Outlook PST File has Reached its Maximum Size : Solved

Published By Jamie Kaler

Approved By Rollins Duke

Published On October 5th, 2023

Reading Time 7 Min Read

What exactly next happened?, when you get the error “Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size”, which you can’t send or receive any more emails. It is certainly a head-scratching situation for all MS Outlook users.

But don’t worry, in this write-up, you will get the complete information and step-by-step guide to resolve this “PST has reached the maximum size” error using manual methods and expert solutions.

We all know that Outlook creates PST files to store their data in it including email, contacts, calendars, notes, journals, etc. And Outlook creates two types of PST files in Outlook ANSI and UNICODE.

And Outlook saves data with different limit size Outlook 97 and 2002 has a 2 GB size limit, which is ANSI PST file, Outlook 2003, and 2007 size limit is 20 GB and all the latest version of Outlook including 2021 size limit is 50 GB and from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2021 all versions creates UNICODE PST files.

Whenever PST has reached the maximum size limit, definitely your PST get corrupted or you will face some errors in Outlook such as:

PST file becomes inaccessible.
Outlook performance gets slow, unresponsive
You will not be able to open Outlook and send and receive emails.

To avoid all types of issues, it is very necessary to increase PST file size in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and all previous versions.

How to Resolve the “PST has Reached the Maximum Size” Error?

You can solve this error manually as well as professionally. Both methods have their own requirements such as manual methods will only work in Outlook and professional methods will work in all situations, whether your Outlook is working or not. All the methods are explained below in detail:

First, we will explain all the manual methods, and then we will show you why users should use the expert solution to resolve the “Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size” error.

Method 1: Outlook PST File has Reached its Maximum Size by Deleting

Unnecessary emails in the “deleted folder” are the main reasons for the increased PST file size. So it is important to remove them from the Outlook account for flawless performance.

In Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021

Click on the File >> Info >> Cleanup Tool and hit the Empty Deleted Items Folder option.
A confirmation message will appear and hit the Yes button.
And your deleted folder will empty successfully.

In Outlook 2010 and 2007

Right-click on the Deleted Items >> Empty Folder option to remove deleted emails.

If you want to archive old emails and then delete them for more space then follow the mentioned steps:

In Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021

Open File >> Info >> and hit the Tools >> Clean Up Old Items… or Cleanup Tools >> Archive.

In Outlook 2010

Click File >> Cleanup Tools >> Archive.

In Outlook 2007

Firstly, select File >> Archive.
Now choose the folder that you want to archive and select the date from the “Archive Items Older Than” option.
Select the location to save the archived emails.
Now the archived emails older than the data that you have chosen will be saved at the desired location. And you can open this file to access your archive emails in Outlook.
And now you can easily remove the archived emails older than the date that you have selected to resolve the “Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size” error.

Method 2: Outlook Data File has Reached the Maximum Size Registry

By modifying the MaxFileSize, WarnFileSize, MaxLargeFileSize, and WarnLargeFileSize registry entries, users can extend the PST file size limit.

Location of Registry Entries

Outlook 2003: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\PST
Outlook 2007: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\PST
Outlook 2010: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\PST
Outlook 2013: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\PST
Outlook 2016: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\PST
Outlook 2019: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\PST

Firstly, open Run and search and open Registry.
Open the PST folder by following the mentioned path above.

Important Note: MaxFileSize, WarnFileSize, MaxLargeFileSize, and WarnLargeFileSize registry entries are not created, then right-click on the empty space, and select the DWORD (32-bit) value.
Enter the registry entry name as MaxFileSize and double-click on it.
And type the value in the “Value Data Field” box, for example – 1GB=1024*1024*1024 byte.
Hit the OK button and repeat the same process to create and enter the value for respective entries WarnFileSize, MaxLargeFileSize, and WarnLargeFileSize.

And finally, your PST file size will be increased, but remember there are some points that you have to keep in your mind:

Important Note: It is not necessary that after increasing the size of the PST file, your all problem will solve. Because increasing the PST file size will become your file inaccessible, corrupt, and damaged, which may cause loss of your data. So, trust this method completely.

Method 3: Outlook PST File has Reached its Maximum Size Professionally

To resolve this error “PST file has reached the maximum size”, splitting is the last and best way. To accomplish this task, here we will use the RecoveryTools presented PST splitter Tool, which comes with amazing and extraordinary features.

This tool is a highly recommended tool by IT experts to split Outlook PST file into smaller parts without Outlook installation. It has end number of advanced features, that help users to use this software without any hassle. Some of the capabilities of the tool are mentioned below:

Download Now Purchase Now

The software has a very simple and easy-to-use interface for all technical and non-technical users.
The software can automatically load the data from the default storage location, whether your Outlook is working or not.
If you have an oversize PST file and you are facing the “large PST file crashes Outlook” error into multiple PST files by size 2 GB, 5GB, 10 GB, and 20 GB.
Also, it offers the dual option to split your files into split your file into single files or multiple PST files as per users’ choice.
If your PST file is corrupted, damaged, or inaccessible, then you can easily cut them by enabling the Use Recovery Mode option, which repairs your file and provide result in a healthy file format.

For more information about the software, visit the mentioned page. Here you will get all the advanced features and filters of the software.

Steps to Resolve PST has Reached the Maximum Size Error

Firstly, download and run the software on your device.
Add the Outlook profile data automatically or manually.
Enable the “Use Recovery Mode” option to repair the PST file.
Check and uncheck the required data and the Next button.
Browse the location to save the resultant data.
Apply the advanced filter option for more features.
Lastly, hit the Split button to start the process.

And finally, your “Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size” resolved by splitting the files into smaller PST files.

If you have any doubts or queries related to the software, then you can download the free demo version to split 25 emails from each folder to analyze the software’s performance.

Time to Say Goodbye

Here we have explained the complete information and step-by-step guide to resolve the “Outlook PST file has reached its maximum size” error by using manual methods and expert solutions. Manual methods are straightforward including emptying deleted folders, archiving emails, and using Registry. But all methods have some limits and risks. And, if you have a corrupted and damaged PST file and your Outlook is not working then you should go for the expert tool. The software comes with amazing features and filters, which makes the software more usable for all users.