Aryson PST Split Tutorial: Split Outlook PST by Size, Date, & Folder

Aryson PST Split Tutorial: Split Outlook PST by Size, Date, & FolderSplitting large Outlook PST files keeps your mailbox manageable, improves Outlook performance, and reduces the risk of data corruption. This tutorial covers how to use Aryson PST Split to divide PST files by size, date, and folder — plus best practices, troubleshooting tips, and alternatives.

---

What is Aryson PST Split?

Aryson PST Split is a Windows utility designed to split large Microsoft Outlook PST (Personal Storage Table) files into smaller, more manageable PST files without altering original email properties. It supports ANSI and Unicode PST formats, handles archived and password-protected PSTs, and preserves folder hierarchy, attachments, and metadata during the split process.

---

Why split PST files?

• Large PSTs slow down Outlook and increase chances of corruption.
• Splitting reduces backup time and makes migration easier.
• Regulatory or organizational policies may require smaller mailbox files.
• Splitting by date helps archive older messages; by folder helps separate mail types.

---

System requirements and preparations

• Windows 7/8/10/11 or later (⁄₆₄-bit)
• Microsoft Outlook installed (recommended) for preview features
• At least as much free disk space as the PST file size for temporary operations
• Recommended: backup your original PST before splitting

Before starting:

1. Close Outlook to avoid file locks.
2. Make a copy of the PST file you plan to split.
3. Note any passwords for protected PSTs.

---

Installation and initial setup

1. Download Aryson PST Split from the official site and run the installer.
2. Follow the installer prompts and launch the application.
3. On first run, the main interface displays options to add PST files and choose split methods.

---

Step-by-step: Splitting PST by Size

Splitting by size is useful when you want resulting PSTs to be under a specific limit (e.g., 2 GB for older Outlook versions).

1. Open Aryson PST Split.
2. Click Add File and browse to your PST file; select Open.
3. Once the file loads, choose the “Split by Size” option.
4. Enter the maximum size for each output PST (GB or MB).
5. Select an output folder where split PSTs will be saved.
6. Optionally check “Maintain folder hierarchy” or other preferences.
7. Click Split and wait. Progress and a summary are displayed when complete.

Tips:

• Use sizes under 2 GB for Outlook ⁄₂₀₀₃ (ANSI PST).
• For Unicode PSTs (Outlook 2007+), larger limits are allowed, but smaller sizes improve performance.

---

Step-by-step: Splitting PST by Date

Splitting by date helps archive older emails or separate messages within a date range.

1. Add your PST file in Aryson PST Split.
2. Select “Split by Date”.
3. Choose a date-based option: Before a specific date, After a specific date, or Between two dates.
4. Adjust whether the split includes only emails or all items (contacts, calendars, etc.).
5. Choose an output location and naming convention.
6. Click Split and monitor progress.

Use cases:

• Archive all emails before year-end.
• Move older correspondence to a separate PST for legal retention.

---

Step-by-step: Splitting PST by Folder

Splitting by folder is the best option when you want separate PSTs for, say, Inbox, Sent Items, or a set of project folders.

1. Load the PST file into Aryson PST Split.
2. Choose “Split by Folder”.
3. The software displays a folder tree; check folders you want to split into individual PSTs.
4. Configure options: include subfolders, maintain folder structure in outputs, apply filters.
5. Set output path and start the split.

Best practice:

• Split large folders like Inbox or Sent Items individually to reduce size quickly.
• Combine with date filters for fine-grained archival (e.g., Inbox + emails before 2022).

---

Advanced options and filters

Aryson PST Split often includes options such as:

• Split password-protected PSTs (requires password).
• Exclude empty folders.
• Maintain folder hierarchy.
• Filter by item types (emails, contacts, calendars).
• Naming convention for output files (sequential numbering, folder names, date tags).

---

Verifying results and importing split PSTs into Outlook

1. Launch Outlook.
2. Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
3. Browse to the split PST and open it.
4. Verify folder contents, message counts, and metadata (sender, date, attachments).

If items are missing, check source filters used during split and retry on the original copy.

---

Troubleshooting common issues

• Cannot add PST file: Ensure Outlook is closed; check file permissions.
• Password prompt: Provide correct password or remove protection first.
• Split fails midway: Verify disk space and run as administrator.
• Corrupted PST: Run ScanPST.exe (Inbox Repair Tool) on the source before splitting.

---

Alternatives and comparisons

Feature	Aryson PST Split	Manual Export (Outlook)	Third-party Alternatives
Split by Size	Yes	No (workaround via multiple exports)	Varies
Split by Date	Yes	Partial (Use archive/export)	Varies
Split by Folder	Yes	Yes (export selected folder)	Varies
Preserve metadata	Yes	Yes	Varies
Handles password PSTs	Yes	Requires password	Varies

---

Best practices

• Always work on a copy of the PST.
• Keep output PSTs under recommended sizes for your Outlook version.
• Label output files clearly (e.g., Inbox_2019-2021.pst).
• Keep backups before and after splitting.

---

Conclusion

Aryson PST Split provides straightforward methods to split PST files by size, date, and folder while preserving message integrity and folder structure. Use the method that fits your goal—size for performance, date for archiving, folder for organizational separation—and follow best practices to avoid data loss.