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Alternatively, to change the default path
that Outlook uses when creating a new PST
file, you can create a registry entry specific to
the user. This value works for Outlook 2007,
2003, and 2002. Open your registry editor,
and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER Software\Microsoft\Office\version number Outlook. (The version number for Outlook
2007, 2003, and 2002 and are 12.0, 11.0, and
10.0, respectively.) Add a new string value
called ForcePSTPath with the full path as the
value. A registry file for this entry for Outlook
2007 would resemble
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
Microsoft Office\12.0\Outlook]
“ForcePSTPath”=”C:\\email”
When creating a new Outlook Data File, Outlook
will open this folder location for the user
to save his or her new PST file. This location
also applies to new OST files.
Configure a Maximum
PST and OST File Size
Although Unicode PST files have a theoretical
maximum size of 33TB, they still
have a default size limitation of 20GB. You
can amend this threshold lower or higher
through the registry. Certainly, larger PST
files aren’t going to perform as well; even
20GB is quite excessive. An administrator or user might want to prevent uncontrolled
growth of personal folders on client workstations
because of backup and restore resource
requirements, prevention of performance
degradation, or even disk space concerns.
My recommendation would be to limit the
size to around 10GB–12GB. To do so, you can
configure a user setting at HKEY_CURRENT_
USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\version
number\Outlook\PST or a policy setting at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
Policies Microsoft\Office\version number\Outlook PST. Again, the version number applies to the
version of Outlook (and Office).
You can create four entries for each of
these registry locations. The DWORD values
that control this setting for Unicode PST files
are MaxLargeFileSize and WarnLargeFile-
Size. The latter value doesn’t actually warn
the user, but it does let Outlook continue
with internal operations while preventing the
arrival or creation of additional content. (The
PST file can still marginally expand as a result
of internal processes when the WarnLarge-
FileSize value is reached.)
ANSI PST files have a similar control
but with smaller values. Because ANSI PST
files still have the 2GB limitation, their registry
entry is in bytes and the word Large is
removed from the DWORD value names. If
the MaxFileSize for an ANSI PST file is set
beyond the 2GB limit, the value is ignored.
An example of these registry settings for
an Outlook 2007 user with the default values
would resemble
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Office\12.0\Outlook\PST]
“MaxLargeFileSize”=dword:00005000
“WarnLargeFileSize”=dword:00004c00
“MaxFileSize”=dword:7bb04400
“WarnFileSize”=dword:74404400
The above DWORD values are in hexadecimal
format. You can easily push out
these registry entries through Group
Policy, the Microsoft Office Resource Kit tools, logon scripts, or another remotemanagement
application.
Disable PST/OST
Creation
Sometimes in an Exchange environment,
you actually want to prevent
users from using PST files. Perhaps you
have a server-side archive solution, or
access to workstations is too insecure
for email storage; in such cases, you might
require that all content remain in a centralized
location. Again, you can accomplish such a
configuration through a registry entry that
you can then push to systems through Group
Policy, logon scripts, the OCT for Outlook
2007, or the CIW for new Outlook 2003 installations.
You could also use your registry editor
to manually perform the configuration.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\version number Outlook, and create DisablePST—a
DWORD entry with a decimal value of 1 to
toggle it on. This value removes the Outlook
Data File option from the File, New menu in
Outlook, as well as the File, Archive option.
It also prevents the creation of OST files and
archive PST files and disallows exporting to or
importing from other PST files.
Flexibility and Stability
Newer Unicode PST files bring greater flexibility
and stability to managing messaging data
with Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003. Different
companies will have different needs regarding
email storage, and PST management might be
part of that administrative challenge. Remember
that you have options available to you for
controlling PST file location and size—and
even for preventing their use.
End of Article
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