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 First of all, let us start with what “Outlook Data File Too Large” stands for. 

Outlook saves emails, contacts, and calendars in a PST file. Each version of Outlook has a PST file size limit, and once the limit is full then no user is allowed to add more emails in Outlook. 

When you see the error “ Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size,” it basically means that the user will not receive or send any more emails. This is the most common issue that usually leaves Outlook users annoyed. But the good thing is that the user can solve their problem after reading this blog. Through this guide, we will get to know about the manual method as well as professional software for solving the problem regarding the “PST has reached the maximum size” error. 

What Leads to PST File Size in Outlook? 

The PST file size error occurs in Outlook when the user's mailbox exceeds the allowed limit. This problem can happen due to many reasons; let us get to know about various reasons through which this problem occurs. 

1. Bulk Attachments: Saving emails that carry large attachments, such as documents or images, can increase the size of PST file.

2. Deleted Emails Take Up Space: The emails deleted by the users are shifted to Deleted Items Folder rather than being removed permanently, and these emails use the space in users' PST files till folder gets empty. 

3. Duplicate Emails and Items: Sometimes, various imports, backups, or syncing problems can lead to duplicate emails and other items. All these activities will increase the size of the file unnecessarily. 

4. Large Number of Emails: A Large number of emails, which are saved in PST files, after a few times will naturally lead to a bigger file. 

5. Not Archiving Old Emails: If the old emails are not archived to a different PST file, then they remain in the main PST file.

Handling a large Outlook PST file can be a tough part, but to solve this problem, you do not always require special software. There are various manual methods available that will help users in solving their problems, like reducing the file size, cleaning up the unnecessary data, and keeping Outlook running properly and smoothly.  Below are a few methods that will help in solving this issue.

Method 1: Remove Unnecessary Emails

1. Open your Outlook account.

2. Now, select the emails that you want to delete.

3. Press Delete to remove the unwanted emails.

Method 2: Reduce PST File Size by Compacting

One of the most effective ways to solve the “PST File has reached its maximum size” issue is by compacting Outlook data files. Follow the steps.

1. Open Outlook and click on File.

2. Then click on account settings, then under that again tap on account settings.

3. Click on Data Files, and select the needed data file.

4. Go to settings, and then click on advanced, and then tap on Outlook Data File Settings.

5. In the end, click on Compact Now, and click on the Ok button. 

Why Manual Fixes May Not Be Enough? 

Manual methods can help in reducing PST file size, but they do not always solve all the problems. The  manual method also contains a few limitations, which are as follows: 

1. They may delete important emails by mistake or accidentally. 

2. This method is only useful for minor issues.

3. It does not help in solving the issue of corrupted PST files.

4. Requires manual effort and time.

5. It is not suitable for bulk PST files at once. 

If manual method did not help fix issue of “Outlook PST reached its maximum size”, then this automated solution will definitely help in solving your problem. Using reliable software like BitRecover PST Repair Tool, you can reduce size of your PST file, repair corrupted files, and restore full Outlook functionality safely and without any risk of data loss. 

Below are a  few steps for using this software:

1. Download and install e above-recommended software.

2. Then, launch the software and select PST files that you want to fix. 

3. select Recovery option to repair or compact PST files.

4. Select Output format as PST, then start the process of repairing and reducing size of file.

5. At last, open Outlook and load fixed PST files.

What Made the Automated Method Effective? 

1. These tools help in repairing and recovering highly corrupted PST files.

2. By using this tool, users can batch repair multiple files without installing Outlook.

3. This software allows you to recover selected corrupted files from Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, and many more. 

4. It repairs damaged PST files and also  support ANSI and UNICODE formats.

5. Through this software, you can save recovered files in various other formats such as PST, MSG, EML, PDF, and more for easy access. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What can we do if a PST file reaches maximum size? 

A1. If  users PST files reach their maximum size, then they can compacttheir files, archive old emails, or split them into smaller PST files. 

Q2. How can we fix a large PST file? 

A2. For fixing large PST files, start by deleting emails that are not required, archiving old emails, and compacting PST, or you can use above-recommended software.

Q3. What is maximum size of an outlook PST file? 

A3. The maximum size of n Outlook PST file is 2GB for Outlook 97-2002 and 20-50 Gb for Outlook 2013 and later version. 

Large PST files present in Outlook can leads to causing errors and can also slow down users mailbox, but they can be handled easily. You can either go with manual methods which involves deleting unnecessary emails, archiving old emails and compacting the PST files.  If the manual method was not useful then you can use our reliable software which is mentioned above, this tool helps in repairing PST files, reducing its size, and fully accessible without losing data of users.