Outlook PST file maintenance

[jbischke]

I'm having some problems with my Outlook (Outlook 2003 running on Windows XP) lately (just general strangeness and slow loading when I open Outlook) and I'm wondering if there should be some things I should do on a regular basis to the PST file. Size doesn't seem like it should be the problem (file is 1.3 GB). Is there anything I should be doing here?

[odietamo]

Yes. PSTs are a highly inefficient way to store mail (compared to an Exchange server.) Of course, you can't afford an exchange server, so PSTs are ok. But when they get up in size, they often become corrupted or otherwise sluggish.

First, you should run the Inbox Repair Tool on your PST. (How to find and run the Inbox Repair tool in Outlook)

Second, you should consider exporting old mail to an archive PST. I forgot the exact steps, but Outlook Help should be able to direct you in the correct direction.

Finally, if your PST approached 2GB you may have some big problems if your drive is formatted FAT32 instead of NTFS. FAT32 supports a max of 2GB files.

So bottomline is that you should clean up that PST a little. I can't say it will fix all your problems, but it won't hurt.

[Jill]

I've followed the instructions in this article in the past and it works wonders. In fact, I haven't done it in quite awhile and think it's about time. (Specifically talking about #4.)