Resolve Outlook PST File Not Getting Smaller Error- Tips & Tricks

One may wonder where the emails are stored on the local machine when not connected to the server or the internet. They are saved in Outlook data files that keep mailbox items for anytime access. For POP3 accounts, messages are downloaded from the server to a PST file and deleted. Over time unknown errors occur mainly due to the ever-increasing mailbox size. The problem with Outlook PST file not getting smaller is quite common among many users. It is mentioned in blogs and forums everywhere. It can be resolved by undertaking simple measures to check the mailbox size. This post discusses more on these methods to shrink size of Outlook.pst in a broader view. Keep reading to find out how.

Methods to Solve Outlook PST File Not getting Smaller Problem

Listed here are just some initial steps that can help reducing mailbox size. Follow the steps precisely to avoid data loss:

Solution#1 Deleted Unwanted Emails

• First, scan the mailbox for items that are longer needed and delete them one at a time. 
• Then, right-click on Deleted Items Folder and select Empty Folder. 

• For automatic deletion, go to File>>Options>>Advanced tab to compact PST file size. 

• From the ‘Outlook Options’ window, mark the box before it says ‘Empty Deleted Items folders when exiting Outlook’. 
• Finally, click on OK button to save changes. 

Solution#2 Delete Repeating Emails to Fix PST Size Issues like Outlook PST file not getting smaller 

• First, go to Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010 and locate Sent Items folder to delete forwarded emails. These take up space in both Inbox and Sent folder. 
• Locate the items by sorting them based on ‘To’ header. 
• To restrict Outlook from saving forwarded messages, go to File>>Options>>Mail. 

• From the ‘Outlook Options’ window, demarcate the box before ‘Save Forwarded Messages’ under ‘Save Messages’ header. 

Solution#3 Extract PST to MSG Format 

• First, launch Outlook 2010 to select important messages and save them to file. 
• Then, highlight the email and go to File>>Save As. 

• Next, select a location and name for the message and make sure the ‘Save as Type’ in MSG.
• Finally, click on Save button. 

Solution#4 Backup Outlook Emails to PST to avoid Outlook PST file not getting smaller error. 

• To begin, open Outlook 2010 to archive complete email folders to the archive.pst file. 
• Then, go to File>>Cleanup Tools>>Archive. 

• From the ‘Archive’ dialogue box, select an email folder to backup and compact PST file size.
• Then, Browse to the folder location where the PST file will be saved. 
• Next, give a name to the backup file and click on OK button. By default, it will be named Archive.pst. 
• Select a date in the ‘Archive items older than’ section and click on OK button. 

Solution#5 Compact Outlook Data File to Minimize PST Size.

When permanently deleting items there is cache data stored in Outlook data file. This may take up a significant space and cause errors to pop up. Reducing and removing this becomes necessary to decrease PST file size and free space in the mailbox.

•  In Outlook, go to File>>Account Settings>>Account Settings>>Data Files tab. 
• From the ‘Account Settings’ dialogue box, select the .pst file and click Settings button from the mini navigation bar. 

• From ‘Outlook Data File’ dialogue box, select Compact Now to compact PST file size.

 Limitations of Manual Method

1. Tricky Steps: The manual technique can be technical jargon for many home and non-technical users. 
2. Time Wasting Procedure: Archiving a large email folder can take a lot of time. So can deleting emails one at a time. 
3. Not A Professional Method: This is not a preferred way to go for businesses looking for fast solutions to decrease PST size. They look for workaround ways that can save time and effort.
4. Steps May Vary: There are different methods for each version of Outlook which can be a bit confusing.

An Effective Tool to Fix Outlook PST File Not Getting Smaller

Saving business hours is important for any organization. It is a common issue that mailbox size may increase over time for some. But to delete each message one at a time does not seem like a viable option. One can go a user-friendly solution like the PST Splitter Tool - Freeviewer. It is a third-party application designed to bring down the size of Outlook mailbox by splitting .pst files. It works on removing large issues like PST size not decreasing.

Conclusion

The Outlook email client is available as a part of Microsoft Office suite. It is used by millions of people worldwide in both business and home environment. It can run into problems just like any other technology. There are often issue like Outlook PST file not getting smaller even after deleting or archiving items. It is difficult to solve this issue manually without difficulty. There are some simple steps described in this post that can be helpful. If these do not solve the problem, one can go for the other solution, the automated one.