Microsoft provides Scanpst, also known as the Inbox Repair Tool, for correcting most problems with damaged Personal Folders .pst files.
Before you can use scanpst, you need to find it. Microsoft doesn't add a shortcut for it to the Start menu so you'll need to look for it. The easiest way to access it in current versions of Office is by holding down Shift as you right-click on any Office app icon pinned to the Taskbar and choosing Open File Location. You won't see this option on the context menu if the app is open though, but since all Office .exes are in one folder, you can Shift + right-click on any Office app icon (Word, Excel, etc). Type S on the keyboard to jump to it (Press S there times if you use Word or Publisher shortcuts to open File Explorer.)
If you don't see Open File Location, you'll need to go into File Explorer and find scanpst yourself.
Open File Explorer then browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office if you use 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office if Office and Windows are the same bitness then type scanpst in the search field to find it. With Outlook 2013 and 2016, most users will find it at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office*, which is the location for click-to-run installs
If you are using a Windows Store version of Office (currently being shipped pre-installed on many new computers), scanpst can be found in a path similar to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Office.Desktop.Outlook_16010.9001.2171.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Office16. (The version number will vary with your installed version.)
You will need to know the location of the .pst file that you want to repair. If you can open Outlook, you can get the pst location from the File, Data File Management screen. Select the pst file and click the Open Folder button.
Outlook 2010 and newer use the locations below for IMAP data files while the default location for POP3 pst files is in My Documents\Outlook Files.
Note: IMAP caches a copy of messages to the local computer and I recommend that you delete the IMAP data file. When you restart Outlook, it will rebuild the data file. This is generally better than trying to repair it using Scanpst or a commercial tool.
If you use Outlook 2007 or older and the pst file is in the default folder location, you can find it in the following locations:
Windows 7/8 or Vista:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Type or paste this shortcut in the scanpst dialog to jump to the location:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook
Windows XP or Windows 2000:
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
Type or paste this shortcut in the scanpst dialog to jump to the location:
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
See Outlook Backup and Dual-Boot for additional information on file locations and ways to determine the location of a .pst file that you can see in Outlook.
See How to use Scanpst.exe to repair Outlook data files if you need Step-by-step instructions for Scanpst.
Usage | Notes | Tools | More Information
Usage
When you run Scanpst.exe, it performs a number of tests. If it finds errors, it asks whether you want to make a backup copy of the original file (always say Yes), then tries to correct the errors.
If you run Scanpst.exe against a .pst file that Outlook 2003 created for a local copy of Windows SharePoint Services events and contacts lists, you will get an error message that you can ignore. See You Receive an Error Message When You Use the Inbox Repair Tool to Scan a .pst File
For seriously corrupted PST files, try running Scandisk.exe (look under Programs | Accessories | System Tools) first, then Scanpst.exe, repeating 3-4 times until neither program returns an error. We've known this technique to restore data that the user thought was lost forever.
And if that doesn't do it, you can try our tips to repair a 2gb Personal Folders file or Offline Folders in Microsoft Outlook.
If the file is on an NTFS volume, you can't use Scandisk.exe so easily. One approach is to open the drive in My Computer and use the Tools menu commands to scan the disk. You may need to restart Windows for the scan to run.
Notes
While you can use Scanpst.exe on offline folder (.ost) files used for cached or offline access to Exchange Server folders, we recommend deleting the ost file and letting Outlook recreate it. It's generally faster to resync the data than it is to repair the ost and a new ost file results in fewer problems. If do use try to repair an OST file and it's corrupted beyond the ability of Scanpst.exe to repair it, delete the ost. When you reopen Outlook it will make a new ost file.
There may be cases where you need to run both ScanPST and PST2GB. See OL2000 Error Message When You Start Outlook 2000 or Try to Open a Personal Folders File.
Another approach is to use a hex editor remove a single byte from the middle of the PST file, then run Scanpst. A hex editor is a tool for editing raw files; every Windows shareware site has several to choose from. Eugene McCarthy of FAO Headquarters in Rome recommends the free iHex editor, which loads only 64kb of the file at a time, making it ideal for tinkering with extremely large PST files. For simple Scanpst repairs, Eugene recommends changing the first byte of the PST file from hex 21 to 00.
There is no comparable program for cleaning up corrupted Personal Address Book (.pab) files. You may be able to view and recover PAB data by opening the file with a hex editor.
