Microsoft KB Archive/252336

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OL98: Limitation of 2 Gigabytes for Offline Folders and Personal Folders

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Q252336

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Outlook 98

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SYMPTOMS
When the size of an offline folder file (.ost) or a personal folder file (.pst) exceeds 2 gigabytes (GB), a problem may occur, and you may not be able to access either the personal folder file or the offline folder file.

If the offline folder file size exceeds 2 GB during synchronization, you may receive the following error message, and you may no longer be able to access the offline folder file:

Errors in background synchronization. See detailed log in Deleted Items folder.

RESOLUTION
A supported fix that prevents this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested. Microsoft strongly recommends that this preventive hotfix be applied on all computers that run Outlook 98 before the offline folder file or the personal folder file reach the 2 GB size limit.

This fix is a preventive measure only, and does not resolve the problem if it has already occurred. This fix does not enable you to access an offline folder file or a personal folder file that is inaccessible because it already exceeds 2 GB in size.

To obtain the fix immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

"http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp"

Instructions to Apply the Fix

 * 1) Download the fix file to your hard drive.
 * 2) Double-click the file to uncompress it into the new files you need.
 * 3) Search your hard drive for the older copy of these files and re-name them. Then copy the newer versions to the same location as the ones you renamed.
 * 4) Restart your computer.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION
When the size of the personal folder file or the offline folder file approaches 2 GB, this fix provides warning messages and does not allow you to save more information to the personal folder file or to the offline folder file. This prevents data from being corrupted. For example, if you open a personal folder file or an offline folder file that is almost 2 GB in size, and then if you try to drag an item to the file, you receive the following warning message:

The file %filename% has reached its maximum size. To reduce the amount of data in this file, select some items that you no longer need, then permanently (shift + del) delete them.

You receive the following warning message in the synchronization log if the offline folder file approaches 2 GB:

The OST has reached its maximum size. To reduce the amount of data in this OST, start Outlook in offline mode, select some items that you no longer need, permanently (shift + del) delete them, then re-sync this folder.

For additional information about this fix for Outlook 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q296088 Q Oversized PST and OST Crop Tool" "Q250422 OL2000: Offline Folder File Corrupted When You Synchronize a Large File" Additional query words: OST PST

Keywords :

Issue type : kbbug

Technology : kbOutlookSearch kbOutlook98Search kbZNotKeyword3