How to Merge PST File?

Summary: The Outlook data file (PST) stores all mailbox data, including emails, attachments, notes, etc. If you have multiple PST files, you can combine these files into a single PST. In this article, we have provided two methods to merge PST files with stepwise instructions.

Outlook generates PST files for all POP3 email accounts to store mailbox data. When Outlook users create backups of their email accounts (both IMAP and POP3) or archive emails, then Outlook saves the data in PST file.

If you have several Outlook data files, it becomes difficult to manage the files. You can combine the PST files and move all the data in a single PST file for easy manageability.

Why Outlook Users Merge PST Files?

Outlook users need to merge Personal Storage Table (PST) files for many reasons, such as:

• When MS Outlook users migrate to another email client or platform, they can combine their multiple Outlook data files and create a single PST as a backup of their Outlook data.
• Some Outlook users use different email accounts for personal, work, and social emails. These users can merge the PST files of these accounts to access all emails in a single account.
• Older Outlook versions (Outlook 2007 and 2003) have PST size limit of 20 GB. That’s why, the users of this Outlook edition had to create several PSTs to store the mailbox data. Newer Outlook versions (Outlook 2010 and above) come with a higher PST size limit of 50 GB. So, Outlooks users who want to upgrade to newer Outlook version can merge multiple old PST files into a single file and use the combined PST in the new Outlook.

How to Merge PST File?
There are two ways to merge PST files.

Method 1: Merge PST Files in Outlook

You can merge PST files in Outlook itself. For this, you need to first create a blank PST file and then import the existing PSTs into this file. Here’s the process to do so:

1.1. Create a Blank PST File
To create a new PST file:

1. Go to Home > New Items > Outlook Data File.
2. Name the PST file and save it at the desired location.

1.2. Import the Existing PSTs into the New PST

Follow these steps:

1. Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
2. In the Import and Export Wizard, select Import from another program or file option and click Next.
3. In the next screen, select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
4. Browse to the existing PST and select the Do not import duplicates option.
5. Click Next to initiate the import process.
6. Repeat the process to import multiple PST files into a single file.

Method 2: Merge PST File with Advanced Software

To simplify the process of combining PST files, you can use a third-party PST merge tool. Stellar Merge Mailbox for Outlook is one such tool that you can use to join PST files with 100% accuracy. This advanced utility can also save the combined PST in your Outlook profile, Exchange server, or Office 365.

The following are some salient features of Stellar Merge Mailbox for Outlook:

• Merges PST files while maintaining data integrity

• Saves merged PST data in a new or existing PST file, Office 365 account, Outlook profile, and Exchange server
• Compatible with Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, and Office 365
• Allows to remove duplicate items while merging the PST files
• Allows to remove deleted and junk mailbox items while merging the PSTs
• Combines password-protected PST files
• Generates log reports

How to Use PST Merge Software?
To merge multiple PSTs by using the software, follow these steps:

1. Launch Stellar Merge Mailbox for Outlook and add the PST files that you want to combine.
2. Select the PST files that you want to merge in a single PST, and click Next.
3. Select the appropriate options under Saving Options. Then click Browse and select a destination to save the merged PST. Note: You can select Join PST options to save each PST file with a separate folder structure.
4. Click Merge to merge the PST files as per the selected preferences.

Conclusion
If you need to merge multiple PSTs, you can follow the methods mentioned in this post. Though the manual option is free, it’s time-consuming and requires technical expertise to successfully completing the process. For a seamless and fast PST merge process, you can use the PST merge software that combines multiple PST files in a few simple clicks.