Merge PST files

Question

Is there a free tool that is good at merging pst files? It seems outlook can do this, by using the import option, but when I tried it, it took over 4 hours for a 2GB pst file. Anyone know of something better?

Although Outlook 2003 got rid of the 2GB limit on PSTs, merging files to make one bigger than 2GB seems like a bad idea to me. — Ward - Reinstate Monica, Oct 16 '09 at 13:35
Ward: Most of it will be duplicates .... So I should have specified that I want it to be able to recognize duplicates. — Kyle Brandt, Oct 16 '09 at 13:40

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 16 '09 at 16:10

If you have Exchange the exmerge tool can do it. Not sure if it is any faster than Outlook, but it can deal with duplicates and will deal with multiple PSTs at a time. Exmerge is provided with Exchange 2003, but it apparently works with Exchange 2007.

If you have a bunch of mailboxes to do and aren't using Exchange, it might be worth setting up Exchange on some spare hardware to do this. You can merge the PSTs into mailboxes, then export the mailboxes to new PSTs, and do it in batch.

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 16 '09 at 16:15

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Are you sure you want to do this?

Outlook is perfectly happy having the primary mailbox/OST/PST open and having additional PST files open at the same time. Use the File/Open/Outlook Data File; and the second PST will show up as another branch in the Navigation pane.

A better alternative might be to have each user open the old/secondary PST files in Outlook and manually merge at their convenience. If you want, give them a timeframe (say 90 days) before the PST files are removed and archived.

answered Oct 16 '09 at 16:15

tomjedrz

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Yes, I am sure. People have ended up with two archive folders, and most of it is the same content...I'd rather not talk about it ...:-/ – Kyle Brandt Oct 16 '09 at 17:27
+1 for telling people to do it themselves, although I know how well that goes over for some people... – Ward - Reinstate Monica Oct 16 '09 at 17:59

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 16 '09 at 13:24

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I've never tried it, but there is a tool called PST Merge that claims to do just that.

answered Oct 16 '09 at 13:24

Brett G

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Whereas I open both at the same time and drag the folders over (or run the Import / Export wizard and do the same but automatically.) – Oct 16 '09 at 13:29
Ya, but not free :-( – Kyle Brandt Oct 16 '09 at 13:57
I like the banner ad for PST Split: "Need your Outlook to run more faster?" – rob Oct 16 '09 at 19:13

Merge PST files

3 Answers3