Overview: Attachments are an integral part of communication, particularly in work settings when reports, documents and images get shared on the daily. But it can be annoying when you only get “Outlook max attachment size limit” in Outlook. In this article, we will look at how Outlook stores attachments and why it restricts the size of them, as well as the automated solution for managing large files in an effortless way.
Also Read: Save Outlook Attachment to Desktop Automatically
Why Outlook Has a Maximum Attachment Size Limit?
These are the reasons why such limitations are imposed by Microsoft in practice and from a technical perspective:
- Big attachments can overload mail servers, and reduce performance or storage costs.
- Most mail services discard mails that exceed maximum size and don't return bounce-back messages.
- Messages can be delayed when large files are transferred, particularly for users on slower connections.
- The limitations on size restrict the amount of data transfer that could be conducted for malicious uploads or phishing attempts.
- Attachment size limits help prevent users from exhausting their mailbox storage quotas too rapidly.
Although these limits are quite useful, if you want to increase Outlook attachment size limit, see below on how to easily achieve it.
How to Increase Outlook Maximum Attachment Size Limit Manually?
#1. Change the Registry Settings of Outlook
If you are using the desktop version of Outlook, you can change this limit by modifying the Windows Registry.
- Close Outlook completely.
- Type regedit in the textbox and click OK.
- Go to any of these registry page based on the version:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\<version>\Outlook\Preferences
- If not, right-click the Preferences key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name it MaximumAttachmentSize.
- Now double-click the new value, and set it to Decimal.
- Input the new size in kilobytes (for example, 102400 for 100 MB).
- Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and then restart Outlook.
Now, you should be able to attach larger files in Outlook based on the updated value.
Note: Setting a value of 0 will have Outlook remove attachment size limits altogether. But your mail server might not allow the message depending on total message size.
#2. Compress or Split Large Files
If the file you want to attach is too large, see if it can be compressed before attaching:
- Compress output ZIP or RAR files with WinRAR or 7-Zip.
- Divide files into smaller parts as long as you have time.
- Send them as separate emails or provide a cloud link to all parts.
This method doesn’t override Outlook’s message or attachment limit, but it can help you manage space in your mailbox or on the mail server.
#3. Upload Files to Cloud Storage
Newer editions of Outlook work well with OneDrive, Google Drive and DropBox.
- Now again, upload your big file to the cloud.
- In your message in Outlook, click Attach File > Browse Web Locations > OneDrive.
- Attach the file and insert it in the form of link
This is a good way to get around the attachment size limit since the recipient downloads it from the cloud.
Best Way to Manage Large Outlook Attachments in Outlook
If you repeatedly see an error about Outlook size limits, you can only increase the limit on the maximum number of users, not fix it. Over time the attachments will accumulate and take up much space in your mailbox, slowing down your operation. Now, the best way to deal is by using SysTools Outlook Attachment Extractor Software. It is an efficient and automated tool to extract & manage attachments from Outlook and organize them in system.
End Note
The maximum attachment size limit in Outlook is established to help maintain reasonable email stability, security, and performance. The larger the email attachments being sent over the Internet, the more resource-intensive that becomes. You can overcome this by efficiently managing and extracting those attachments. You can use our professional solution to organize emails, free space and make Outlook no longer reach the size limits.