PST files or (Personal Storage Tables) are the files created by Microsoft Outlook to store your email data. It consists of emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, etc. These files allow users to have an offline archive of their data locally saved on their computer. These provide an easy way to organize and archive large amounts of email data and other information. But, PST files are prone to corruption and damage, which can happen due to various reasons. One of the most common reasons in older Outlook was the PST file size limitation. Where exceeding this limit can lead to file corruption. Other reasons may include Abrupt system shutdown or improper closing of Outlook which can hinder the proper saving of the PST files. There are other reasons as well for PST file corruption. So let’s discuss them first in detail so we can understand the issue and repair PST files accordingly.
Understanding Why PST File Corruption Happens?
We briefly talked about the reason for PST File Corruption in the intro, but to fully understand the extent to which PST files can be corrupted, we must understand how PST files get corrupted.
- File size limitation: The Outlook Versions before 2013 had a file size imitation. supporting a maximum PST file size of only 2 GB.
- Abrupt Shutdown: If a user unexpectedly shuts down their computer while the PST file is open it would prevent the file’s proper saving procedure and could cause corruptions.
- Bad Sectors on Hard Drive: If the storage drive had a bad sector where the user’s PST files are stored it could result in severely damaging the files.
- Virus and Malware: PST files can be vulnerable to viruses and malware attacks. If not secured properly these files can be damaged by bad actors.
- Network Issues: When the PST files are accessed on a network drive and the internet connection is not stable any changes made to that file can cause corruption and accessibility issues.
If you have corrupt PST files there can be various reasons but it does not affect the repair process. As long as it is corrupted accessing it could be very challenging and near impossible. But there are methods you can try to fix you corrupted PST file. Let’s discuss these step-by-step
Method 1: Using the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe)
You can attempt to repair PST files using Microsoft’s built-in tool for fixing Outlook inbox files. It is called (ScanPST). The location of this tool can vary depending on the Outlook version you are using. But Before you attempt any method to fix your files you should take a backup. In case anything goes wrong you would still have your backup file. So, If you are done with backing up let’s see this process in a step-by-step tutorial.
Step-by-Step Guide to Repair PST Files (ScanPST.exe)
- Locate ScanPST.exe: You can find this tool in your Outlook installation folder. It could vary depending on your Outlook version.
- For Outlook 2019/2016/2013: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\
- For older versions: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX\
- Launch the ScanPST.exe: Double-click on the scanpst.exe file to launch the utility.
- Browse for Your PST File: Click “Browse” and select your corrupted PST file from the files explorer. If you don’t know the location of your PST file. You can try searching in the default location of the file.
- C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\Outlook Files\.
- Start the Scan: Once you have selected your PST files you can start the scanning process by clicking the start button. The tool will start to analyze the files and list all the errors it can find.
- Repair Your files: Once the scan is finished, If any errors are detected you can click on the Repair button to start the repair process. Then the tool will attempt to fix your PST files. Once it is done you can review and test the files by accessing it in Outlook.
Using ScanPST.exe is a straightforward way to handle minor corruption issues. But if your files have serious corruption it may not succeed in the repair process. That is why he has another tool that can repair extremely corrupted files. It is a dedicated tool to fix corrupted PST files. So, let’s test it too.
Method 2: Repair PST Files with A dedicated PST Recovery Tool
If you face any issues repairing your PST files with scanpst.exe you can try a more advanced approach using Outlook PST file recovery software. This tool can repair extremely damaged PST files. So, If we can utilize this utility let’s look at the step-by-step process of the tool.
How to Use Outlook PST Recovery Software
Using this software is super easy. But we would recommend that you take a backup of your file just as in the first method. Once you are done with the backup continue with the steps below:
- First Download and Install Outlook PST Recovery Software and Launch the application with administrative privileges.
- Now, Click the Open Files button and select your corrupt PST files.
- Browse and open your corrupt PST files.
- After that, You can choose among the three recovery modes based on your needs.
- Now provide the details about your files like file type and and encryption methods.
- Select the location for your repaired files.
- Finally, Click on the Ok button to start the repair process.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Corrupted Outlook PST files can be hard to fix, but there are several methods to fix these messy files. We have shared two of these methods with you that you can use based on your needs. While repairing PST files it is important to have backups and precautionary measures in place beforehand. While Manual methods using (scanpst.exe) are best suited for professionals and tech-aware people. If you are someone who just wants to fix your PST files and does not have a lot of understanding of how Outlook and email clients work or you don’t want to take risks with your important data you might feel comfortable using the Outlook PST Recovery Software.
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