# Problem with MS Office Outlook data file check



## Jpops (Mar 5, 2008)

Hi All,
Though I have used info from this site before to solve problems on my HP Pavillion dv9500 laptop, this is the first time that I have posted a question. 
Recently, while doing an Avast virus scan, I found that several old emails in my MS Office Outlook program were infected. I followed the AV instructions to delete them, but I now have an ongoing problem with Outlook. Each time I open it, I receive a dialogue box informing me that the "MICROSOFT OFFICE OUTLOOK archive folders data file did not close properly the last time it was used and is being checked for problems. Performance might be affected while the check is in progress".
Problem is that the data file check never seems to stop no matter how long I leave Outlook open and I think it starts again from scratch each time I open it. I use Outlook a great deal and performance is severely affected; it is incredibly slow and unpredictable.
My OS is Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit, with MS Office Professional 2007.
Also, my archive file for Outlook is faily large-- more than 3GB.
Any advice?
Many thanks in advance!


----------



## Dubz (Mar 5, 2008)

First and foremost a 3GB file is way too big for any pst file. If possible, from within outlook, seperate your emails into several folders under 1GB in size, and save a PST for each one. You can archive the old ones that you never use but don't want to get rid of. 

The way I'd do it:
Control Panel > Mail > Data Files > Add > Personal Folder (.pst) > Save it & name it etc.

Do this a few times, then move the files from your 3GB file into these, and delete the original folder. The Datafile check is known to take forever. I can't imagine how long it would take for 3GB. I've had clients leave it over the weekend for 1-2 GB pst files.


----------



## Jpops (Mar 5, 2008)

Thank you very much for your response! I have just checked my archive folder and have found that it is actually closer to 4GB so I can see that you are absolutely right... it would take a month to finish a data check. I have nearly 60 seperate folders in Outlook already and yet they have always archived into only ONE PST folder by default. I am a bit unclear as to exactly what to do now, however, as Vista does not have an icon for mail in the Control Panel. Can I just click on properties for the folders that I already have and set a new location for my files? And what can I do with the files that are already archived (in terms of moving them) before I delete the original folder? The only way that I know of accessing the archive folder, other that directly through Outlook, is through User>ApplicationData>Local>MicrosoftOffice>Outlook>Archive(.pst). 
Sounds like I have some work cut out for me. I have always been diligent at least in archiving things as I have heard in the past that (at least previous versions of Outlook) would completely shut down if they contained more than 2GB of data.


----------



## data_b (Jun 25, 2008)

I was going thru my machine yesterday and found the same thing, a 3 gb data file in the Microsoft folder. Any idea on how to reduce or eliminate?


----------



## data_b (Jun 25, 2008)

For reference it resides here:
Documents>Microsoft User Data>Office 2004 Identities>Main Identity>Database


its 3.08 Gb:4-dontkno


----------



## Jpops (Mar 5, 2008)

I have been using MS Office 2007 with Windows Vista (64 bit) so I am not familiar with the location of the data files that you noted. For my own files, I succeeded by simply creating new data files for archiving in Outlook, then making sure that I archive them manually to the same folders each time (the auto-archive feature has a tendency to lump everything together in a single location unless you specify something different; that's how they get so big). Just follow the instructions that were sent to me by Dubz: 

(Control Panel > Mail > Data Files > Add > Personal Folder (.pst) > Save it & name it etc.
Do this a few times, then move the files from your 3GB file into these, and delete the original folder. )


----------



## hue03 (Oct 30, 2008)

I win; my Hotmail data file grew to 16 GB. Yeah, *16 GB*. Stupid spam. Thankfully, it's compacting right now.


----------



## Jpops (Mar 5, 2008)

Yes, you win. 
I had nearly 4GB in my data files... none of it spam. Make sure that you click properties and then the AutoArchive tab for each folder in Outlook and specify whether to archive the contents or not. I have many folders (like deleted items) that I never archive.
Good luck shrinking the files.


----------



## hue03 (Oct 30, 2008)

It was really strange, because when I looked at the _Folder Size_ in Outlook, it said 5 MB, but when I looked at the .pst file on my HDD, it was 16 GB, which made no sense. Compacting has shrunk it down to a much more manageable 5 MB, which now matches Outlook's _Folder Size_.


----------

