Create a list of all folder tree of as huge 45 PST file

The file was exported from a similarly sized working OST file. The User it belongs to is mystified at how they got so many multiple folders inside of other folders and does not really believe this is the case. I would like to print a folder-tree of the contents of her Outlook file even if it the paths are so long i have to print in 8 pt Landscape.

Every solution I have found that is supposed to work for this is a type of compiled script add-in for Outlook and they all crash, probably due to the enormous size. I get 2 or 3 pages of output before they crash. There are probably well over 1000 folder/sub-folders and that is being optimistic. hundreds of them appear to be complete top-level folders that were copied under other 3rd or 4th level folders creating a serious mess. There could be more than 5000.

The "folder-size" option in Outlook seems to work fine but there is no option for printed output. I can only scroll through page after page of folders.

Does anyone know of a utility that could make a formatted output of this? Text, html or anything I can show the User. I dont want to be the one who decides what folder to merge with which but the size and complexity has got to be reduced or it will continue to get worse. She is afraid of losing email from as far back as 2005. I know how to export and can just give her the results as they are but i would like to help clean it up if possible. I believe she could do this if she had a print-out to work from.

I have never seen one this bad and hope I never do again but if Outlook 'folder-size' can figure it out and make that long scrolling display, surely there is a way to output that content. Or capture it to a list. The only problem i see with it now is that the window in folder-size is too small to display the full path.

Thanks for all suggestions.

I also have the original 45 GB OST file that the PST was created from if that is a better option for input.

VBA Script that gets list of Outlook Folders

Denis

This VBA code writes a text file containing a list of folders for every open Outlook file.

Alter the line

Code:

strFile_Path = "D:\Desktop\OutlookFolderList.txt"

to refer to a path & filename of your own choosing.

Code:

Sub ListFolders()
''''' taken from https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...or=-2147217396
Dim colStores As Outlook.Stores
Dim oStore As Outlook.Store
Dim oRoot As Outlook.Folder
On Error Resume Next
Set colStores = Application.Session.Stores
For Each oStore In colStores
Set oRoot = oStore.GetRootFolder
Debug.Print (oRoot.FolderPath)
EnumerateFolders oRoot
Next
End Sub
Private Sub EnumerateFolders(ByVal oFolder As Outlook.Folder)
Dim Folders As Outlook.Folders
Dim Folder As Outlook.Folder
Dim foldercount As Integer
On Error Resume Next
Set Folders = oFolder.Folders
foldercount = Folders.Count
'Check if there are any folders below oFolder
'If foldercount Then
For Each Folder In Folders
Dim strFile_Path As String
''''' this bit from VBA write to a text file Excel
strFile_Path = "D:\Desktop\OutlookFolderList.txt"
Open strFile_Path For Append As #1
Print #1, Folder.FolderPath
Close #1
EnumerateFolders Folder
Next
End Sub

I only have a single Outlook to test this on but because it writes to a text file rather than trying to save the info in one ever expanding variable, I think it will work for your circumstances.

Denis

This is a refined version of the above VBA code. It only lists 'chosen' Outlook folders that have contents and I think that makes it more useful because it avoids having to manually & uselessly review folders that have nothing in them.

The output is a text file showing, for example,

Code:

Count of items in the '\\ForumMessages\Try3 - TenForums' folder: 721

for those folders that contain anything. You could edit the code to change the explanatory words if you wanted or you could paste the output into, say, Excel and mess about with the results to your heart's content.

You'll have to identify your own OutputFile where I have written

Code:

OutputFile = "D:\Desktop\OutlookFolderList.txt"

and note that you will need to rename / move the OutputFile before a further run or the new results will be appended to the previous ones. Personally, I just add the DLM to the start of the file name [20190512 132918 OutlookFolderList.txt] if I am doing a further run for some unknown reason.

