2005 Resolution - Get Outlook to loose weight

So it's a little known fact that Outlook has a file size limitation. The old system gets into trouble when your .PST file hits 1.8 Gigs or so. Usually Outlook starts to give error messages when it approaches 1.4-1.5 Gigs. When you upgrade to Outlook2003, it supposedly has no file size limitations (great, just like America, where everyone thinks fatter is better!) but there's a little hitch -- you can't import or use an older PST file. You have to use the newer format 2003 PST file. And there's no included file conversion utility either. But anyone that's upgrading to Outlook2003 is of course using a PST from their older Outlook version, right? Thanks Microsoft for telling us about this problem! So what do you?

Here's the solution that's worked for me:

1) Open a new "personal folder" with the newer file Outlook 2003 file format and name it something different so you don't get confused (like Personal Folders 2005).
2) Then drag folders from the "old" folder tree to the new Personal Folders 2005 that you just set-up.
3) Kill the old Personal Folders file.


Separately, when my file got too big and Outlook started to refuse to save calendar events or move items from folder to folder, I went in and tried to figure out what I could delete. I found out that I had tons of duplicate entries. Hmmm...how did this happen? Who knows. Let's not dwell on the past, but look to the solution. So I did some digging and found this great tool: MAPILab's Duplicate Email Remover

I did some searches and found a 10% coupond code and bought it and voila! It found over 15,000 duplicate emails that I could delete! For $13.50, it's a charm.

The only downside to this app is that it's limited to emails. If you have dupes in Contacts, Notes, Calendar, etc, then you're out of luck. You have to purchase their other Duplicate Remover program. (why not just bundle them together MAPI? C'mon!). Of course, I have dupes in my Calendar folder, etc, so I'll have to fork over the cash, but hopefully the final result is a leaner, thinner PST file that can handle anything you throw it!