PST Merge: Apt Solution for Getting All PST Files at One Place

It is obvious for the employees using Outlook from decades, to possess multiple PST files with them. Since earlier the format of Outlook PST files was ANSI, the user may possess both ANSI and UNICODE PST files. Storing all these PST files in the user machine might not be problematic for the users, but it does give rise to issues when the user may require sharing all the PST files or may require transferring the files to a different machine. Thus, in order to avoid any file from being left behind, consolidating all the files in a single PST is a wise option.

PST Merge software is the solution that fits this very problem and merges Outlook PST files into one. Whether the collection of PST files is of both ANSI and UNICODE PST or only ANSI or UNICODE type PST, the software will support merging of both types of files. The resultant PST file will be of UNICODE type, which can be easily accessed in Outlook 2003 and later versions.

Quick View

Developer	MS Outlook Tools
Function	Merges multiple PST files into UNICODE PST file
Current version	3.2
Size	7.6 MB
Interface	Graphical User Interface
MS Outlook installation required	Yes
Windows version supported	8.1 and below versions
Trial version	Available for free

Features In Brief

· Merges multiple PST files and associated items like emails, contacts, etc.

· Offers three merging options- Merge, Join and Merge Contacts.

· Removes duplicate items from getting merged when option is selected.

· Excludes merging of emails residing in the deleted items folder of PST.

· It supports merging both ANSI and UNICODE type PST files altogether.

· No limitation on the number of PST files that can be merged together.

· Merge Outlook contacts exclusively with Merge Contacts option.

Versions Of The Tool

Trial Version: In order to get an idea of the working of PST Merge, it is recommended to download the trial version of the software. The trial version is completely free of cost and gives an overall idea of the working of the tool.

Licensed version: Once satisfied with its working, the user can go for the license version of PST Merge. It can be purchased from the official website at a price of $69 only.

Test Run On PST Merge

For giving a clear idea of the working of PST Merge to our users, we did a test run on the demo version of the software. The software got downloaded within a few minutes and got installed easily. The demo version has some limitations in context to the number of items that can be merged. However, the working of both trial and license version is similar in every aspect. Now let us go over the working steps of the software in detail:

1) Activation Window

Once the software is run, a window named Evaluation Version will appear before you. Since we are going for the demo of the software, we selected the Continue Demo option. In case you want to purchase the software click on Buy. If you have already purchased the License version and want to activate it, then select Activate option.

2) Add PST Files

The next step is to add the PST files that have to be merged. The software offers two options for adding the PST files. The first option Add Files can be chosen in case the user wants to add the PST files one by one. The second option Add Folder is opted if all the PST files reside in the same folder and the user wants to add the entire folder.

3) Three Ways To Merge PST Files

The software offers three options for merging the PST files. They are as follows:

· Join

The Join option combines multiple PST files whilst showing the joined PST files as different folders of the resultant PST. For example if PST1 and PST2 are joined, the output PST file will have 2 folders with the name Personal Folder [1] and Personal Folder [2] in it. The Personal Folder [1] will represent the PST1 and the entire folder structure of the file will be kept intact. In a similar manner, Personal Folder [2] will denote PST2 file.

· Merge

The Merge option will combine the input PST files by merging all the similar folders of the files. For example, if PST1 and PST2 files are merged, the output PST file will have only 1 inbox folder which will store all the mails of inbox folder of PST1 and PST2. The same goes with the other folders as well.

· Merge Contacts

Merge Contacts option as the name suggests is merging the contacts folder of the input PST files. The contacts of all the input PST files will be combined and stored in a single PST.

· Remove Duplicate Items While Merging

Once you have selected the option for combining PST files, the next option you will get is Remove Duplicates. The option is enabled for Merge and Merge Contacts only. It removes the duplicate items like emails, contacts, calendars, etc. and does not include them in the resultant PST file.

· Exclude Mails of Deleted Items Folder

If you don’t want to merge the mails stored in the deleted items folder of the PST files, and then select the Exclude Deleted Items option. This option is only enabled for Join and Merge and not for Merge Contacts option.

PROS

· Three variant options for consolidating PST files.

· Supports both ANSI and UNICODE type PST files.

· Option to exclude deleted mails and duplicate items.

CONS

· No option to merge selective items of the PST file.

· No preview of PST files before merging.

THE VERDICT

PST Merge is a commendable tool that comes from trustworthy sources. Based on its overall working and all the features, we would rate it as 9.7/10. Even though the software does not allow selective merging but it does enable the users to exclude deleted emails and duplicates item from getting merged. It will definitely not burn a hole in your pocket and functions really well.