The file size limitation of PST in Outlook 2003 depends on the e-mail account in use. However, by default, Outlook 2003 PSTs are Unicode formatted, but when using an IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol Version 4rev1) or HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) account, PST files do not use this format. Thus the 2 GB size limitation, which exists in Outlook earlier versions because of ANSI (American National Standards Institute) format, is still the same in these accounts of Outlook 2003. Also, even if the Outlook 2003 uses a Unicode PST, the file size issues create considerable problems when running the application. There are several steps to manage the Outlook 2003 PST size, one of them being Split PST File utility.

Outlook 2003 PST file size can increase considerably because of regularly incoming and outgoing messages. If you use Outlook 2003, you might experience any of the below issues due to large PST size:

(1) E-mails take time to download or send.

(2) Outlook hangs when performing usual tasks.

(3) Message copy operation from one folder to another is slow.

(4) PST either fails to synchronize or behaves sluggishly.

Apart from these symptoms, the general responsiveness of the application also slows down. These situations cause PST file size management necessary. Following are some tips that you can apply to an Outlook 2003 PST file for managing its size:

(1) Delete the undesired PST items and empty the 'Deleted Items' folder if it doesn't contain any required data. Finally, compact your PST as it will not free up the occupied space without compaction.

(2) Use the Outlook archive feature to move the items to several new PST files. However, the process can be troublesome if your PST is quite large in size.

(3) Use a third-party PST File Splitter tool to split a large PST file in just few clicks.

A Split PST utility is safe to use and employs high-end scanning algorithms to divide a large PST into several smaller PST files. These software are easy to install and simple to operate. You can run these products for PST of any size and format.

Stellar Phoenix PST File Splitter is a powerful application that incorporates safe, yet efficient, scanning algorithms to split a PST file. The Split PST File software supports MS Outlook 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000. It creates several new PSTs on the basis of e-mail ID or date (as specified by user) while keeping the original PST intact.