What To Do When Outlook Mailbox Is Full And Cluttered?
Are you tired of receiving constant notifications about Outlook storage being cluttered and thinking “What to do when Outlook mailbox is full?” If yes, then this is the blog made for you only. So, in case, you’re unable to send or receive emails due to error messages like “your Outlook mailbox is full” or “mailbox size limit exceeds,” don’t worry, we got you covered. Therefore, to know everything about this topic and the edges associated with it, read till the end of the blog.
Why Is Outlook Saying My Storage Is Full?
So, before learning about the precise answer to “what to do when Outlook mailbox is full”, let’s first learn about its causes. Thus, there are several reasons why Outlook says the mailbox is full and some of the most common explanations for receiving Microsoft email full storage notifications are as follows:
- Exceeding the Maximum Size Limit: Outlook imposes a maximum size limit of 2 GB to 50 GB as per Outlook edition for users. Once this limit is surpassed, you won’t be able to send or receive emails, and Outlook starts saying the mailbox is full. Even a large PST file crashes Outlook when users try to start it.
- Cache and Junk Files: Besides important data, your Outlook mailbox may contain cached or junk files. These files can make some of your data unreadable or invisible, then Outlook says storage is full.
- Third-Party Plug-ins: While third-party tools can be beneficial if they are secure, some may have logical issues that can affect Outlook’s storage. Choosing reliable third-party add-ins is crucial.
- Attachment Size: If you frequently send and receive emails with large-size attachments, then it consumes significant storage space, and you see Microsoft Outlook full storage notification.
- Sync Issues: Sometimes due to improper synchronization settings, Outlook might start downloading duplicate emails. So, make sure you are using the correct sync setting then follow the guidance to remove duplicate emails in Outlook PST file.
What Happens When Outlook Mailbox Is Full?
Do you know what happens when the Outlook mailbox is full, several issues may arise, affecting your productivity and data. Therefore, to get a glimpse of the result, read the below-mentioned bulletins:
- Decreased Performance and Possible Hangs: The overall performance of Outlook may decline, and the application could hang or freeze at times.
- Increased Risk of Data Corruption: If the mailbox exceeds its size limit, there is a higher chance of your important PST file or data getting corrupted.
- Potential Data Loss: Outlook email storage full error can lead to data loss, making it vital to address this issue promptly. Then users search solution to resolve the “What to do when the Outlook mailbox is full” query.
- Inability to Send or Receive Emails: When your Outlook storage is full, you won’t be able to send or receive email messages.
- Error Notifications: Microsoft email full storage notification starts alerting you that your mailbox is over its limit.
If you’re facing these problems, continue reading for effective solutions.
What To Do When Outlook Says Mailbox Is Full – Manual Methods
Outlook offers a few manual methods to tackle Outlook storage full errors, although they can be time-consuming and not specifically designed for fixing mailbox size issues. Here are a couple of approaches:
#1 Fix Outlook Storage Full Error Deleting Large Items
It is very obvious that the large attachments or files downloaded in our Outlook account consume a lot of space. Therefore, to make some storage, deleting the large and unnecessary files is a great idea. So, to know how you can do this, follow these steps:
- Open MS Outlook on your computer.
- Next, go to the “Search Folders“.
- Then, click on “New Search Folder“.
- Scroll down and select the “Large Mail” option from organizing mail.
- Click on “Choose” and specify the size larger than the desired limit (XYZ KB) to delete.
- Enter Mail Size to show mail greater than the specified size and press “OK“.
- Finally, open those folders and delete unnecessary large items.
#2 Free Up Space on Outlook Using Compact Option
Using the compact option to resolve the query of “what to do when Outlook mailbox is full” is a great idea. Thus, it eliminates the unused as well as storage holding space that is present in Outlook and declutters the platform. So, the steps to follow this method are as follows:
- The initial step is to go to “Account Settings” in the “File” tab.
- Now see configured email accounts and navigate to the “Data Files” tab.
- Select the Outlook Data File you wish to compress and click on “Settings“.
- Now choose the “Compact now” option to resolve the Outlook storage full error.
- The compacting process is initiated, please wait until completion.
Note: Even after deleting unnecessary data or compressing large PST files, the error may persist due to mailbox corruption. Oversized PST files often lead to crashes and database corruption. If the above-mentioned techniques fail to resolve your query, then go with the upcoming solution.
#3 Empty Folder Option to Clear Outlook Storage
Another manual method to deal with the query “what to do when Outlook mailbox is full” is by deleting the entire unnecessary folders in one go. This helps with mass storage clearing and gives ample space for further mail saving. Therefore, the steps to use this tool are as follows:
- Launch MS Outlook on your computer.
- Choose the Delete Items/ Junk Email folder accordingly.
- Right-click on the selected folder and choose “Empty Folder“.
- Everything in the selective folder will be permanently deleted, click “Yes” to continue.
#4 Archive the Old Outlook Mails
If you have lots and lots of old Outlook emails that you are not important at present but you may need them in the future then archiving them is the best option. Doing this will not only move them to another folder but will also free up some space in the mailbox. Therefore, to know how you can follow this solution for freeing up space, read the below-shared steps:
- If you are using Outlook 2016, click on Files.
