Can I increase hard drive space by deleting Outlook emails?

vocalperk · 10-05-2010, 08:48 AM

My Outlook PST file has gotten quite large and I'd like to go through and delete large chunks of email I don't need/want anymore. The hope is that this would free up some hard drive space. Is there a particular way to do this, or is simply deleting emails the way to go? I've deleted a good number of large ones so far and my PST file has actually INCREASED in size by a couple hundred MB.....so I thought I'd see if anyone could advise.

Also....do I need to run, like, a disk defragmenter afterwards? Or is this automatically done by computers from time to time? Or......?

Thanks for any tips.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-05-2010, 08:51 AM

I am under the impression that Outlook, and Outlook Express, are alloted a chunk of space that can't be exceeded by them, or used by another program.

classicman · 10-05-2010, 09:16 AM

I remember having a similar issue on my old computer at work and I think my boss "compressed" it after deleting the old emails. I'm not sure thats the right word for it.

**I'm also the last person to take computer advice from. **

xoxoxoBruce · 10-05-2010, 09:23 AM

Yes, the emails can be compacted, but that only makes space for more emails.

classicman · 10-05-2010, 10:10 AM

GunMaster357 · 10-06-2010, 09:47 AM

You could create a separate PST file called "eMails_2009", move all eMails from the year 2009 in it, delete them from your standard PST file and then compact it.

I do this with mails coming from technical mailing lists. I use that as a reference to find if someone using the same programming language encounterd the problem I am facing.

10-05-2010, 08:48 AM	#1
vocalperk Profitable Prophet Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 30	Can I increase hard drive space by deleting Outlook emails? My Outlook PST file has gotten quite large and I'd like to go through and delete large chunks of email I don't need/want anymore. The hope is that this would free up some hard drive space. Is there a particular way to do this, or is simply deleting emails the way to go? I've deleted a good number of large ones so far and my PST file has actually INCREASED in size by a couple hundred MB.....so I thought I'd see if anyone could advise. Also....do I need to run, like, a disk defragmenter afterwards? Or is this automatically done by computers from time to time? Or......? Thanks for any tips.

10-05-2010, 08:51 AM	#2
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I am under the impression that Outlook, and Outlook Express, are alloted a chunk of space that can't be exceeded by them, or used by another program. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

10-05-2010, 09:16 AM	#3
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	I remember having a similar issue on my old computer at work and I think my boss "compressed" it after deleting the old emails. I'm not sure thats the right word for it. I'm also the last person to take computer advice from. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

10-05-2010, 09:23 AM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Yes, the emails can be compacted, but that only makes space for more emails. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

10-05-2010, 10:10 AM	#5
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	__________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

10-06-2010, 09:47 AM	#6
GunMaster357 Professor Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Brest (FRANCE) Posts: 1,837	You could create a separate PST file called "eMails_2009", move all eMails from the year 2009 in it, delete them from your standard PST file and then compact it. I do this with mails coming from technical mailing lists. I use that as a reference to find if someone using the same programming language encounterd the problem I am facing. __________________ "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." - Ambrose Bierce

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