When you create an MS Outlook account, you will be able to create Outlook data files that will provide you with additional storage capability. As you can find different quotas available for MS Office 365, you don’t need to create PST files unless you want to use them for archiving purposes.
The Outlook data files or PST files can be stockpiled on the hard drive of your system locally. Apart from that, if you’re making the PST files for archiving purposes, you can also store them on a server such as OneDrive. However, you should not use OneDrive if you’re planning to use PST files every day, as it won’t be able to back up. If you want to store the PST files on your computer’s hard drive, you need to ensure you’re taking the necessary precautions to back up the PST files regularly. Keep in mind that Microsoft doesn’t allow PST files to be saved on a network such as OneDrive.
If you’re using a new computer and the PST files are stored locally on the hard drive of the previous computer, you need to make sure you’re moving the PST files into Office 365. You can also store them on networking servers before you decide to switch them. If the PST files are stored on OneDrive, you need to transfer those files to the hard drive of your computer before accessing them. Failing to do so will make the PST files prone to corruption.
Creating PST Files
If you’re planning to leverage the benefits of PST files for the first time, you might not know the process of creating PST files. Here are the steps you need to remember:
- Go to File> Account Settings> Data Files.
- Choose Add
- Upon going to the “Create or Open Outlook Data File” function, you need to determine where you want to save the PST files. This can either be the local hard drive or the server. MS Outlook will choose a default location for you as well as a default name unless you modify it. While creating the PST files for the first time, make sure you create a folder that is outside the default directory of Outlook to save the PST files. This way, you will be able to locate the PST files easily. It’s an important step if you’re creating PST files for the first time.
- Choose Ok
- Choose the newly created PST file and click on the option Settings. From there, you can modify the name and password.
- Choose Ok
Create New Subfolders for the PST Files
Sometimes you might need to create subfolders for the PST files so that you can find and access the mailbox items without any issue. Here are the steps you need to keep in mind:
- Right-click on the PST folder for which you want to create the subfolders. From there, you need to choose the option New Folder.
- Type the name of the folder and choose the proper location of the PST folder.
- Choose Ok.
Once you’re done creating the subfolders to store the mailbox items, you will be able to move messages and attachments to those folders. But one thing you need to remember is that PST files are highly vulnerable to corruption. If you want to fix corrupt outlook data files, you need to use an advanced PST recovery tool.
Copying Messages to the Subfolders When Viewing a Message
When viewing a message, you might want to sort it out in the new subfolder. However, closing the message to copy or move it to the subfolders is not only a time-consuming but also a hectic process. Not to mention, you might lose the specific message. Here are the steps that will help you move the messages to the subfolders when viewing a message.
- Choose File> Move to Folder> Move to Folder Icon.
- Choose the specific folder name from the list that has been used recently. You can also click the option Move to Folder.
- Choose the name of the folder and click on the option Ok.
When you remove the data items from the Personal Folders file, the size of the file won’t decrease unless you take proper steps to compress them.
Taking Backups of the PST Files
If you want to store the PST data files, Microsoft won’t allow you to store them on the OneDrive or Other networking drive. This is because the developers advise the users to store the PST files on their hard drives, which can be backed up. Without proper backup, you might end up losing the PST files permanently due to corruption. As per Net App, the primary purpose of backups is to safeguard your data items from unexpected loss.
With the help of MS utility, you can create PST files from your MS Outlook account. From there, you will be able to take back up your PST files.
Conclusion
These are some important things you need to remember about Outlook data files. Make sure you let us know if you have any other questions.
