A Simple Tutorial: How to Divide Large PST Files into Smaller Parts to Make Email Backups Easy

If you have been using Microsoft Outlook for a while, then you know how rapidly your inbox can expand. All of the email, picture attachments, documents, calendar events, and contacts are using up space. All this stuff adds up, and eventually it creates one file called a PST (Personal Storage Table) file.

Outlook can manage the day-to-day stuff just fine, but if the PST file gets too huge, it might create some significant difficulties. It can slow down your whole email application, cause stalling, making it unpleasant to look for old emails and, in worst-case scenarios, create data corruption that damages your backups.

This step-by-step article will help you understand why PST files became unmanageable, how to divide huge PST files using manual built-in techniques in Outlook, and how an automated program may simplify the entire process.

Why split large PST files?

Before diving into the approaches, let’s learn why it is so important to split a huge PST file into smaller portions for daily email backup management.

1. Prevents Mailboxes from Becoming Corrupted

Older versions of Microsoft Outlook also had a hard restriction of 2 GB on the size of PST files. Modern versions support PST files up to 50 gigabytes. But if a PST file grows too large (say 20 GB or 30 GB), then the chances of file corruption rise considerably. The smaller you keep your files, the safer they are.

2. Enhances Outlook Functionality

Does Outlook take a minute to open or freeze up when you access a folder? When the PST file is too big. Outlook has to read a huge database every time it opens. Splitting the file into sections of lesser sizes helps Outlook load fast.

3. Makes Email Backup Much Easier

A single 40 GB PST file might take hours to back up to cloud storage or an external device. If the internet cuts out halfway through, you have to start over. Uploading a few tiny files is easier and more dependable.

4. Makes Organization Easier

You may split PST files year-wise or category-wise to organize your email archives nicely. You can simply access old project records without having to go through thousands of irrelevant communications.

Outlook file sizes: a quick guide

It’s good to know how much data Outlook can save to safeguard your emails.

• Very Old Outlook Versions: May support files up to 2 GB only.
• Newer Versions of Outlook: Up to 50 GB theoretically, but it's always ideal to keep your personal files around 15 GB to 20 GB so they run fast and don't break.

Method 1: Manual methods to split PST files in Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook includes various built-in ways to decrease or divide PST file sizes without buying extra software. Below are the most typical

manual approaches:

Option A: Using Outlook’s “Archive” Feature

You may use the Archive function to pick a date range for older emails to transfer to a separate PST file.

How to Archive Emails:

1. Start Microsoft Outlook on your PC.
2. Click the File tab in the top-left corner.
3. Click Tools (or Cleanup Tools), then Archive... or Clean Up Old Items...
4. Select the folder you wish to clear up.
5. Choose a date (e.g., archive everything older than 1 year).
6. Choose where you want to save the new archive file on your computer and click OK.

Option B: Using the "Move Folder" Technique

If you wish to split a PST file based on certain folders, you may manually create a new PST file and move data to it.

Step 1: Create a New PST File

1. Open Outlook, choose Home> New Items> More Items> Outlook Data File...
2. Save the new file with a name like Backup_2023.pst. It’ll now show up in your left sidebar.

Step 2: Transfer Emails

1. Choose the emails you want to transfer from your primary inbox.
2. Right-click, Move, and select the new PST folder.

Option C: Compact the PST File

Deleting emails does not necessarily make the file on your hard disk smaller. Actually, to make room:

1. Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files.
2. Choose your PST file and click Settings …
3. Click the Compact Now option. Click OK.

Limitations of Manual Methods

Manual procedures are free; however, they have disadvantages:

• They require a lot of time and care.
• Possibility of errors or missing emails.
• They cannot auto-split a large file into equal parts.
• They will not function if your PST file is already corrupt or will not open.

Method 2: Automatic Method Using Softaken Split PST Tool

Manually trying to manipulate very big PST files may be exhausting and slow. An automated tool processes big file structures easily without having to keep Outlook open.

Split Large PST Files in Small Pieces using Softaken Split PST Tool to split large PST files into smaller parts by size, year, or folder with only a few clicks.

Benefits of Using an Automated Tool:

• Flexible Options: Split files by precise file size (e.g., 5 GB apiece), year, or specified folders.
• Protects Data: Maintains all attachments, read/unread status, and folder structure intact.
• No Outlook Needed – Works independently without having Microsoft Outlook open.
• Original File is Safe: It makes new smaller files without affecting or damaging your source file.

How to Use the Automated Tool – Step by Step

1. Download the app and open it on your PC.

1. Click on Browse to locate the huge PST file you wish to divide.

1. Decide how you want to divide it (for example, by size or year).
2. Choose a folder where the new files will be saved.

1. Click on the "Split Now" button, and the program will immediately create your smaller, healthy PST files.

Best Practices for PST File and Backup Management

• Back Up Regularly: Regularly back up your essential emails to an external disk or cloud storage.
• Keep Files Small: For optimum performance, keep your active PST files less than 10 GB to 15 GB.
• Save Locally: To minimize corruption, save your active PST files on your computer’s local hard drive rather than a live network folder.
• Clear attachments: Regularly store large attachments to your PC and erase them from your emails to conserve space.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

Q1: Will I lose any of my original emails if I divide a PST file?

No, your emails will not be deleted by either the manual methods or the automatic program. They will just be put into cleaner, smaller containers.

Q2: What happens when the PST file crosses the 50 GB limit?

Outlook may give you an error message that the file is full, and you won't be able to send or receive new mail unless you lower its size.

Q3: Can you access many smaller PST files simultaneously in Outlook?

Yes. In Outlook, you can open as many PST files as you like. Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.

Q4: Do I have to close Outlook while using an external tool?

Yes, it’s usually safer to shut down Microsoft Outlook before using any file-splitting program.

Conclusion:

Handling big Outlook PST files should not be such a complicated task. If you have simple needs, Outlook has archive and compress tools to help. But if you want to get it done quickly, easily, and without any mistakes, especially for huge mailboxes, then a dedicated automated application makes the whole procedure simple and smooth.