Outlook pst file formats

[MWE]

There are two ol pst file formats: the original (ol97-ol02) 32 bit ANS
encoded version and the more recent (ol03+) 64 bit unicode version. Yo
can use either format with ol2003/2007 but you can not use new fil
formats with older versions of Outlook. You can create either versio
from within ol03+

I have a few questions:

- how can you tell which format was used for a particular pst file.
Is there some way to interrogate the file?
- how do you set file size for the newer format? As I understan
things, the original format was limited to 2GB while the new style i
a user defined size up to 20GB
- has anyone had problems either using old style pst files with mor
recent versions of ol or had problems using both old and new style ps
files. X1 (desk top search tool) is having problems with my ps
files. X1 customer support claims that part of the problem may be m
use of older format pst files


Thank

 

[DL]

Within outlook, Properties/Advance of Personal Folders states either 97-2002
or simply Personal Folders File (unicode)
Ansi format is not limited to 2gb, excepting in that it can baulk at +1.6gb
and thus there is a size limit
Unicode size is +20gb by default
You can set/create a registry max size entry
Copernic DeskTop search works fine on both format pst's as does Win DTS I've
not experienced any other probs in the past, though all pst's are now
converted to unicode

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I have a few questions:

- how can you tell which format was used for a particular pst file.
Is there some way to interrogate the file?

Outlook can tell you. I don't think there is anything within the file you can
quesry from Windows that will tell you. Using a MAPI program you write may be
able to tell you.

- how do you set file size for the newer format? As I understand
things, the original format was limited to 2GB while the new style is
a user defined size up to 20GB

Registry settings. See this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832925

- has anyone had problems either using old style pst files with more
recent versions of ol or had problems using both old and new style pst
files. X1 (desk top search tool) is having problems with my pst
files. X1 customer support claims that part of the problem may be my
use of older format pst files

I myself haven't heard of any problems with using an ANSI PST in Outlook 2003
or 2007 that wasn't attributed to exceeding the 2GB limit.