original install.

so now i am able to create a second pst.

It looks like my original email got filtered because i see the link i had typed is now gone and my post was changed to read: "I looked a lot on the internet for the 2GB truncator (pst2GB.exe) but couldn't find a good one."

If a tek-tips forum person is reading this, sorry for the questionable link, but really, that website was the only place i found the pst2GB.exe file.

 

[TurtleA]

I hope that someone can help me out. Recently I set up Outlook on my home computer (from work) through a Nortel Extranet Access link to the network. Unfortunatly when I did this my entire inbox (389MB) was copied to a pst file in my hardrive. Now, I'm unable to access it at work.

I tried to zip the file to 90mb and e-mail it but it is still too large and I do not have a cd burner. Is there any other way I can get it to the work computer? Is there a way to break it into smaller workable files?

Thanks

 

[mscallisto]

Yes there is a way but it would require about 60 diskettes, something I wouldn't even want to think about.

Another way is to get/use a zip drive or equivalent.

The easiest way I can think of is to bring your PC to work for a day, hitch it to the network and copy your PST to wherever you wish.

much luck

 

[karsh]

you can just copy the stuff frm personal folders to archive or if you using exchange to the mailbox,
you shud be fine.