Microsoft Outlook is an email client widely used by personnel, businesses, and professionals as their personal mailbox manager. This email client is developed by Microsoft, and it maintains emails, calendars, contacts, etc. Outlook uses two main formats, namely OST and PST, to save files.
PST (Personal Storage Table) data file is mainly used for POP and IMAP email accounts and can also serve as an archive. They are used to store emails, contacts, calendars, etc. These are of two types:
- ANSI PST files were used in Outlook 2002 and earlier versions and have a size limit of up to 2GB.
- Unicode PST is used in Outlook 2003 and later versions and supports very large file sizes (up to 50GB or more by changing registry settings).
Before knowing how to actually split a PST file, let’s understand the need for splitting.
Why do we need to split PST files?
When we use MS Outlook continuously, the size of the files increases. This leads to large and heavy PST files. Several issues arise due to these files. These are:
- Reduced Outlook performance
- Risk of PST file corruption
- Difficulty in data management
- Increased load time
- Difficulty in data backup and restore
Now, we know the exact reasons why we need a split method. Let's get started with how to split Outlook PST files using manual methods and professional third-party tools.
Manual methods to split Outlook PST files
Outlook doesn’t provide a split option to split PST files, but there are some ways that actually work for managing PST files. These are:
1. Creating a new PST file
To create a new PST file and move data to it, follow the steps below.
Steps:
- Launch the Outlook application
- Go to the File tab, then Account Settings > Account Settings, and then the Data Files tab.
- Click Add to create a new PST file.
- Now, you can manually move emails, contacts, or folders from the large PST to the new PST
- By right-clicking and choosing “Move” > “Other” folder, and selecting the folder where you want to move the items. Or by using drag-and-drop.
2. Using Outlook’s Archive feature
This feature lets you move old emails to the new PST file based on date.
Steps:
- Launch Outlook
- Go to File>Tools > Clear Old Items.
- Select the folder you want to archive.
- Set a date to move the old emails.
- Choose the location and name for the new PST file.
- Click OK.
3. Using the Export Option
Use the Import/Export feature to create a new .pst file with the selected data.
Steps:
- Go to File, then Open & Export, and then Import/Export.
- Select Export to File
- Now, click on Outlook Data File (.pst).
- Select the specific folders or subfolders you want to export.
- Choose the location and name for the new PST file and complete the export.
Limitations of manual methods
- No option to split PST as per size or sender
- Requires technical knowledge
- Time-consuming process
- Risk of missing or duplicate data
- Risk of corruption
- Inefficient for very large files or bulk operations
Use of professional third-party tools to split PST files
Another method apart from manual and free methods of splitting is to use third-party professional software. One such efficient tool is MailsDaddy PST Split Tool, this tool is a professional application that allows users to split large PST files while maintaining 100% data integrity.
Key Features
- 4 different splitting options
- Supports multiple PST files simultaneously
- Maintains complete data integrity
- Supports both ANSI and Unicode PST files
- Supports password-protected and corrupted PST files
- No Outlook installation required
- Interactive GUI allows both technical and non-technical users to use the tool
- Compatible with all Windows OS.
- Supports all Outlook versions.
Benefits of using MailsDaddy PST Split Tool
- No technical knowledge is required to use this tool
- Saves time by splitting PST files quickly
- No limit on file size for splitting
- Full control over the splitting process
- No risk of data corruption
- Split archive PST file
Conclusion
This article explains all the methods to split a PST file, including manual methods and the use of a third-party professional software. The best way to split files still depends on the user's needs, manual methods of conversion can be beneficial for people with good technical knowledge and those with small file sizes and fewer files. On the other hand, the MailsDaddy PST Split Tool overcomes all the limitations of manual methods and allows for safe and easy splitting with multiple options.