What to Do When Outlook PST/OST File is Slow or Unresponsive

In today’s post, we will examine common reasons why PST or OST files may become slow or unresponsive and offer various options to fix this problem.

If you notice that your client email software is taking long to load mailbox data, you need to investigate the causes and have it fixed. This is because these symptoms could indicate a bigger problem with your MS Outlook software.

What makes PST/OST files to be slow or unresponsive?

There are several reasons that can compromise the performance of Outlook. For example, every Outlook version has basic system requirements that must be met for it to function optimally. System requirements include processor speed, memory, hard disk space, operating system, and graphics card.

If your computer doesn’t meet all these set requirements, Outlook email files may become unresponsive or very slow. For instance, if only part of the requirements such as disk space and memory are met, but the operating system is lower than required, the application may be installed but keep on crashing every time you try to open it.

On the other hand, if your system meets the set requirements for the Outlook software to run, with time the PST or OST file can grow gradually and reach the set size limit. When this happens, it becomes difficult to access your mailbox data. Third-party add-ins can help you enhance efficiency in handling mailbox data while RSS feeds help you keep tabs on current news. However, when you allow excessive add-ins and RSS feeds, Outlook might become slow or fail to open.

Moreover, if Outlook does not close properly, errors may occur on the OST or PST file and corrupt PST or OST data. This can occur due to a virus attack, forced shutdown when Outlook is still running, and third-party software such as add-ins running on the e-mail application. The extent of the damage on the PST/OST file will determine whether you will access your mailbox data.

How to troubleshoot slow or unresponsive PST/OST file

When you are faced with a slow or unresponsive PST/OST file, it is advisable to do a thorough investigation to identify the root cause of the problem. Start by examining any changes you may have performed on the applications recently.

If you have just installed Outlook, check whether your computer meets the system requirements needed for the application to operate optimally. If not, upgrade your system or install a version of Outlook that suits your computer specifications. As you do so, make sure you pick a current version of Outlook that is still supported by Microsoft.

Your email application might have operated well before becoming unresponsive or slow. In this case, check the size of the OST/PST file. If the size exceeds the recommended limit, use DataNumen Exchange Recovery or DataNumen Outlook Repair to repair and split the OST or PST file, respectively. Now archive part of your mailbox data and maintain a smaller default OST/PST file that guarantees the optimum performance of Outlook.

For those who have excess add-ins and RSS feeds on Outlook, it is advisable to disable them and restart Outlook. If the above approaches do not fix the problem, there is a high chance that your OST or PST file is faulty. Use DataNumen Outlook Repair to recover your corrupt PST file. In the case of faulty OST files, use the DataNumen Exchange Recovery tool. The output files will be in .pst format. Once you recover your mailbox data, you can now open it using Outlook. To protect your mailbox data from being corrupted by your antivirus software, exempt it from scanning Outlook files.