How to Compress PST File in Outlook 2007
Summary: This section overviews the causes behind delay in execution of some common operations like moving, searching or downloading emails in Outlook 2007. It also discusses Compress PST as a solution to work around and different ways that could be adopted to reduce PST file size.
The Trouble: While performing some common operations in Outlook 2007 like opening or reading mails, moving or deleting mails, you might have noticed that the application stops responding to your requests for an instant.
Moreover, these signs are observed more at the time of a message delivery. Such issues are easily noticeable when the size of Outlook data file, i.e. PST increases.
Reason: Basically, the reason behind changing the data structure of PST file in Outlook 2007 was to provide a quick response to the tasks like email downloading to a large sized mailbox, reading, deleting, or moving message from one folder to another.
In the new structure Outlook 2007 data file, the frequency with which the data writes to the hard disk was proportional to the number of items that get added to the PST file. This unfortunately reduced the disk access and caused issues while working with Outlook.
How to Troubleshoot: Since the problem is related to the large size of PST file, the solution is to reduce the size of PST file in order to make Outlook perform better.
More Help: While the size of PST is to be reduced, no compromise with data is the condition. Keeping this in mind, three methods to compress PST file are suggested.
Method 1: The "Compact Now" Option in Outlook
PST File is basically a database of MS Outlook. When an item is deleted permanently from PST file, it will not have any effect on size of file (even if it is discharged from 'Deleted Items' Folder). This is to ensure that performance of Outlook does not get affected as the process of shrinking files makes the application work slow.
When an item is hard deleted from data file, it leaves a space behind that is known as "White Space". If 20 percent of a PST file has the white space, then Outlook will automatically compact PST file when the system is in idle mode and has Outlook running. This will return the free space in PST to the disk and automatically the size of PST will become smaller. You can also perform compact PST process manually by following the below mentioned steps:
In the menu bar, click on "File">> "Data File Management"
Go to "Data Files" and select the PST file that is to be compacted.
Click on "Settings" and a dialog box with 'Personal Folders' name will pop up
Click on "Compact Now">> Click "OK"
When the process is finished, click "Close"
Note: If a lot of items are being deleted from PST file, the process will be time-consuming. That is why it is recommended to go for this procedure when there is no need to access or work with PST.
Method 2: Split Outlook PST File
In Outlook 2007, there is no in-built mode available that could directly allow splitting PST file. However, it is possible divide large PST into small sections following any of the discussed procedures mentioned below:
Archive PST File Data
In the navigation pane of Outlook, select the PST file from which the data is to be archived.
In the menu bar, click "File">> "Archive"
An "Archive" dialog box will appear. Click on "Archive this folder and all sub folders"
In the drop-down box "Archive Items Older Than", enter the date
Click on "Browse" button to specify the location where the new archive.pst file is to be created Click "OK"
Note: If you want to save archive.pst file at the same location where your default PST file is, then the root location is "drive:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook"
How to Change Name of archive.pst File
Right Click on "Archive Folders">> Properties of "Archive Folders"
Archive Folders Properties dialog box will appear on screen. Click on "Advanced"
In the 'Personal Folders' dialog box, enter the name for archive.pst file. Click "OK"
Create a New PST File and Move Items to It
In the menu bar, click on "New" >> "Outlook Data File"
A 'New Outlook Data File' dialog box will appear. Here, specify the type of PST file to be created: ANSI or Unicode. We recommend "Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst)" as it offers support to multilingual Unicode data and offers large storage space.
Now Specify the Name and Path for the new Outlook PST file
A dialog box "Create Microsoft Folders" will appear that will give the opportunity to give a display name to the PST file. Also, if the PST file is to be protected with password, a provision for same will be available.
Now, click on the item from PST file that is to be moved to the new PST file. Right click on it and select "Move to Folder"
A "Move Items" dialog box will appear.
Select the PST file into which the item is to be moved. If required, create a new folder under PST file by using the option "New Folder
Click OK
