Follow the below steps to find .pst file is in ANSI or UNICODE format
Quick Solution
EdbMails for Outlook PST repair tool and to convert corrupted Outlook PST Files to PST. Also you can perform PST file migration to Live Exchange or to Office 365.
Step 1: Open the Data File Management Tool
In Outlook 2010 or Newer: Go to File >> Account Settings >> Data File.
In Outlook 2003 & 2007: Go to Tools >> Account Settings >> Data File Management.
In Outlook 2002 and Earlier: Go to File >> Properties for “Personal Folders” >> Advance
Step 2: Double click on the .pst file you want to find the format.
Step 3: Look in the “Format:” field
- “Personal Folders File” or “Outlook Data File”, it means PST file is in UNICODE format.
- “Personal Folders File (97 – 2002)” or “Outlook Data File (97-2002)”, it means PST file is in ANSI format.
Difference between ANSI and Unicode PST Formats
| ANSI .pst file type | Unicode .pst file type |
| This is the default data file in Microsoft Outlook 97, 98, 2000, and Outlook 2002 editions. | This is the default data file in Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and Outlook 2016 editions. |
| It can be opened and imported in Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 | It is not supported by Outlook 2002 and earlier editions |
| It does not support multiple character sets and special characters | It supports multiple character sets and special characters |
| It has a size limit of 2GB(gigabytes) and if it goes over 2GB in size is vulnerable to corruption. | It has a size limit of 20 GB for Outlook 2003 and 2007 and increased for later editions. |
Quick Solution
EdbMails for Outlook PST repair tool and to convert corrupted Outlook PST Files to PST. Also you can perform PST file migration to Live Exchange or to Office 365.
Open an ANSI .pst file if don’t have Outlook 2003 or Earlier Editions?
When you open ANSI .pst file in Outlook 2003 or later editions you will get an error message because this format is not supported. Use EdbMails PST Repair Tool: Using this tool you can easily export .pst file to Outlook PST, EML and MSG. These file formats can be viewed with outlook express and Thunderbird.