How To Fix PST File Size Exceeds Than 2GB On Outlook
Error Messages
- When PST file size exceeds than 2GB following messages appears. When you try to load or access an oversized PST file, you will see error messages, such as:
“xxxx.pst can not be accessed – 0x80040116”.
OR
“Errors have been detected in the file xxxx.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool”.
- When you try to add new messages or items to the PST file, and during the adding process, the PST file reaches or goes beyond 2GB, you will find Outlook just refuses to accept any new data without any complaints, or you will see error messages, such as:
“The file could not be added to the folder. The action could not be completed”.
OR
“Task ‘Microsoft Exchange Server – Receiving’ reported error (0x8004060C): ‘Unknown Error 0x8004060C’”.
OR
“The file xxxx.pst has reached its maximum size. To reduce the amount of
data in this file, select some items that you no longer need, then
permanently (shift + del) delete them”.
OR
“Task ‘Microsoft Exchange Server’ reported error (0x00040820):’Errors in
background synchronization. In most cases, further information is
available in a synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder.’”
OR
“Can’t copy the item”.
Reasons
As the number of Outlook mailbox data increase with time, the size of the PST file also gets big in the same ratio. Since Outlook versions prior to 2007 are unable to handle PST files greater than 2GB, larger PST files tend to create great trouble. In these Outlook versions PST file is constructed in ANSI format which have size limit of 2GB. If the data files is called “Outlook 97-2002 Data File” its an older ANSI format and is limited to no more than 1.9 GB in size and no more than 65,000 items per folder (often less).
Solutions
Since Microsoft Outlook 2003, a new PST file format is used, which supports Unicode and doesn’t have the 2GB size limit any more. Therefore, if you are using Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007, and the PST file is created in the new Unicode format, then you don’t need to worry about the oversize problem any more.
Method 1: Update the Outlook version
In Outlook 2003 and later Unicode format is used to construct PST file. In those newer versions there is no size limit for PST file. Hence you can update outlook to latest version to remove size limit. Follow below steps to update Outlook:
1. Open any Office application such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook.
2. On the top menu, go to Help > Check for Updates.
3. Under “How would you like updates to be installed ?”, select Automatically Download and Install.
4. Click Check for Updates. If an update is available for your version of Office, you’ll see a link to a website with more information about the update.
Method 2: Use PST2GB
Following this method will reduce your PST file size, but there are high chances of data loss.
For reducing large sized PST, Outlook provides a tool ‘pst2gb.exe’. Once
PST is trimmed from 2GB, it can be repaired for errors with
scanpst.exe.
1. Start Pst2gb.exe executable file.
Click ‘Browse’ to select the oversized PST file.
2. After that click ‘Open’.
3. Click ‘Create’, and select the location and name of the truncated data file, and after that click ‘Save’. Mention the amount of data that you want to truncate in the PST file.
For best results truncate between 20-25 MB, but you can truncate less or even more, depending upon your requirement.
4. Then run Inbox Repair Tool for repairing the smaller PST file. Open the repaired PST in Outlook. If your PST file is not opening here, then try the whole process again for original PST file. This time only change the truncated value.
Method 3: Split file using PST recovery tool
There are many free and premium third party tools available in the market for repairing PST file. But splitting and compact PST file requires premium versions of most of the tools.