Best Parctice - splitting large PSTs

  • Thread starter Thread starter David H. Lipman
  • Start date Start date
D

David H. Lipman

The ONLY backup device are user's are afforded is a DVD/RW drive.

When a user has a LARGE PST >12GB, what is the 'Best Practice' to break apart the PST into
PST files that will fit on a DVD (~4.5GB) ?

---

Right now I have this situation and I created new PSTs and am moving data from the >12GB
PST to the new PSTs not to exceed 4.5GB per PST.
It is taking way too bloody long !

There has to be a better way. Microsoft Utility maybe ?
 
The ONLY backup device are user's are afforded is a DVD/RW drive.

When a user has a LARGE PST>12GB, what is the 'Best Practice' to break apart the PST into
PST files that will fit on a DVD (~4.5GB) ?

---

Right now I have this situation and I created new PSTs and am moving data from the>12GB
PST to the new PSTs not to exceed 4.5GB per PST.
It is taking way too bloody long !

There has to be a better way. Microsoft Utility maybe ?
Click to expand...
Server-side Exchange backup. Or at least copy the PST to the server and
back that up. Note that accessing PSTs stored on the network is not
supported.

Why deal with workstation-level pain when you don't have to? :)
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you :)
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>


| Server-side Exchange backup. Or at least copy the PST to the server and
| back that up. Note that accessing PSTs stored on the network is not
| supported.

| Why deal with workstation-level pain when you don't have to? :)


In this case, the person is leaving from our "campus" to another. There is no shared
server beween the two campuses nor any service usable for a file of that size.
 
David said:
The ONLY backup device are user's are afforded is a DVD/RW drive.
Click to expand...

Huh? Since when can .pst *files* not be copied to USB-attached hard disks
or flash drives?
When a user has a LARGE PST >12GB, what is the 'Best Practice' to break apart the PST into
PST files that will fit on a DVD (~4.5GB) ?
Click to expand...

Use AutoArchive; however, there is no setting as to what can the maximum
number of bytes that are moved into the archive .pst file, but then you
could monitor the .pst file's size as you run an archive on each folder.

There are tools to slice up files into multiple files but those files are
not usable separately and you have to join them before you can get back the
usable file. Folks in the alt.comp.freeware newsgroup might know of such
file slice/splice utilities.
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>



| Server-side Exchange backup. Or at least copy the PST to the server and
| back that up. Note that accessing PSTs stored on the network is not
| supported.

| Why deal with workstation-level pain when you don't have to? :)


In this case, the person is leaving from our "campus" to another. There is no shared
server beween the two campuses nor any service usable for a file of that size.
Click to expand...
USB drive?

I am not aware of any automated ways to split a PST.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you :)
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>



| USB drive?

Nope. Ban on all "USB Mass Storage Devices" by "company directive" and Group Policy.

Can't buy her a FireWire hard disk for this purpose either.
 
Move folders to a new pst - make a new pst when each one gets close to the
size of the DVD. Or... use file splitter software - however, they will need
it to put them back together.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>



| USB drive?

Nope. Ban on all "USB Mass Storage Devices" by "company directive" and Group Policy.

Can't buy her a FireWire hard disk for this purpose either.
Click to expand...
Cute.

I am smarter though...

Connect a laptop not hooked up to the domain (will ignore domain group
policies)
Setup a user on that laptop and setup file sharing
Connect a USB drive to that laptop and share it
Access the laptop as \\ip.address\sharename and authenticate to it with
a local account
Copy the PST to this network share

Let the other campus administrator deal with the headache of putting her
files onto her new machine.

Would take about 2 minutes to set this up if you have a laptop handy.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you :)
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>


| Cute.

| I am smarter though...

| Connect a laptop not hooked up to the domain (will ignore domain group
| policies)
| Setup a user on that laptop and setup file sharing
| Connect a USB drive to that laptop and share it
| Access the laptop as \\ip.address\sharename and authenticate to it with
| a local account
| Copy the PST to this network share

| Let the other campus administrator deal with the headache of putting her
| files onto her new machine.

| Would take about 2 minutes to set this up if you have a laptop handy.


And have the RNOSC up my a$$ !
 
From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| Move folders to a new pst - make a new pst when each one gets close to the
| size of the DVD. Or... use file splitter software - however, they will need
| it to put them back together.

