If somebody is still looking for a solution, hlpPy's solution above works for IMAP PSTs as well, I just tested with Outlook 2010. It is a non-technical solution anybody can follow without having to mess with the registry, but you need to follow it exactly:
- Start –> Control Panel –> Mail.
- Click on the "Data Files..." button at the left.
- Click the "Data Files" tab at the top if it is not already selected.
- Select the Gmail data file you want to move, its name should be your e-mail address.
- Click "Open File Location..." in the options above (do NOT close the Mail applet after this! If you close it and reopen it, it will re-create the files, this is why most people are having issues)
In the Windows Explorer window that opens, cut the highlighted .pst file and paste it in the folder where you want to move it to. Leave the .obi and other files in the same location.
DO NOT OPEN OUTLOOK JUST YET!
After moving the PST, go back to the Mail applet that should still be open and double click the highlighted Gmail data file (it should still be highlighted)
- You will get a warning saying that the .pst file cannot be found. Click OK. Now you will be able to browse and redirect to the new location where you pasted the PST file.
- Close the Account Settings window and Open Outlook.
It's possible to move MS-exchange pst file in the same manner, but before selecting new location, you should disable Cached Exchange Mode and disable Offline use. After you've selected your new file, you may re-enable this features.
These 2 methods are for earlier versions of Outlook but should also work for Outlook 2010.
Reference is Microsoft Support Article 883401
Method 1: Add the ForcePSTPath string value to the registry
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
To change the default path that Outlook uses for a .pst file, add the ForcePSTPath string value to the registry. To do this, follow these steps:
Quit Outlook.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then select the following subkey in the registry.
Outlook 2003
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook
Outlook 2002
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook
With the Outlook subkey selected in step 4, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click String Value.
Type ForcePSTPath, and then press ENTER.
With the ForcePSTPath string value selected, click Modify on the Edit menu.
In the Value data text box, type the drive letter and the full path of the location that you want Outlook 2002 to use when it creates or opens a .pst file, and then click OK.
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Method 2: Use the CIW
If you are a network administrator and want to specify a different location for using .pst file on a user's computer, you can specify the location for the .pst file in the CIW. To do this in the CIW, use the Change Office User Settings pane of the CIW.
For more information about the CIW, visit the following Microsoft Web site
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/appndx/ciwref.htm (http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/appndx/ciwref.htm)
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
896591 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896591/ ) You cannot specify a separate folder to store the .ost file when you use the ForcePSTPath value in Outlook 2003
Best Answer
Close Outlook.
Go into
Control Panel>User Accounts>Mail>Data Filesand add the PST (Open File Location and pick the location of the old one, wherever you moved it to). Then set it to the default.After you re-open Outlook, you can then remove the new, empty one back in
Control Panel>User Accounts>Mail>Data Files(you will probably have to close Outlook again, but it was important that you opened it once). Alternatively, in the navigation pane, right-click it and just close it.