Split Large Outlook PST File into Multiple Smaller Files

Amrita Choudhary

Published On - August 9, 2022

PST means Personal Storage Table; it is an Outlook data file. It stores all the mailbox data like emails, contacts, calendars, notes, tasks, journals, and much more. Repair large PST files & get rid of size limitation errors depend on Outlook versions; in Outlook 2013, 2016, and 2019, the maximum size is up to 50 GB.

The size of the PST file can be an issue sometimes. Due to a large PST file, you can lose your essential data. It also leads to file corruption problems in MS Outlook. So, it becomes necessary to split large-sized PST files into smaller ones.

Why do we need to split a PST file into smaller files?

Some reasons for splitting PST files into smaller ones are listed below.

• Data corruption issues can occur due to oversized PST files.
• Outlook performance slows down due to large size.
• When the PST file exceeds the allowed limit, the user cannot send or receive new email messages.
• Storage space is not available for more data.

Ways to split a large PST file into smaller parts

We will discuss some easy and practical solutions to convert large PST files into small PST files.

1^st Option: Reduce the Size of PST File Using the Import/Export Feature

You can try the Import/Export feature to manage the size of PST files. The steps are listed below: –

1. In Outlook, open File and then click Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. In the Account Setting, click on Add under the Data files tab.
3. Type the file name and choose ‘Outlook Data File (.PST). Then finally, click on ‘OK.’
4. Now, you can easily view the newly created PST under the Data files tab.
5. Again, open File, go to Open & Export, and click Import/Export.
6. After this, choose the Export to a file option from the list and click on Next.
7. In Export to a File box, select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
8. In the Export Outlook Data File box, select the folder from which you need to export data. And click on the Next
9. Click and select the desired location to save the exported File. In the options, click on Do not export duplicates items and click the Finish button

In this way, you can export data from each folder separately to reduce the PST file size.

2^nd Option: Reduce the Size of the PST file Using the Archive feature

You can use Archive features that are available in Outlook to split large PST files into smaller parts. The steps are listed below:

1. In Outlook, go to the File tab.
2. Click on Info, open Tools, and select Clean Up Old Items.
3. Select a folder, choose a date in Archive items older than and click Browse to save the archive file at the desired location.
4. Click OK to end the process.

3^rd Option: – Reduce Outlook Mailbox Size Using the Move To Folder Option

1. Click on File, then open Account Settings under the Account settings.
2. Then on Data Files, click on Add button to create a new PST.
3. Go back to the home screen, open the default PST file, and select the items you want to move.
4. Now click on the Move button and select the Copy to folder option.
5. Then choose the PST file from Copy the selected items to the folder and click OK.

Culmination

Here, you will learn the different ways to reduce the PST file size. Some limitations are there with the manual process like It’s a lengthy process, and there are chances of data loss. We strongly suggest that if you want to split your large PST file into smaller ones, you can use a professional tool like Recoveryfix for Outlook PST Repair. This software is safe and tested by the experts to split even corrupt PST files into smaller parts. Moreover, it also supports all Outlook versions.