Working with .PST Files in outlook

Working with .PST Files ..

If you use a POP3 email account, chances are your messages are downloaded from your Internet Service Provider’s mail server to your personal computer and stored in a file known as Personal Folders File or .pst file.

.pst is a data file that stores messages and other content on your PC. This file is very robust and it may be designated as the default delivery location for your messages. In addition the .pst data file may organize items, perform backups and more.

Where is the Outlook.pst File?

By default, the Outlook.pst file is stored in the “\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook” folder. You can move the .pst file to any location on your PC. Some users choose to keep these files in My Documents and other areas to prepare them for easier .pst file backups.

How to Find the .pst File

Due to the fact that it’s hidden, the most practical way to navigate to this folder is to use Windows Explorer.

Make sure the Microsoft Outlook client is shut down, open the “Start” menu and click “Search.”

On the next page, click “All Files and Folders”

In the first text field for “All or part of the file name” enter “.pst”

Click on the “More Advanced Options”

Deselect the box for “Search Hidden Files and Folders”

Hit “Search” and wait for Windows Explorer to work its magic

After the search is performed, you will see a list of all the .pst files on your PC. The one you want is under “\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.” Getting the right file is critical and may be a little confusing if there are multiple user profiles on your computer.

After locating the appropriate file, right-click it and select “Cut” from the sub-menu.

Next, open up the “My Documents” folder, right-click somewhere within the folder (not on the file), and then select “Paste.”

You might want to name the new folder something like “My MS Outlook Data File” and then paste the .pst file into that folder.

The move may take several minutes depending on the pst file size. Once it is complete, launch the MS Outlook client as you normally would. The program will often state that it is not able to locate the .pst file. It might give you the option of creating a new file or browsing to the find the old one. What you want to do is browse the My Documents folder and double-click the .pst fle you recently moved. Although Microsoft Outlook may display an error message and automatically shut down, there is no need to worry. When you restart the program, the link will be pointed to the appropriate .pst file and everything will work just fine.

Conclusion

These same steps can be repeated for any of the .pst files located on your computer. Most MS Outlook users have an archive.pst file which can be copied and pasted in other folders on the system just as easily. The difference is that you must access the AutoArchive settings within the Outlook program and tell it where the archive.pst file has been moved to. If you do not, Outlook will not have a means of knowing the file path and thus, it will be unable to archive your data to the new location.