- Now, go to “Info” and choose “Tools“.
- Next, click on “Clean up old items”.
- Further, select the option “Archive this folder and all subfolders”.
- Click on all the labels that you want to archive.
- Once done, type a date range under the section “Archive items older than” so that only those emails that fall under that range get archived.
- Next, click on “Include items with do not AutoArchive”.
- At last, tap on the “OK” button and you are done with freeing up Outlook space.
#5 Use Outlook Email Clean-Up Tool
This is a dedicated email cleaning tool that is by default present in Outlook. It has various options to free up space and declutter the platform by eliminating unnecessary emails. The steps to use this method are as follows:
- Firstly, start the Outlook and click on “File”.
- Now, go to “Info” and choose “Cleanup Tools”.
- Next, select “Mailbox Cleanup”.
- Further, you get various cleaning options such as “Find items larger than“, “empty deleted items”, “view conflict size”, “view deleted item size”, and so on.
- Choose, any of the options and perform the operation required to free up Outlook storage.
Drawbacks of Using The Manual Method
Of course, there are multiple conventional ways to resolve the query “What to do when Outlook mailbox is full”. However, each of them has some shortcomings which create inconveniences for the users. Therefore, to know why the manual method is not just to clean up Outlook storage, read the below-shared points:
- These methods need technical knowledge to complete the process effortlessly.
- There’s always a risk of losing the data when using manual ways.
- They are not effective enough in compressing the emails to provide storage space.
- Manual methods are not suitable for Outlook corrupted files.
- They are very time-consuming to perform.
What To Do When Outlook Mailbox Is Full – Using Pro Software
Manual methods such as deleting large PST files or compressing them may not be sufficient to resolve the Outlook mailbox exceed error. In such cases, BitRecover PST Splitter Software comes to the rescue. This tool offers a user-friendly solution with just a few clicks. It effectively reduces PST file size in all Windows editions, providing a complete resolution. It supports both ANSI and UNICODE files and effortlessly splits Outlook PST files by year, automatically reducing their size.
How to Free Up Outlook Space With Expert Solution?
Unlike manual methods, the above-mentioned tried and tested software makes PST splitting and freeing up the Outlook space easier, safer, and quicker than ever. Thus, the steps to use this recommended tool are as follows:
- Download and install the software on your computer.
- The software will automatically detect your Outlook profile or allow you to select files manually.
- Choose a recovery mode if any corrupted files are detected.
- Select the required folders from the software window and press “Next“.
- Browse the destination path to store resultant files.
- Navigate to the split options and select “Split by size“.
- Click on “Split” to start this process.
Note: Once you save the Outlook PST file on the desired location, it’s completely your choice to either keep it as a backup or import it in Outlook again. In both ways, you can free up Outlook storage.
Benefits of Using Expert Solution
Using the expert solution over the conventional brings a lot of ease and convenience in the procedure of cleaning Outlook space. Therefore, to know about some of its advantages, look at the below-mentioned points:
- It automatically fetches the Outlook profile details and configures seamlessly.
- Has a recovery mode to deal with corrupted and lost PST files.
- Represent labels and sub-labels in a hierarchy for easy selection.
- Gives various splitting options such as “Split by size”, “Split by date”, etc.
- Allows browsing the destination to save the resultant or split PST file.
Tips & Tricks to Free Up Outlook Storage Space
Now that you know everything about “what to do when the Outlook mailbox is full”, let’s get a quick look at some tips and tricks which may help you avoid these issues in the future.
- Make sure to take regular backups of the Outlook mailbox.
- Periodically delete unnecessary and unwanted emails.
- Save the large and crucial attachments in the hard drive.
- Try the option auto-delete to free up some Outlook storage on a regular basis.
Concluding
In this blog post, we briefly answered the most asked query which is “What to do when Outlook mailbox is full”. Thus, running out of mailbox space in Outlook can be frustrating, hindering your ability to communicate effectively. Following the methods outlined in this article, you can successfully resolve the issue as we have discussed what to do when the Outlook mailbox is full.
Remember, manually deleting unnecessary data and compressing PST files may not always be sufficient. In such cases, reliable third-party applications offer a comprehensive solution. With its user-friendly interface and efficient splitting capabilities, you can easily increase Outlook mailbox size. Don’t let an over mailbox limit your productivity and communication—take action today and keep your Outlook experience seamless and hassle-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q 1: What do I do when my Outlook mailbox is full?
Above we have explained 3 manual methods and 1 professional method to fix “Outlook Storage Full” errors.
Q 2: What happens when the Outlook mailbox is full?
If you exceed the maximum PST file size limit, your Outlook is slow to receive emails and may become a reason for corruption in data.
Q 3: Why does my Outlook keep saying my storage is full?
All Outlook versions have specific maximum file size limitations that depend on the Outlook edition. If you exceed the maximum file size limit, then Outlook shows a mailbox limit exceed error.
Read Also: Tips to Convert Postbox to Outlook Easily