How to Split Large OST Files?

Read time: 6 minutes

OST files, short for Offline Storage Files, serve as repositories for user mailbox data on a local machine. These files come into existence when a user registers their account with either an Exchange Server or an IMAP server via Microsoft Outlook. Once Microsoft Outlook establishes the initial connection and find the Exchange server address, it automatically generates this file.

OST files encompass a comprehensive array of mailbox items, including emails, contacts, notes, tasks, and more. It’s important to note that as the size of the OST file expands, it can exert a detrimental effect on the overall performance of Outlook.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to be aware that when the size of an OST file becomes excessively large, it can potentially lead to corruption, resulting in the loss of important data. This underscores the significance of addressing large OST files promptly. Users have the option to manually split their OST files, or they can utilize a trustworthy OST file splitter to accomplish this task efficiently and effectively.

More about OST File Format

PST (Personal Storage Table) and OST (Offline Storage Table) file formats store emails, contacts, and appointments. These files can be of two types:

• 32-bit ANSI Format
• 64-bit Unicode Format

Earlier versions of Outlook had a lower file size limit. But the recent versions of Outlook support large file sizes. So, size issues are relatively less in the recent versions of Outlook.

Following is a list of the most common issues users experience when the OST data file size exceeds its limit.

• The Outlook program performs poorly.
• Synchronization problems occur.
• There is a delay in sending and receiving emails.
• Occasionally, Outlook freezes or fails to respond.
• Outlook does not respond.

To enhance the performance of Microsoft Outlook, start by disabling all installed add-ins within the email client. Disabling add-ins can significantly boost Outlook’s efficiency when it comes to tasks like opening, processing, and sending/receiving emails. Then try the following methods to solve oversized OST file issues:

To efficiently reduce the size of your OST file, you can utilize the archiving feature to move older data to a separate location. By archiving the OST data, you can effectively prevent the OST file from surpassing the default file size limit.

1. Log in to the Outlook account.
2. Tap on the File menu and hit on Tools.
3. Now, go to the option Mailbox Cleanup.
4. You can click on AutoArchive to move old mailbox items to the archive folder. Users also have the option of deleting items that are not needed.

Archiving is a good option to reduce the size of the OST files.

Kernel for OST to PST Converter converts OST files to PST files of specific sizes. So, you can save large OST files in multiple PST files. It can save email data, attachments, contacts, and calendar data even from corrupted OST files. Furthermore, it supports all versions of Exchange/Outlook OST files.

Effectively managing large PST files is made effortless with its built-in splitting function, allowing you to divide PST files based on your preferred sizes, such as 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, and more. In the following steps, we will demonstrate how to use this tool to split OST files according to your specific size preferences.

1. Install and open the tool.
2. To split OST files by size, click the Browse button. To add more than one OST file, tap the + button.

Note: Use the option Search if you cannot locate your OST file.

3. Now, you need to select your OST file and tap OK.
4. View and confirm your selected OST file and tap on Next.
5. During the process, click Next and view your OST file data.
6. Then, select the PST file as your output file type to convert OST to PST file and click Next.
7. You can even select the desired filters namely Date Range, Item Type, etc. and save specific items to the PST.
8. Next, you’ll see the Split Option. OST files can be split by size from 1 GB to 45 GB. Select the size within the drop-down menu.
   
9. Now, pick a destination for your file. Tap on Ok and Finish.
10. In a few seconds, the process of splitting the OST file by size will be completed.

Final Words

We’ve presented you with a comprehensive set of solutions and methods for splitting OST files, whether you choose to do it manually or through the use of an OST file splitter tool. Our step-by-step instructions ensure a quick and efficient OST file splitting process. We strongly recommend having a dependable OST splitter tool on your system to streamline the process, enhancing its ease, effectiveness, and reliability.