My PST file size has exceeded 4GB on a FAT32 harddrive. Outlook is preventing me from deleting mails as it has trouble writing to the PST file. But if it doesnt allow me to delete mails, I cannot reduce the PST file size back to below 4GB. What should I do?

thank you

dl

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

David Lui David Lui wrote:

My PST file size has exceeded 4GB on a FAT32 harddrive. Outlook is
preventing me from deleting mails as it has trouble writing to the
PST file. But if it doesnt allow me to delete mails, I cannot reduce
the PST file size back to below 4GB. What should I do?

Can you delete them if you hold down the Shift key while pressing Delete?
The only other thing I can image that might work would be to format a second
disk as NTFS, copy the PST there, and try again.
--
Brian Tillman

Or convert that disk to NTFS.

--�
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Brian Tillman asked:

| David Lui David Lui wrote:
|
|| My PST file size has exceeded 4GB on a FAT32 harddrive. Outlook is
|| preventing me from deleting mails as it has trouble writing to the
|| PST file. But if it doesnt allow me to delete mails, I cannot reduce
|| the PST file size back to below 4GB. What should I do?
|
| Can you delete them if you hold down the Shift key while pressing
| Delete? The only other thing I can image that might work would be to
| format a second disk as NTFS, copy the PST there, and try again.

Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
wrote:

Or convert that disk to NTFS.

That would also be appropriate. I though that using a second disk would
introduce fewer variables.
--
Brian Tillman

Yeah, I try to not have to use that conversion command but in this case, it
might be appropriate.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, Brian Tillman asked:

| Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
| wrote:
|
|| Or convert that disk to NTFS.
|
| That would also be appropriate. I though that using a second disk
| would introduce fewer variables.

Shift-Del : I have tried this trick before posting the qtn but it doesnt work

I have seen other posts that I should format a second disk as NTFS to get pass the 4GB barrier, or to re-partition the current disk and format as NTFS, but it sounds scary (in terms of data loss)... how does one get this done??

Thanks

dl

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

David Lui David Lui wrote:

Shift-Del : I have tried this trick before posting the qtn but it
doesnt work

I have seen other posts that I should format a second disk as NTFS to
get pass the 4GB barrier, or to re-partition the current disk and
format as NTFS, but it sounds scary (in terms of data loss)... how
does one get this done??

If you decide to reformat your current partition, Windows Setup should be
able to do the conversion without data loss. There are third-party products
that can do it as well, like PartitionMagic (Symantec).
--
Brian Tillman