I'm having trouble with Outlook 2019 on Windows 11 because I'm getting a max file size error. I'm seeing the message: 'The message store has reached its maximum size. To reduce the amount of data in this message store, select some items that you no longer need, and permanently (SHIFT + DEL) delete them.' I've tried adjusting the registry settings for MaxLargeFileSize and WarnLargeFileSize under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftOffice16.0OutlookPST, but it didn't work this time. I've done this before on Windows 10 and other versions of Windows 11 successfully. I noticed that the registry values are much lower than they should be. Is there another way to handle this issue through the registry, or is there a better solution without needing to delete emails?
6 Answers
Archiving emails to a different file, deleting old items, or compressing the mailbox could help. Surprised no one mentioned the mailbox compression tool yet! Size doesn't always reflect actual data. I had a case that exceeded 50GB, but compressing it brought it down to 20GB.
In-place archiving can be a lifesaver, or you might consider upgrading to an Enterprise license for a 100GB mailbox, if you're using MS365. Just a heads-up: messing with the registry won't magically fix your size limit; it's more about managing your emails properly or paying for extra space.
Is the registry location not supposed to be HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice16.0OutlookPST?
Nope, check out the image I uploaded; those are the only keys on this fresh install. I even created a PST folder and added the DWORDs, but it still didn't work this time.
Honestly, your best bet is to delete emails or move them to a separate PST file. Going over the default 50GB can lead to lots of headaches later on.
What do you mean? My HR team sits at 96GB and they only complain about it a handful of times a day.
I get it, sometimes PST files get corrupted. I'm just looking for a quick fix for now without having to split or delete anything.
If you're on Exchange, consider setting up an archive mailbox, which will act as a separate PST. You might also want to only sync recent emails instead of the entire history. Trust me, trying to push that limit will cause more problems down the line.
I tried the archive feature with the MDaemon, but it just adds everything to the same PST, so the size issue still stands.
You might want to use in-place archiving if you absolutely need to keep that much data. Also, if you're not in a regulated field, setting retention policies can help clear up space.
This or consider moving to the new Outlook.
I tried the compress option, but it didn't work either since it seems the entire file got locked at max size. I couldn't even delete emails.