Personal Storage Table files, also known as PST files, take up large amounts of storage on your hard drive. These files are also difficult to organize efficiently while they remain on your computer. Instead of keeping all those mail-related files on your PC, consider an email archiving solution. If you export your messages, attachments and other mail-related files to an archival service, your mail program will run faster, and there will be more memory available on your computer for other tasks.
Understanding PST Files
There are a number of email-related files that are saved as .pst files on your hard drive. Email messages, calendar events, message attachments and tasks are among these files, which require massive amounts of storage space on your computer. Your mail program saves a copy of all of these files, including each new incoming or outgoing message and any saved drafts, to ensure that the emails are available in the future, should you need them. Unfortunately, PST files take up space and slow down your mail program, unless you export them with an archival solution.
What Is Email Archiving?
The process of exporting your email files to another location for storage, whether you’re sending them to an external hard drive, another computer, or to a service in the cloud, is known as archiving. Email archiving allows you to retain your PST files, while freeing up space on your PC and reducing the chances of accidental deletion. You can also consolidate the emails from a number of users or computers in a single location, to speed up the process of data retrieval in the event that a certain message, attachment or series of communications is needed.
PST Problems
The practice of retaining PST files on individual computers, instead of archiving, can cause a number of problems for an organization. Together, these issues can add up to one big headache for your business.
- Accidental loss of files: When email messages are only saved on individual computers, user-error or computer failure can result in the loss of data.
- Access and retrieval: In order to find older messages, you may have to sort through any number of PST files on your user’s computers.
- Storage space: The PST files saved on your PC can consume massive amounts of memory. If you reach the limit, you may lose older messages, or lose the ability to download new messages.
- Processing speed: Your mail program slows considerably due to excessive use of memory. Archiving old messages can speed it up noticeably.
- Compliance: Your organization is required to conform to many rules and regulations. In many cases, company emails may be necessary to prove compliance, in the event of an investigation or complaint.
- eDiscovery: The term “eDiscovery” refers to the requirement to produce electronic documents pertaining to a court case. Archival allows you to quickly and easily query the database, and produce all pertinent emails in response to an eDiscovery request.
The Solution: Email Archival
If you’ve got PST problems, such as slow processing speeds or access and recovery concerns, email archiving can make all the difference. Do you want to bring your organization into compliance, and provide for future legal needs? Just take advantage of an email archival program, and export the older message files on each computer to a central location. You'll save time and effort and avoid additional PST headaches.
Victoria Nicks - Victoria Nicks has a Master's Degree in IT, and extensive hands-on experience with various types of hardware and software.
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