If Outlook hasn’t been performing the way you expect it, then you’re probably becoming annoyed with your computer. Slowdowns, crashes, and miscellaneous errors can prevent you from sending or receiving email, or even from doing simple things like editing your calendar and contact list.

Put simply, these performance issues make using Outlook a lot less enjoyable. If you want to eliminate these problems once and for all, then you’re in luck. Today, we’re going to show you how to solve a number of common Microsoft Outlook performance issues.

Problems with the OST file

Microsoft Outlook stores all of your personal data inside an offline folder called the .OST file. This allows you to access things like emails and attachments even when your computer is offline, and any changes you make – like adding a new contact – are automatically uploaded once you’re connected to the internet again.

However, the OST file, like any part of your computer, can become corrupted by viruses and other errors. Outlook will display errors that mention how the OST file cannot be accessed, or that the program is unable to add any new data at this time. If this is the case, then the best way to solve your problem – and protect your essential information in the process – is to convert your OST file into a PST file.

This can’t be done using default Outlook tools. However, it can be done by installing third-party software on your computer. There are a number of available on the internet, and many of them are not very expensive. Remember, if your OST file is displaying errors, then it’s important to fix it as quickly as possible.

Split your OST file

Another common error that occurs in Outlook is a full OST file. Once your offline storage folder reaches a 2GB limit, Outlook will prevent you from adding any further data to it. This means you won’t be able to send or receive emails, among other things. Obviously, this is a very serious issue that you should solve as quickly as possible. To do this, you’re going to have to break your OST file down into smaller parts – “split it” – while retaining your personal information.

Just like the tip we mentioned above, you cannot split your OST file using default Outlook tools. Instead, you need to find third-party OST splitter software to do it for you. Fortunately, the same programs that offer OST to PST conversion are often able to split your OST file as well.

This tip can even be used by people who are not experiencing any problems with their OST. Splitting your OST file proactively will not only prevent this error from occurring to your computer, but it will also speed up Outlook’s performance. Instead of having to load one massive OST file every time it loads, Outlook can simply load multiple smaller files. This will smooth Outlook’s performance and lead to reduced load times.

Remove unnecessary Outlook ‘add-ins’

If Outlook hasn’t been displaying specific error messages, but its performance has slowed down, then you should be able to improve your speed by removing unused ‘add-ins’ from the startup sequence. Every time you fire up Outlook, it loads several tools that most users will never use. Disabling these features can result in a boost in performance.

Here’s a quick walk through on how to disable Outlook add-ins:

• Select ‘Tools’ along the top menu bar
• Click on ‘Trust Center’
• Look for the ‘Add-ins’ tab on the menu that opens up
• Choose ‘Com Add-ins’ and click on ‘Go’
• Uncheck everything except for the Windows Search Email Indexer
• Press OK and reset Outlook to check if this increased your performance.

Author Bio:

OutlookPST.net is a resource site for all things Microsoft Outlook. Michael writes on topics such as performance, troubleshooting, fixing errors and data corruption. Among the resources on the site, you can find utilities to , as well as Scanpst failure.