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How can I reduce the size of my mail file?

A. A. When you delete files from your mail file the space is usually not cleared away and your mail file may actually grow! To reclaim the wasted space you can "compact" the mail database. The information below is for Outlook 98 but previous versions have similar functions.

  1. Start Outlook 98
  2. From the view menu select "Folder List"
  3. In the folder list pane right click on the root folder (Personal Folders) and select Properties from the context menu
  4. Click the Advanced button from the Personal Folders Properties dialog box
  5. Click the "Compact Now" button. The database will now be compacted
  6. Click OK to all dialog boxes to return to Outlook 98

If you find the mail file has not been substantially reduced in size it may be there is no redundant information or you may need to run the compaction a couple more times as sometimes the process does not work 100%.


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