.pst
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.pst is a filename extension used with certain Microsoft Windows products. If one uses Microsoft Exchange Server, the messages, calendar, and other items are delivered to and stored on the server. If one does not use Exchange Server, the messages, calendar, and other items are delivered to and stored locally in a Personal Folders (.pst) file. The letters pst stand for Personal Storage Table.
When one creates messages, appointments, tasks, and journal entries, Microsoft Outlook saves the information in a personal folders (.pst) file on the computer.
The data file is called a personal folders (.pst) file because it is saved locally with a .pst file extension. The personal folders (.pst) file is of the same format in Microsoft Exchange Client, Windows Messaging, Microsoft Outlook 97, Microsoft Outlook 98, Microsoft Outlook 2000 and Microsoft Outlook 2002. The format has changed since Outlook 2003, which supports using Unicode data, and thus cannot be opened in previous versions. The newer versions (currently Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007) support the use of Unicode text encoding, the older versions support only ANSI text encoding.
In Outlook 2000 the maximum .pst file size was limited to a 2GB (actually 1.933 GB[1][2]). If this limit is reached or sometimes exceeded, retrieval of the .pst file can be difficult if not impossible. Outlook 2003 increased the maximum size to 20GB.
.pst files are easily corrupted, especially if they are close to their maximum size. Microsoft provide a repair tool named scanpst.exe, which unfortunately does not always repair damaged .pst files.
[edit] See also
- .ost: Offline Storage Table (Offline Personal Folders)
- .uni: Personal Folders File that can store Unicode data, supported in Outlook XP only
- .pab: Personal Address Book file, the companion file format to .pst, only way to store personal distribution lists until Outlook 98; functionality integrated into .pst file (Distribution Groups in "Contacts" folder) and deprecated (but still supported) starting from Outlook 2000
- .oab: Offline Address Book file, the cached address book from Exchange Server for offline use
[edit] References
- ^ The .pst file has a different format and folder size limit in Outlook 2007 and in Outlook 2003 (KB830336). Microsoft (2007-02-05). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ How to configure the size limit for both (.pst) and (.ost) files in Outlook 2007 and in Outlook 2003 (KB832925). Microsoft (2007-02-13). Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
