What To Do When Outlook Mailbox Is Full And Cluttered?
Are you suddenly bombarded by “Outlook Mailbox is Full” message alerts and missing your emails because of it? Do not worry; this article covers what to do when Outlook mailbox is full and everything you need to fix it quickly and forever. Continue reading and discover the reasons, what happens when Outlook mailbox is full after deleting, and guaranteed fixes, both manual and automatic, solve it quickly and permanently.
Think of losing access to important emails or missing a business opportunity because your Outlook mailbox storage full. Let’s make that never happen again.
Why Is Outlook Saying My Storage Is Full?
Before we learn why Outlook mailbox is full message and what to do when Outlook mailbox is full but it’s not, it is first important to understand the Outlook mailbox storage limit. Outlook storage typically refers to the maximum amount of storage taken by your Outlook account, including emails, attachments, calendar entries, and other items. Once you cross this limit, your Outlook stops receiving or sending emails and shows the “Outlook mailbox full error” or “Quota Exceeded”. Thus, there are several reasons why Outlook says the mailbox is full and some of the most common explanations for receiving Outlook mailbox full deleting everything 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 Outlook mailbox is full can’t send message, 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 Outlook mailbox is full” query.
- Outlook Not Sending/Receiving Emails due to Full Mailbox: 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 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 fix Outlook mailbox is almost full, 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 Outlook mailbox storage full, 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 to Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything and free 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 sub-folders”.
- 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
If the Outlook mailbox full after archiving, then use this dedicated email cleaning tool that is by default present in Outlook. It has various options to clean up Outlook mailbox and 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.
- Users ma still face the issue Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything.
#6 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 clean up Outlook mailbox.
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 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
So, are you ready to reclaim your Outlook space and never face this issue again? Try the manual ways to simply use the expert’s recommended tool to see the instant results. Don’t let your Outlook full mailbox hinder your productivity or slow down your computer when you can fix it in minutes. In the above guide, we solved 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 and what happens when Outlook mailbox is full.
Remember, manually deleting unnecessary data and compressing PST files may not always be sufficient. In such cases, reliable professional’s trusted tool 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 message?
Above we have deeply explained what to do when Outlook mailbox is full after deleting using 5 manual methods and 1 professional method and fix “Outlook Storage Full” errors with ease.
Q 2: What happens when Outlook mailbox is full but it’s not?
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 and Outlook not sending/receiving emails due to full mailbox.
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.
Q 4: How do I permanently fix a full Outlook mailbox?
Use the professional tool to reduce the Outlook mailbox size and avoid future issues.
Q 5: Does deleting email helps to free up Outlook mailbox storage space?
Deleting emails may clean up some of the space in Outlook but the it’s not often enough. Hence instead of doing this, you must use the professional way to get rid of Outlook mailbox full deleting everything error.
Read Also: Tips to Convert Postbox to Outlook Easily