Like any other file type, you can open and close personal folder files. There are a few catches to this, however. Personal folder files can only be properly opened by Microsoft Outlook. (If you’re using the new type of personal folder file, you must use Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 to open the file.) As well, you can’t double-click on a .pst file to open it. You must follow these steps:

 

-       Open Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

-       Click the File menu.

-       Choose Open and click Outlook Data File.

Once you click Outlook Data File, you will have a browse window so you can find your .pst file and click open. Once you complete these steps, your .pst file will appear in the navigation pane just like a new personal folder file.

 

What if you have too many personal folder files open in the navigation pane? Well, you can easily close some of these files out. Closing a personal folder file is like closing any other type of document: once you close it, it won’t be visible in Outlook, but the file will still be on your computer for later use.

 

To close your personal folders file, just right-click the Personal Folders listing in the navigation pane, and click Close “Personal Folders.” (If you’ve given your personal folder file a different name than Personal Folders, the text in the quotes will be different.) Here’s an example: