Large Priv stream file

[gjv55]

Exchange 2000 running on SBS2000 with latest service packs.
The priv1.stm seems too big, it is consistently about 9.9gb the priv1.edb file is about 2gb.
After running an offline defragmentation the size of the .stm file was reduced to about a third of its original size but within a couple of days had grown back to its original size.
Should the .stm file be 5 times the size of the .edb file?
Is there any way of reducing the size?
The database limit has been reached a couple of times recently due to the size of this file even though the mail in user mailboxes only adds up to 2gb. Should the combined size of the files really be that big?
Any advice welcome.

 

[xmsre]

It just means you have a higher percentage of pop/imap/owa users.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;232323

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329067

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;260995

 

[gjv55]

There are no pop/imap or owa users

 

[xmsre]

Can also happen when you migrate mail.

 

[gjv55]

No mail has been migrated

 

[xmsre]

If mail comes in in MIMe format, it gets stored in the stm; mapi format the edb.

If you connect via pop/imap stuff from the edm gets promoted to the stm. If you recieve from smtp instead of another user on the local server it come into the stm and gets promoted to the edb when you edit it with a mapi client. For more information:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;232323