Code:

Sub ListOutlookFolders()
'taken from https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...or=-2147217396
Dim colStores As Outlook.Stores
Dim oStore As Outlook.Store
Dim oRoot As Outlook.Folder
Dim OutputFile As String
On Error Resume Next
OutputFile = "D:\Desktop\OutlookFolderList.txt"
Open OutputFile For Append As #1
Print #1, "Entries without an item count are not a chosen folder type, are a Deleted Items folder or have no current contents"
Set colStores = Application.Session.Stores
For Each oStore In colStores
Set oRoot = oStore.GetRootFolder
EnumerateFolders oRoot, OutputFile
Next
End Sub
Private Sub EnumerateFolders(ByVal oFolder As Outlook.Folder, OutputFile As String)
Dim Folders As Outlook.Folders
Dim Folder As Outlook.Folder
Dim foldercount As Integer
On Error Resume Next
Set Folders = oFolder.Folders
For Each Folder In Folders
' Printing lines taken from VBA write to a text file Excel and https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vba...or=-2147217396
'''''''''' Print all folders
'''''''''' The following three lines list all folders [unlike the processing further down which only lists results for folders containing anything]
'''''Open OutputFile For Append As #1
'''''Print #1, Folder.FolderPath
'''''Close #1
'Contents listing section - for chosen folders only
    ' Only process contents if they are a chosen folder type
    ' [these lines are laid out ready for different choices to be made later on - all Folder.DefaultItemType values are listed]
    ' only the remarked-out items get processed
    ' mail items
    'If Folder.DefaultItemType = 0 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' appointments
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 1 Then GoTo SkipItems
     ' contacts
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 2 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' tasks
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 3 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' journal items
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 4 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' notes
    'If Folder.DefaultItemType = 5 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' post items
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 6 Then GoTo SkipItems
    ' DistListItems
    If Folder.DefaultItemType = 7 Then GoTo SkipItems
    
    ' Skip all Deleted items folders
    If Folder.Name = "Deleted Items" Then GoTo SkipItems
    
        ' Only process contents if there are contents in this folder to process
        If Folder.Items.Count > 0 Then
            Open OutputFile For Append As #1
            Print #1, "Count of items in the '" & Folder.FolderPath & "' folder: " & Folder.Items.Count
            Close #1
            
                '''''''''' Print list of folder contents
                '''''''''' This lists all items in each of the chosen folders
                '''''''''' But I have remarked it out [after testing it] to avoid wasting processing time on something I think I would never use
                '''''''''' It took about 7 seconds to run for a set of Outlook files containing about 1800 items
                '''''For Each Fred In Folder.Items
                '''''Open OutputFile For Append As #1
                '''''Print #1, Folder.FolderPath & "" & Fred.Subject
                '''''Close #1
                '''''Next
                
        End If
        
SkipItems:
EnumerateFolders Folder, OutputFile
Next
End Sub

The 'chosen' folders are decided in the Contents listing section - for chosen folders only section
- Any item type can be chosen by remarking out its … SkipItems line
- I chose emails and notes but I left in all the types so you could tailor it to your own requirements
- Do note that these item types are really referring to the default item type for any given folder so a non-standard entry such as a calendar entry in a mail folder might or might not cause problems

The 'chosen' folders are further refined in the Contents listing section - for chosen folders only section
- Deleted Items folders are skipped
- The check of contents [Folder.Items.Count] is also done here to avoid reporting 0 item counts
- Note that the check of contents does allow subfolders that contain things to be processed even though their parent might otherwise be empty.

There is a remarked out section Print all folders
- I included it when testing the code
- If you wanted a list of all folders whether or not they contained anything then you could unremark these lines

There is a remarked out section Print list of folder contents
- I included it when testing the code
- In my own Outlook [3 pst files containing about 44 folders and 1800 email & notes items] it took about 7 seconds for the code to run. For the very large files you are talking about working with, the code might take until a week next Tuesday.
- If you wanted a list of all folder contents [the Subject entry for each item] then you could unremark these lines

I was supposed to be doing something else today but just got intrigued. Now I'll have to run the three miles to Asda.

Denis

questorfla,

Have you had a chance to use the second of my 12th May VBA scripts yet? I believe that it solves your problem.

Denis