About this Review
Managing Outlook data becomes challenging when users gather many PST files over the years. Several projects, old backups, outdated Outlook profiles and archived emails are created as different PST files that can be difficult to organize.
I had several Outlook archives in several locations for myself. Searching for a given email required opening numerous distinct PST files and it wasted time and productivity. Duplicate emails, scattered folders and disconnected archives make Email administration more complex.
This review is intended to relate my experience of managing dispersed Outlook archives, the techniques I attempted in the past, and how a specialized PST merger strategy allowed me to form a more structured email database.
Introduction to Outlook Data Files
Before you start managing Outlook archives, it is vital to understand the file formats Outlook uses to store your e-mail data.
PST File Format
PST (Personal Storage Table) is an Outlook data file used to store emails, contacts, calendars, tasks and other mailbox information.
Common reasons Outlook users create PST files:
Backups via Email
Stored messages
Transfer of Data
Storage administration
But when you have many PST files to manage individually, searching and managing emails can get tough.
Why Should I Merge PST Files
I had a number of PST archives from various sources and over time it became a pain to manage them in Outlook.
The biggest problems I had were:
Several PST files with same email folders
Previous conversations are hard to access fast
Emails copied to several archives
Time-consuming manual search
Confusion in performing backups
The biggest issue was finding critical emails when I wasn’t sure which PST file had the information I needed.
Having numerous archives also didn’t help to organize emails, it just added more management effort.
Methods That I Tried
1. Manual Way
At first, I attempted to merge and organize PST files manually with the help of Outlook.
I used to open each PST file separately and tried to move emails, folders and other data into one PST file.
This worked for smaller files but proved tough when you are dealing with massive archives.
I had around 12 PST files with over 85 GB of Outlook data. Checking folders and moving emails manually took over 20 hours over several days.
The process also led to more trouble:
Difficult to discover duplicate emails
Folder structures are inconsistent
Important messages could be missed
Slow speed when working with many huge files
I did it manually for quite some time and then recognized that a dedicated solution would be more practical.
2. Software Approach
I was having a tough time with manual processing and decided to go for a professional PST merge solution.
You can merge numerous Outlook archives into one well-organized PST file in a controlled manner using a dedicated program, keeping email folders and crucial data.
The DataVare Outlook PST Merge Expert allowed me to integrate many PST files into one Outlook database instead of manually accessing and moving every folder.
I was able to have a cleaner environment in Outlook and have archives spread under one management. It was easier to find emails and in general made emails more accessible.
Real Life Case Study: Problem of PST Management in IT Department
About the Organization
A medium-sized IT company with 60 workers had issues managing outdated Outlook archives.
The IT department had backups of employee email from various systems and projects.
Their email archive they currently had was:
320 PST files
Total Outlook archive data: 1.8 TB
42,000 duplicate email entries
75 employee backup folders
18 years of email history accumulated
Problem Faced
The IT crew had a hard time with:
Searching for old project emails
Management of employee mail box backups
Maintaining various archival sites
Quickly responding to requests for retrieval of emails
An IT administrator took an average of almost 35 minutes to locate the emails they needed from separate PST archives.
Average 8 IT administrators for around 25 requests per day:
8 administrators x 35 minutes = 280 minutes lost a day
This limited the team's capacity to concentrate on other technical tasks.
Solution & Results
Once you have merged the PST archives with a specific merge tool:
320 PST files merged into 45 well-structured PST files
Duplicate email records were reduced from 42,000 to fewer than 2,000
Email search time went from 35 minutes to about 8 minutes
IT administrators saved about 18 working hours each week
The IT department could now respond to employee demands faster and also deal better with past communications.
Advantages I Discovered After Using Software
1. Easier Email Management
The largest improvement was to take several PST archives and condense them into less manageable files.
Instead of browsing through a number of Outlook files, I could search a more organized database of emails.
2. Quicker Email Search
It was much easier to search for past chats when we combined scattered archives.
No more searching through multiple PSTs for important emails.
3. Reduced Redundant Data
Duplicate emails were a pain to handle manually.
The software technique helped to keep the Outlook storage cleaner by removing redundant data.
4. Preserved Folder Structure
A fear during the merge was the loss of important folders.
The approach helped preserve email organization and easier to find messages following consolidation.
5. Manual Effort Saved
I used to spend hours to open different PST files and move data manually.
This software technique alleviated this burden and made PST management more convenient.
Limitations
1. Should Have Basic Knowledge of Outlook
Those who are not familiar with PST files and Outlook data management may require some help before they begin the merging procedure.
2. Large Files Take Time to Process
Merging hundreds of GBs of Outlook data can take extra time, depending on the performance of the system.
3. It’s Recommended to Backup Before Processing
It is crucial that you create backup of the original PST files to avoid any unintentional data loss during any large archive management activity.
Suggested Users
IT Departments
Companies with email backups of their staff often find it useful to merge fragmented PST archives into organized databases.
Businesses with Large Numbers of Emails
Companies with years of customer communications and project emails in their archives might increase access by managing their archive better.
Law and Consulting Firms
Professionals that need to quickly retrieve historical email records can keep their archives structured.
Small Business
Small firms that have several Outlook backups make email storage easier.
Outlook Users
Years of personal or professional email archiving might help users build a cleaner Outlook environment.
Most Asked Questions
1. Why do users want to merge PST files?
Users merge PST files to manage several Outlook archives, minimize confusion and access e-mails from one place.
2. Is PST merging useful for vast Email archives?
Yes, there are dedicated PST management tools that are optimized to work with big sets of Outlook data far better than manual techniques.
3. Is manual merging of PST reliable?
While manual merging is feasible for small PST files, it is cumbersome and challenging for numerous large archives.
4. Will combining PST files delete the email folders?
A good PST merge technique preserves the existing folder structure to keep emails organized.
5. What businesses typically require PST management?
IT departments in enterprises, law firms, customer care teams and organizations with long-term email storage demands generally require PST management.
6. Is backup needed before combining PST files?
Yes, it is advised to preserve a backup copy of the original PST files before making any big changes.
Final Thoughts
It was a difficult job to manage many PST archives manually as discovering crucial emails meant looking into different files continuously. The structured merging method made the email organization easier and more efficient.
If you have several Outlook archives, merging PST files can help you decrease confusion, increase accessibility and save precious time.
Rating: 4.7/5 Overall
