Why is my Outlook PST file so big?
Ava Robinson
Updated on March 08, 2026
Keeping this in view, what do I do when my PST file is too big?
Split the PST file: To manage large-sized PST file, you can split it into multiple small-sized PST files. However, Outlook does not provide any inbuilt utility or feature to split a large-size PST file. Nonetheless, you can reduce PST file size by using Outlook's 'Archive' or 'Import/Export' option.
Also Know, why is PST file larger than the Outlook shows? Exchange Server mailboxes store email more efficiently than Outlook uses in a *. pst, you can expect the pst file to be somewhat larger than the mailbox's reported size. This is due to a number of factors, but the bulk of the file size is due to how Outlook stores TNEF data with each message.
Besides, how do I change the size of my Outlook PST file?
The settings for adjusting the maximum file size for pst-files and ost-files can be found in the section; User Configuration-> Administrative Templates-> Microsoft Outlook <version>-> Miscellaneous-> PST Settings.
Why is PST file size not reduced?
When you delete email items from your mailbox, they get deleted from the . PST file and the space utilized by the deleted email items is marked as free. Outlook reserves the free space for new email items due to which the size of . PST file is not reduced.
Related Question Answers
How big is too big for PST file?
pst and . ost files has a preconfigured limit of 50 GB. This limit is larger than the limit for Unicode .How can I reduce the size of my PST file without Outlook?
You can manually compact the PST file by following these steps:- Launch MS Outlook.
- Delete unwanted items from PST file.
- Select File > Data File Management. A dialog box 'Account Settings' will appear.
- Select Data Files.
- Select PST File.
- Click Settings.
- Click Compact Now.
- When it is complete.
How big should my PST file be?
By default, a Unicode pst-file or ost-file can grow as large as 20GB in Outlook 2007 and 50GB in Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and Office 365. However, the technical limit lies at 4194304GB (which is 4096TB or 4PB) and the default limit can be adjusted. The 2GB limit applies to ANSI formatted pst- and ost-files.Will a large PST file slow down Outlook?
Will a large PST File Slow Down Outlook?- It's Resolved. An oversize PST file is not a common issue. This can directly affect the performance of MS Outlook.Does Outlook archive reduce mailbox size?
3. Archive Older Messages. Archived items are removed from your Outlook mailbox size and moved to the archive file based on the settings you determine. Just as with the Personal Folders file, your archived items are not accessible remotely; the file should be backed up on a regular basis.How do I reduce the size of Outlook?
Reduce the size of an Outlook Data File (. pst)- Click the File tab.
- Click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.
- On the Data Files tab, click the data file that you want to compact, and then click Settings.
- Click Compact Now.
How do I increase the size of my Outlook PST file in 2019?
In order to modify registry entries, follow these steps:- Click Start, and then click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\x.
- Click PST, and then right-click MaxLargeFileSize in the right pane.
- Click Modify, and then type the value in the Value data.
- Click OK.
What is the maximum file size for Outlook?
What is the Outlook file size limit? Sadly, due to mail server restrictions, all versions of Outlook and Office 365 all have a default max attachment size limit of 20 to 25 megabytes (MB).What is the maximum size for Outlook mailbox?
Outlook accounts can have up to 100GB of storage per mailbox (Exchange Online mailbox storage limits). Administrators can reduce maximum mailbox sizes per user or globally, see: How to set Exchange Online mailbox sizes and limits in the Microsoft 365 environment for details.What is difference between OST and PST?
OST is called Offline Storage Folder, while PST is called Personal or Online Storage Folder. OST files let the user read, reply, compose and view the mails even in the offline approach, whereas in the PST file format, you can't enjoy the advantage of such a feature. OST files just support the Microsoft exchange server.How do I find the size of my Outlook PST file?
Right-click on the PST and or any folder contained within then select Properties > Folder Size.How do you increase the maximum size of PST files and OST files in Outlook?
In order to modify registry entries, follow these steps:- Click Start, and then click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\x.
- Click PST, and then right-click MaxLargeFileSize in the right pane.
- Click Modify, and then type the value in the Value data.
- Click OK.
How do I split a PST file in Outlook?
Follow the mentioned steps:- Launch Microsoft Outlook and go to the File tab.
- Click Info >> Tools >> Clean Up Old Items.
- Select a Folder to archive, choose a date in Archive items older than box and click Browse to save archive file at desired location.
- Click OK to end the process.
What does Outlook PST stand for?
Personal Folders fileAre PST file smaller than original?
The original Outlook. pst file is ~ 8 GBs. Instead of exporting, why not just copy over the pst file. Also when you delete data in Outlook, the size of the .Does archiving emails save space?
Yes, messages that are archived count towards your storage quota. Even messages in the trash and spam are counted. The only difference is that messages in the spam and trash will probably be permanently deleted within 30 days, which automatically frees up space in your account.Can I delete OST files without losing emails?
In normal circumstances, when corrupt OST files are deleted by the users it may not result in deletion of Email messages as users are able to retrieve Outlook data by synchronizing data with Exchange server but here the EDB file is also inaccessible.How do I reduce the size of my emails?
A few simple ways to reduce mailbox size are:- Delete large Outlook emails and attachments.
- Use Mailbox Cleanup utilities.
- Compress the Outlook data file (PST)
- Archive older PST file items.
- Try third-party Outlook management tools like Compress PST, Split PST, Remove Duplicates, Attachment Management.
Does archiving reduce Ost size?
Archiving OST file data: Archiving OST file data might reduce OST file size and clear some space occupied on the server. You can change archive OST file location in your system. Archiving OST file may prevent your OST file file from crossing a predefined size limit.How do I copy a large PST file?
How to export . pst file data- Select the File tab.
- In the Outlook Options window, select Advanced.
- Select Export.
- In the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file, and then select Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.
- Select the folder to export, and then select Next.
Can you zip a PST file?
PSTs are data. You can Zip data. Though you won't be able to open the Zipped copies directly from within Outlook.How do I break a PST file into a small file?
You can split your large pst file in multiple pst file by following steps:- Open MS Outlook.
- Go to account settings.
- From Data File tab click on Add button.
- Enter Outlook data file and click on OK.
- New PST file will be opened.
- Go to file click on open & export and then on import / export.
Why is my Outlook PST file so small?
If Outlook is in active use, the size of the OST file can grow quite significantly, while the actual size of data in the file remains the same. In order to optimize disk space consumption and remove old elements, you need to configure the AutoArchive feature in Microsoft Outlook.What does compacting a PST file do?
Compacting Outlook data files reclaims the space that is unavailable because it was previously occupied by an item. This can greatly reduce the amount of space that the OST or PST file occupies on your hard drive, and helps Outlook function efficiently.Why is my OST file so large?
OST file contains entire mailbox data which has been gathering since your user account has been created. From then, none of the data has been deleted and OST files have become oversized creating an error “ OST file too largeâ€. The large sized OST file contains the components such as: Hidden items.Can I delete Outlook data file?
You can remove an Outlook data file from the Folder pane by closing the file. This does not, however, remove the file from your computer. In the Folder pane, right-click the name of the Outlook Data File, and then choose Close "Outlook Data File".How do you compress an Outlook email file?
You can do as follows:- Find and select the files that you will compress and sent via Outlook, right click the files, and then select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
- Now selected files are compressed to one file.
- Then a new email is created with the compressed file as attachment automatically.