How to Compress Large PST Files in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 & Other versions?

There are plenty of users who are searching for a solution to compress large PST files in Outlook. In this following write-up, we will be discussing different methods by which users can reduce the size of their Outlook PST files.

Microsoft Outlook generally creates two types of PST files; ANSI or UNICODE. An ANSI PST File can store up to 2 GB of your mailbox data. Whereas, if it’s in Unicode format, it can store 20 GB of mailbox data items. Also, in Outlook 2013, 2016, and 2019 the PST file can hold up to 50 GB of data items.

Before going straight to the solutions for reducing Outlook PST files, let’s take a look at the main reasons behind this query.

Why do Users need to Reduce the Size of Large PST Files?

There are multiple reasons why one may need to reduce the size of their Outlook data file. Here are some of the main reasons:-

1. Many users wish to compress the size of the PST file because it can lead to corruption & damage.
2. Users may not be able to transfer their large PST files quickly.
3. Oversized Outlook data consume unnecessary space in their system.
4. It can also cause overall performance issues in MS Outlook email clients.

Different Approaches to Compress Large PST Files in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook data files can be easily compressed, and here we are going to describe the best methods to reduce the size of Outlook PST file 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 as well as other versions. Let’s get through with the manual methods first:-

Workaround 1. Reduce the Size of your Outlook PST File Via “Compact Now”

Here follow the below-listed steps to accomplish this task:-

1. Open & Run the PST Compress Tool on your Windows Machine.
2. Go to the File tab and select the Info tab & then choose Account Settings>>Account Settings.
3. In the next step, you can choose Data Files and then select the Settings button.
4. You can now hit on the Compact Now option on the displayed window.
5. Lastly, Hit on the OK button and close the application.

Read More:- How to Repair PST File Without Any Data Loss?

Workaround 2. Use Mailbox Cleanup Tool to Compress Large PST Files

1. Run MS Outlook on your local system and after that go to the File tab.
2. Next, select the Tools option and then choose Mailbox cleanup.
3. The given options will display; Preview Mailbox Size, Find the items older than, Find the data items more significant than, preview the removed items’ size, and so on. Users can select any options as per their desire.

Workaround 3. Archive your Old Emails 

Follow these below-mentioned instructions:-

1. Navigate to the File menu and then click on the Info button.
2. Make sure to select the Tools option and then choose the old items.
3. Now, choose the archive this folder and all the subfolders option, and after that select the desired folder that you wish to archive.

Also, if you wish to archive selected folders then you can use different settings to create multiple Outlook data files.

1. You can use the include items with the “Do not Auto Archive” dialog box to archive items that are not present in the automatic archiving.
2. Lastly, press the OK button to compress large PST files by archiving them.

Professional Method to Compress Large PST Files in Outlook 

The aforementioned manual methods may seem easy at first, but they can be quite confusing if you are a novice user. The best alternative would be to use an automated solution; PST Compress Software to compress large PST file in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007. This utility helps users to shrink Outlook mailbox size without any data loss and it requires no external installation for the compression of PST files.

Compression Procedure to Reduce the Size of Outlook PST File

Here get through these below-listed steps:-

1. Download and Launch the PST Compactor on your Windows Machine.
2. Next, choose Add File or Folder(s) option to upload your PST files into the panel.
3. You can now select compress options and choose your desired categories.
4. Last, hit on the Compress PST option.

Concluding Part

The blog explains how users can compress large PST file without any errors. For this, we have also mentioned different methods by which one will be able to reduce the size of the PST files. It is totally up to users to use whichever technique they wish to use for this task.

But, one thing to keep in mind is that the manual methods come with certain limitations that can harm the data file items. Overall, the best option would be to use an automated solution that we have mentioned in this blog.