Redefining Perfect Solution to Merge PST Files in Outlook

From the very first time, users face the problem of managing PST file in Outlook, it become the sole aim of Microsoft Outlook developers to remove all kind of PST issues. Any one among us, if ever used MS Outlook, surely encountered the administrators warning for PST file reached to restricted size or shows error in your file. This is one such issue most common in Outlook 97, 2000, 2002 versions.

What Directs the Need to Merge PST Files in Outlook?

An extremely contradictory subject in itself, as with every new updation of MS Outlook, the related problems varies. When Outlook 2000, 2002 came into existence, it although surpasses many other limitation with previous version but, the size remain an unbothered issue. Since, use of Outlook was on high and clients need to make efforts to keep the PST above and undersized, it was realized to make up gradations in the MS Outlook thus, Outlook 2003 and the recent version all has an UNICODE PST format by default, which is a change to ANSI PST.

Limitation of Outlook 97 till 2000/2002:

·       It uses the file format of ANSI type

·       This file has hard wired size limit of 2 GB only

·       Can be used by Outlook 97, 98, 2000, 2002 users

·       Outlook 2003 with win live hotmail or IMAP account

·       The file size cannot be extended more than 2 GB.

The only solution which users find easy is to cut short the PST files either by date or by size or by year. Multiple PST files of small sizes are created, much easier to manage and work with.

Limitation with Outlook 2003 and afterwards:

·       It uses the file format of UNICODE type

·       Tentatively, unlimited size, practically upto 20 GB

·       The size is reconfigurable or can be extended

·       Used by 2003, 2007 Outlook account owners

·       When the extended size causes instability.

As increased of heavy PST declines the overall performance thus, archiving of old messages or to split PST files to disintegrate the unusable part by date or year, is in common practice of users.

Merging is what Make Outlook Management Soothing

We mostly forget about the consequences of creating multiple PST file and various archive files in Outlook. This, not just complicate the management but, searching, browsing, transferring data, all become a bigger deal. Thus, one for all sake solution is to merge PST file together. This is what we are going to discuss about.

Modes to Merge PST files in Outlook

There can be any number of alternatives present when you need to merge multiple PST file together, only the choice is yours.

MS Outlook suggest you a way to merge PST files for which you need to follow the steps:

Firstly choose all the PST files which you need to merge and copy them all in a common backup folders. For this, go to tools>> services >> select email account>>import/export all items to a main location of PST file.

After you gather all PST files in one location, choose one file as a master file and start copying data from every folder inside PST file viz. Inbox, contacts etc and paste it in to master PST file’s respective folder. This method, although gather all PST files to one location but for merging of multiple files you need time and effort.

Software as a Solution:

Simply rely on a third party resource to merge PST files together. This helps you in many ways, as it not just gather multiple PST files, in fact merge the information from every folders residing in PST files into their common respective folder.

One such tool, which is highly prominent and recommended in web market, is SysTools PST merge. A stand alone resource potent to merge PST files in Outlook including each and every detail.