Gmail accounts and disproportionally large pst-files | MSOutlook.info

My mailbox size as reported in Gmail is 7.3GB. However, my mailbox size reported in Outlook is 15GB and my pst-file is 19GB.

Why is there such a huge difference and how can I reduce the amount of space the pst-file takes on my disk?

When you configure your Gmail account via IMAP, you’ll also find an “All Mail” folder in the [Gmail] root folder which lists all your messages again, regardless which folder they are in. This will basically duplicate all mails and also double the mailbox size. To reduce the size, unsubscribe from the “All Mail” folder and run Compact Now for your account.

Unsubscribe from the All Mail folder

You can unsubscribe from the “All mail” folder in the following way;

1. Right click on the top of your Gmail mailbox (so one level above the [Gmail] folder itself) and choose IMAP Folders…
2. In the IMAP Folders dialog click on the Query button.
3. From the folder list that is being retrieved select; [Gmail]/All Mail
4. Press the Unsubscribe button.
5. Press OK to close the IMAP Folders dialog.

Unsubscribe from the All Mail folder to remove duplicate content and make the pst-file smaller.

Compact the pst-file

Now that you have unsubscribed from the All Mail folder, you can force Outlook to directly compact the pst-file so that the size of the pst-file will be reduced and free space is returned to your disk.

1. Right click on the top of your Gmail mailbox and choose Properties.
2. Click on the button Advanced…
3. Click on Compact Now.

Note 1: Even after compacting your pst-file, it could still be 25% or even up to 40% larger than the reported mailbox size in Outlook. This is because the pst-file also includes hidden items such as indexes, rules, views, forms, quick steps and other meta data).

Note 2: Depending on the size of your pst-file and the speed of your disk, the compacting process could take quite a while, could slow down your computer and block access to Outlook. You might want to consider running this process overnight instead. For more info about running Compact Now also see; Shrink pst-file

All Mail Folder Search Folder alternative

If you used the All Mail Folder and want to continue to use it without doubling your pst-file, you can create a “All Mail” Search Folder as an alternative;

1. Create a new Search Folder (keyboard shortcut: CTRL+SHIFT+P).
2. Select: Create a custom Search Folder.
3. Click on: Choose…
4. Specify a name. For instance; All Mail
5. Click on “Browse…” and verify that the root of your Gmail mailbox is selected and that the option “Search Subfolders” is enabled.
6. Click OK until you’ve returned to the main Outlook window.

Belkin Plucks Linksys Brand From Cisco | Maximum PC

Cisco found a way out of the consumer networking market, thanks to Belkin.

Call it an end of an era, if you wish, but Cisco is hightailing it out of the consumer space after selling off its Home Networking Business Unit to Belkin for an undisclosed sum of money. The deal includes the familiar Linksys brand, which Cisco acquired back in 2003. At the time, Linksys had 305 employees and revenues of more than $500 million. All of its products were branded Linksys by Cisco following the transaction, though Cisco has reportedly been looking to get out of the consumer space for some time now.

Cisco dropkicked its Flip video camera division in 2011, eliminating around 550 jobs in the process and taking a $300 million charge. By selling its Home Networking division to Belkin, Cisco is pretty much out of the consumer space at this point.

"We’re very excited about this announcement," said Chet Pipkin, CEO of Belkin. "Our two organizations share many core beliefs – we have similar beginnings and share a passion for meeting the real needs of our customers through the strengths of an entrepreneurial culture. Belkin’s ultimate goal is to be the global leader in the connected home and wireless networking space and this acquisition is an important step to realizing that vision."

Belkin said it intends to maintain the Linksys brand and will offer support to existing owners as part of the transaction. All current and future Linksys warranties will be honored by Belkin, the company said.

Once the deal closes, Belkin will account for nearly a third -- 30 percent -- of the U.S. retail home and small business networking market.

