Outlook.PST File at 3.5GB?

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David De Trolio - 28 Jul 2007 21:47 GMT

We have a user in my company who has a .PST file in Outlook 2003 in Windows
XP Professional SP2 at 3.5GB.

We all understood the maximum size for the file before it stops working was
2.0GB.

Microsoft offers a tool then to reshape the file back down to a size which
will open, that tool often shaves away data which was hoped to be salvaged.

We are moving to Exchange and are trying to get people to better manage the
amout of mail they have.

So what is the true maximu size of .PST files?

Thanks all...Dave

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Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] - 28 Jul 2007 23:05 GMT

> We have a user in my company who has a .PST file in Outlook 2003 in
> Windows XP Professional SP2 at 3.5GB.
>
> We all understood the maximum size for the file before it stops
> working was 2.0GB.

Nope - not for unicode PST files created in OL2003/2007.

> Microsoft offers a tool then to reshape the file back down to a size
> which will open, that tool often shaves away data which was hoped to
> be salvaged.
> We are moving to Exchange and are trying to get people to better
> manage the amout of mail they have.

You don't need the PST crop utility.
When you do your Exchange migration, I suggest you bring in only contacts,
calendars, tasks, notes, and a small subset of mail - start somewhat
"fresh." and implement mailbox quotas. You'll of course need management's
"buy in" on this, and you should announce the policies well ahead of time so
people have a chance to do some cleanup. Don't import using Outlook,
either - open | select | copy | paste.

Try posting in m.p.exchange.admin for more help.

> So what is the true maximu size of .PST files?

Don't have numbers handy here, but it's pretty humongous - you could google.

> Thanks all...Dave

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David De Trolio - 29 Jul 2007 03:01 GMT

Thanks will check out the group for more information.

This would explain why some of my more trouble prone people who moved to
Outlook 2003 stopped needing our support.

They have their mailboxes growing in a POP3 setup.

Doesn't anyone empty Deleted Items anymore?

Thanks again....Dave

>> We have a user in my company who has a .PST file in Outlook 2003 in
>> Windows XP Professional SP2 at 3.5GB.
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>>
>> Thanks all...Dave

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Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook] - 29 Jul 2007 06:34 GMT

Didn't you know - the Deleted Items Folder is the new bank Safe Deposit Box

Signature

Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, David De Trolio asked:

| Thanks will check out the group for more information.
|
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
|||
||| Thanks all...Dave

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Pat Willener - 31 Jul 2007 04:52 GMT

When we moved to Exchange many years ago, I didn't move any messages to
the Exchange Server, but made my existing PST file into the archive
file. AutoArchive now moves all messages older than X months from
Exchange to the archive file.

> Thanks will check out the group for more information.
>
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>> google.
>>> Thanks all...Dave

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