How to Extract Attachments from PST File?
Looking to extract attachments from PST file? In this article, we will guide you through multiple methods to extract all attachment from PST file without going through each email. Keep reading on for more information.
Outlook PST files contain much more than emails; they consist of numerous large attachments that often clog up your mailbox and take up a lot of storage space. These attachments can cause your PST to grow uncontrollably, slowing down Outlook and causing performance issues. Therefore, extracting all attachments from your PST is a smarter way to reduce its size and fix performance and productivity issues.
Why Extract Attachments from PST Files?
There are various practical reasons for why you might need to do this; take a look at the most common:
1. Free up space: Attachments are often the main reason why PST files grow in size. When they are large, they can be difficult to open and share. Therefore, extracting attachments can reduce the overall PST file size and prevent performance issues.
2. Backup: Attachments contain a lot of crucial information; therefore, extracting them in advance to a safe location can serve as a backup in case of accidental loss.
3. Speed up the migration process: When migrating to another service and uploading data to the cloud, extracting attachments can speed up the process.
Method to Extract All Attachments from PST File
There are various methods to extract attached files from PST. However, not all the methods are reliable and suitable for all users specifically non-techies.
We’ll guide you through each method one by one, and then you decide which one of works best for you.
Method 1. Manual Extraction Using Microsoft Outlook
If you only need to extract a few attachments from a few PST files, this method works well. Here are the steps for manual extraction.
Step 1. Open the PST file in Outlook
Step 2. Select the email from which you want to extract attachment
Step 3. Right-click the attachments >> select Save as and choose your folder.
Limitation of the Method
- There’s no option to extract attachments from multiple emails at once.
- This method is time-consuming if you have multiple attachments in a single email or multiple PST files.
Method 2. Using VBA Script in Outlook
Technical users sometimes prefer writing or using VBA scripts to automate the attachments extraction process from PST files. Such scripts can help to extract attachments from multiple emails in one go.
However, it requires;
- Basic programming language
- Macro setting configuration in Microsoft Outlook.
If you’re not comfortable with the coding, you should avoid this method. So, these are the methods that let you extract attachments from PST file. However, both of them have their limitation, while the first fails to extract in bulk, the other requires a lot of technical knowledge. However, there is one method left that can overcome the limitation of these methods and offers you a platform to get the task done easily and effortlessly.
How to Extract Attachments from PST File without Outlook?
PCDOTS PST Converter Software is one of the smartest and easiest ways to extract all attachments from PST files. Unlike the manual method, this software allows you to extract attachments from multiple PST files at once without any hassle. It supports ANSI and Unicode PST files and allows you to automate the entire process without any technical knowledge.
It’s a quick solution that requires little user intervention. Furthermore, it only requires following a few simple steps to complete the task. You can check out all the steps below.
Steps to Extract Attachments from Batch PST Files in One Go
- Download, install and start the PST attachments extractor on Windows.
- Click the Open button and select Email Data Files >> Outlook PST/OST files.
- Browse and select your PST files and click “Open” to import them into the tool.
- Your PST files will be configured into the software’s left panel.
- Now, go to the Extract menu and select Attachments from the drop-down menu.
- Click browse button and specify the destination path for resultant files.
- Finally, click the Save button to start the extraction process.
That’s it! With these simple steps you can easily extract all attachments from PST files. This method effortlessly wins over the manual methods. If you want to learn a more about the tool and its benefits, read below.
- Allows you to extract attachments from multiple PST files/folders at once.
- Support you to extract attachments of specific size.
- PST attachments extraction is compatible with all Windows versions.
- Support PST files from Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 and below editions.
- Useful for non-technical professionals.
In Conclusion
Large attachments can cause performance and other issues, so extracting them from a PST file seems like the best option to avoid them. Manual attachment extraction works best with a few files. However, when working with hundreds of PST files, using a dedicated PST attachment extractor is a smart choice. In the content above, we offered manual and professional methods; check them out now.