Sorry, Windows 8, but I love and miss Windows 7

Life as an early adopter is sprinkled with moments of joy and regret after first trying out a product up until another shiny toy takes its place. The burning desire to pursue something new often backfires in my endeavors, with personal expectations rarely fulfilled by cutting-edge software or hardware. My experience running Windows 8 is no different, as Microsoft's latest entry into consumer operating systems seldom ticks all the right boxes. But I plow through, even though what I really want is to go back to Windows 7.

I started using Windows 8 in mid-August and throughout all my time with it not once did I ever feel comfortable enough to say: "This is a keeper". Fact is what I love about Windows 8 I almost never use, and what I loathe I do have to deal with every single time -- it's a self-destructive relationship I simply do not want to be in anymore. On the other hand, at the opposite end lies Windows 7, which fits me like a tailored suit -- no extra "in your face" functionality that I rarely take advantage of. Simply put -- less is more.

Lacks Emotional Attachment

The new Windows 8 Start screen appears to be the touchscreen fan's delight, but for someone like me that has a four year-old laptop without any fancy touchscreen panel the connection between man and machine is just not there. Yes, there are live tiles, it's modern and sports a clean look, but at the same time plenty of the new features that the Start menu touts carry absolutely no weight for me. I have a Google Galaxy Nexus and Apple iPad 2, both of which I use for weather information, notifications, emails, Facebook chats, Google+ and more.

Because I can actually hold and therefore physically interact with each of them the actual experience is much more intimate when operating various apps. I can't hold my laptop like I can use the iPad 2 for instance. There's a connection with both my mobile devices, one I simply do not get with the new Start menu. The latter makes Windows 8 feel like an unwanted guest that I want gone as soon as possible.

By comparison, Windows 7 features the plain and simple, no frills Start button that through its utter simplicity actually provides a gratifying experience with each click. It pops up and without any confusion I can restart and shut down my laptop or navigate through my computer, in a manner that feels natural for a long-time Windows user. Maybe just like my colleague Wayne Williams I will immediately fall in love with the new start menu on a Windows 8 tablet, but clearly not on a non-touchscreen device.

Productivity Only Using the Desktop

Yet again, Windows 8 may feature apps but the browser offers a much more rewarding experience from my point of view. I only have to switch tabs to get to where I want, whereas using the apps in Windows 8 only causes frustration when navigating between them -- the experience is not optimized for mouse operation. There are keyboard shortcuts, sure, but why go through all that trouble when Windows 7 paired with a browser is just as good or better?

My main issue though, and one that I seem to spot more and more often, is that I use Windows 8 just like I did with Windows 7. I am not necessarily a fan of precise guesstimates but I will say that 99 percent of the time spent on my laptop is done in desktop mode with barely to no Start screen use. The reason is simple: In desktop mode I can choose the arrangement and the size of any opened window, allowing me to view two web pages, or Word documents for instance, at the same time without zooming out. That is how, in part, I view productivity.

But what's the point in having a large panel with a high resolution if I am limited to viewing two apps concomitantly only in a predetermined size? Because that's how the Windows 8 Start menu does it -- one app takes a quarter or so of the display real estate and the other is shown in the remaining space. Works good for looking at incoming emails in a narrow-sized Mail app and browsing the Interwebs at the same time, but it is awful when trying to display two apps of the same size at the same time -- it just doesn't work, and the new user interface does not appear to be designed with similar usage patterns in mind.

Is Cutting Edge worth It?

While writing this article a question kept coming at me: "Is Windows 8 worth it?" Throughout my time with it, honestly speaking, Windows 8 has served me relatively well, with only minor software issues like a nagging blue screen of death (or more), but at the same time so did Windows 7. More so I love the latter, it feels natural and I do sense a connection while with the former I have to force myself to love it.

Operating systems are not usually designed to be loved, but at the end of the day that peculiar element is of the utmost importance. When there is no joy in using Windows 8 I feel no joy in using my laptop either. It's silly maybe, but it matters to me. To solve my very own conundrum: "No, Windows 8 is not worth it".