Opening a PST over 2GB?

[cHk4]

I have real issues, I let my PST get to 2.1GB, it now has errors in the file. Outlook will not open it after a repair, is the only option I have to cut 300MB from this file until it is under the 1.8GB limit and then open it?

 

[Blackbadger]

The 2gb limit was a issue prior to outlook 2007 sp2 If I recall.

Are you using a special ANSI pst format ? - its not default however this also has a 2gb limit in later versions of outlook iirc.

Maybe the easiest option is to install office 2010 and try to import/repair the pst. (you can get a free trial from Microsoft). Outlook 2010 handles larger files better.

Maybe a different pc would be best, as you may not to fiddle with your current install. Often different office versions don't play nicely on the same system.

 

[UKDTweak]

I have repaired a 4gb PST by simply chopping 100mb out of it, worked fine after that, but destroys the folder structure so all emails were in one folder and had to be re sorted by the owner....

 

[whitecrook]

Fat 32 is 4gb limit (. One byte less)

 

[Blackbadger]

Fat 32 is 4gb limit (. One byte less)

Correct you are! post amended.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Yup, 2003 PST limit was 2GB (ANSI), anything larger attracts corruption and bye bye.

2007 can save in a different encoding (Unicode) to go past the limit.

Some recovery tools exist and I have had largely different results. Make a copy and experiment, cannot hurt to try.

 

[mejobloggs]

Strange, my Dad has Outlook 2003 with ~3.2gb pst and never had an issue

 

[cHk4]

Ok thanks all for your help, best get choppin'!