Being an Outlook user, you must know how tough PST file management is. Many users prefer using MS Outlook. But it has a genuine problem related to its Outlook data file, commonly known as PST aka personal storage table. As the PST file has a certain size limitation, it can only store the mailbox up to its maximum size. Never let your PST file reach its maximum size as this may cause severe issues and problems related to Outlook performance. It is possible to compress and compact PST file without opening Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook client saves PST file in two different formats according to Outlook version: ANSI format used in Outlook 97 to 2002 and Unicode format used in Outlook 2003 and later versions. An ANSI format can store mailbox up to 2 GB only. But Unicode format provides you enough space for mailbox storage, i.e. from 20 GB to 50 GB. It is quite rare that a Unicode PST file gets close to its maximum size limit. But an ANSI PST file can easily be reached to its maximum size or beyond that limit.

Outlook Corruption – The Worst Nightmare

Corruption in PST files is the worst nightmare for any Outlook user. This will cause loss of your crucial email messages and other mailbox data for sure. The most common reason behind Outlook corruption is the size limitation of PST file. If your PST file is reached to its maximum size, it will cause performance issues in Outlook client. But if it goes beyond the size limit, this will make the situation worse than before. Yes, you’ll get corruption as a result. The best way to avoid such a critical situation of Outlook corruption due to PST size limitation is compressing or compacting PST file size.

The chances of corruption are low if the file size of the PST file is small. By the way, I would suggest all those Outlook users who are still using any old Outlook version, should upgrade their Outlook. By upgrading Outlook from old to new version will help you get more space for data storage. If you would be having more space in your PST files, the chances of corruption are low. Also, you would face no such performance issue ever.

How to compress PST file with Outlook?

Launch Microsoft Outlook client on your system.

client on your system. Now delete any items from the mailbox that you don’t want to keep.

Click on the Folder List icon or press CTRL+6 buttons on your keyboard.

icon or press buttons on your keyboard. Right-click on Deleted Items folder and click on Empty Folder .

folder and click on . Click on the File tab > Info > Account Settings.

tab Once the Account Settings window opens Click on Data Files tab, and select the Outlook data file then click on Settings .

window opens Click on tab, and select the Outlook data file then click on . On the Personal Folders pop-up box, you need to click Compact Now button to compact/compress the Outlook data file.

pop-up box, you need to click button to compact/compress the Outlook data file. The process is being conducted on your system. Please wait until it gets successfully completed.

Once the process is completed successfully, you can check your PST file size.

Compress & Compact PST File without Opening Outlook – Automated Method



Why a professional PST Compress and Compact tool is needed? You must be thinking why I’m talking about a professional solution now when I’ve already mentioned the manual trick. Sometimes manual trick doesn’t work or fail due to any reason. Also, the manual trick is always a time-consuming task to perform as it may take several minutes to hours. In all such circumstances, Outlook users can try a professional solution that takes really very less time than the manual trick and provides excellent results without requiring any prior technical expertise. Any user can use this software with ease, be it a tech-savvy or novice computer user.

Also, Read- How to Split PST files