Thanx Diane, that's pretty much what i am doing now and its taking hours.

Can't use 3rd party "file splitter software" unless I get waver or gor throu an approval
process or it is a Microsoft branded utility for said pupose.
 
From: "David H. Lipman" <[email protected]>

| From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]" <[email protected]>

|| Move folders to a new pst - make a new pst when each one gets close to the
|| size of the DVD. Or... use file splitter software - however, they will need
|| it to put them back together.

| Thanx Diane, that's pretty much what i am doing now and its taking hours.

| Can't use 3rd party "file splitter software" unless I get waver or gor throu an
| approval
| process or it is a Microsoft branded utility for said pupose.

Wow that was written badly :-(
 
From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| I figured a splitter would be out of the question. :(

| No file shares you could upload it to?


I wish. While the two campuses are in the same state, thay don't share network services.

I was hoping there was a utility that can split it like the InBox repair tool can repair a
PST.

I was thinking about spanning a ZIP file but, 12GB ?
 
From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]"<[email protected]>

| I figured a splitter would be out of the question. :(

| No file shares you could upload it to?


I wish. While the two campuses are in the same state, thay don't share network services.

I was hoping there was a utility that can split it like the InBox repair tool can repair a
PST.

I was thinking about spanning a ZIP file but, 12GB ?
Click to expand...
Well, that's an option. Something like a self-extracting RAR or 7Zip
file perhaps. Store the file with no compression and reassemble later.

Since you are open to file spanning, lots of solutions exist for that.

Here is one: http://www.filesplitter.org/
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you :)
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>



| Well, that's an option. Something like a self-extracting RAR or 7Zip
| file perhaps. Store the file with no compression and reassemble later.

| Since you are open to file spanning, lots of solutions exist for that.

| Here is one: http://www.filesplitter.org/


No, I thought about spanning a ZIP because we have a "company wide" license for WinZIP.

What you propose is unaproved and can NOT be used.

Note: This is no Mom & Pop Shop, this is a *very large* enterprise organization with well
established rules, regulations and AUP.
 
No, I thought about spanning a ZIP because we have a "company wide" license for WinZIP.

What you propose is unaproved and can NOT be used.

Note: This is no Mom& Pop Shop, this is a *very large* enterprise organization with well
established rules, regulations and AUP.
Click to expand...
Same option can be done with Winzip. It can be done with DOS command
prompt or vbscript for that matter, but I suppose that's unsupported.

Set compression mode to "Store" file and set it to span mode. Should be
very quick since you won't be applying compression.

Your proposed solution for file spanning using Winzip will work. There
is no easier way to do it from inside Outlook without using unapproved
3rd-party solutions.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you :)
 
From: "Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
<[email protected]>



| Same option can be done with Winzip. It can be done with DOS command
| prompt or vbscript for that matter, but I suppose that's unsupported.

| Set compression mode to "Store" file and set it to span mode. Should be
| very quick since you won't be applying compression.

| Your proposed solution for file spanning using Winzip will work. There
| is no easier way to do it from inside Outlook without using unapproved
| 3rd-party solutions.

VBscript - Never! KiXtart :-)

Yes, I am going to have to look into the idea of ZIP spanning large PSTs for personnel is
such a situation.

Danke Leonid & Diane.
 
From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| I figured a splitter would be out of the question. :(

| No file shares you could upload it to?


Took all day.

What's worse, when I extracted data from the large PST to a newly created one I overshot
the ~4.5GB size and it became 5.05GB. I had remove email from that (sorting largest
attachment to smallest) to another. Moveed ~600MB but the file was still ~5.05GB so I had
to then compact it. That took more time.

When I was done, I had a 12+GB PST that was -- EMPTY !

I don't think that was the case with Office 97 style PST files. You moved files out, the
PST got smaller.
 
You need to compact the pst - or wait, when there is some idle time, outlook
will kick off compacting. But.. I've heard from a few people that compacting
doesn't work very good in Outlook 2007...

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]

Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473
 
From: "Diane Poremsky [MVP]" <[email protected]>

| You need to compact the pst - or wait, when there is some idle time, outlook
| will kick off compacting. But.. I've heard from a few people that compacting
| doesn't work very good in Outlook 2007...

This was OL 2003 (thank G-d).

Now I have to decrypt all the data before I burn her DVDs.

A very long and very tedious job.

There has to be a better way.
 
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