Tools in the Spotlight
DataNumen Outlook Repair is a powerful tool to repair and recover corrupted Outlook PST files. Main features: recover mail messages, folders, posts, appointments, meeting requests, contacts, distribution lists, tasks, task requests, journals and notes in PST files; support to recover attachments; support to recover deleted Outlook items; support to recover oversized 2GB PST files; support to split the output PST file into several small ones; support to recover password protected PST files; support to convert PST file from Outlook 97-2002 format into the new Outlook Unicode format. | |
Outlook PST Repair software repairs the corrupted PST file and for recovering its entire mailbox items. This software even repairs file which are larger than 2 GB and also recovers deleted emails. Stellar Outlook PST Repair software has several powerful features like repair password protected and encrypted files and also recovery of selected folders. This software works with almost all latest Outlook versions and has good compatibility with Windows 8, 7, vista, 2003, 2002 and 2000. |
Tools
CopyPST repairs Outlook data files by exporting it to a new file, ignoring any error. It requires that the data file can still be opened in Outlook. Exporting a file breaks links, which can be repairs using OLfix program. Free | |
Kernel for Outlook PST Repair Tool recovers and restores emails and other items from damaged, corrupted or broken PST files. The demo version shows you exactly that how many emails and other items will be recovered using the full Kernel Repair PST Software. Kernel for Outlook PST Repair supported versions are Outlook 97, 2000, XP, 2003. It successfully recovers all items from the PST file including emails, drafts, calendars, journal, notes, tasks, contacts etc. OST repair tool available. | |
Outlook Recovery locates Outlook files and databases automatically. If you experienced a hard drive failure or deleted an Outlook database by an accident, Outlook Recovery will perform a full scan of that disk in order to locate and undelete/recover the database. If a database is corrupted, Outlook Recovery will repair it so that it can be used with Microsoft Outlook again. Outlook Recovery can recover Outlook databases in PST and OST formats, saving them for using with Outlook or any email application that supports the EML format. | |
OutlookFix is an Outlook repair software tool for damaged, erased or large Outlook PST files. Restores Outlook files, will undelete emails and files, and lets you reduce the size of Outlook (Outlook 2gb limit fix) solving the common 2Gb size problem. | |
Recovery for Outlook repairs corrupted Outlook mailboxes (.pst). The program also supports Exchange Offline Storage Files (.ost). Supported Outlook versions: 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000, 98 and 97 | |
Recover data from Outlook pst files. Recover Exchange ost files and/or convert them into Microsoft Outlook pst files. Export data from pst files into eml and vcf files. | |
RecoveryFix for Outlook is PST repair software that repairs the corrupt, damaged and inaccessible PST files and restores them to new PST, EML or MSG file formats in a single go. The tool comes integrated with smart and enhanced repairing features that rigorously scan, repair and restore the complete Outlook data files within a matter of minutes. Its advanced algorithms and interactive GUI makes this tool an ideal Outlook PST repair utility for non-technical users to perform complex recovery process with utmost convenience. |
Bob Dawson says
Diane, I have a problem with my PST file that I’m hoping you can point me to a solution.
Yesterday I experienced a crash of my Outlook 2010 while trying to send an email.
As usual, after restarting my system I ran the scanpst.exe tool against my Outlook PST file. I ran the scanpst several times until I could get the “no errors found” message. However this time I was never able to get to that message. After three or four passes I received a message that said there were errors in the file and to click REPAIR, but the repair button now did not appear in the lower half of the scanpst tool which was grayed out.
I opened Outlook and it seems to open properly and appears to work correctly, but I suspect something is wrong since I could not successfully run the scanpst tool.
I have tried to fix the PST file on a 2nd machine I have running the same version of Outlook and operating system, and I receive the same message about being unable to complete the repair.
I have daily backups of my PST file and so I began to run the scanpst tool against PST files from earlier dates to determine when the problem with the PST file had begun.
I discovered that the PST file from 08/10 could be properly repaired (meaning I could run the tool until I receive the “no errors” message).
So now I realize that I could make the file from 08/10 my main PST file in Outlook, but I would lose all of the data in my Inbox, Sent Mail and other folders from 08/10 until today.
I believe I am faced with two choices; 1) either find a third party PST repair tool that could fix my current (08/21) PST file, or 2) determine how to move my recent PST items/folders from my current PST to the older 08/10 PST, and then make that older 08/10 PST my main PST file.
This latter moving of recent folder items from a newer PST to an older PST is not something I know how to do (if it can be done at all).
Do you know of a method or tool to perform this updating of an older PST file with newer folder items?
Is there a solution (other than third party tool and moving files to an older PST file) that could fix my problem?
Thanks for the help Diane. If I need to open a consulting ticket with you for this assistance, please let me know. -Bob
Diane Poremsky says
Moving new mail: Is this a pop account? If you leave mail on the server for 14 days, it will download and you can file it.
if you don't have a lot of folders you file in or its not a lot of mail, create a search folder for mail received 8/20 and later then open both pst in the profile and copy from one to the other.
If there is a lot of mail, you can export to the older pst - use a filter in the export to export mail received 8/10 or later and choose the option to replace duplicates.
Bob Dawson says
Thanks Diane. Your suggestion of using a Search folder with date criteria worked perfectly! Stay safe... -Bob
Tony Davis says
@guest_215781 - Bob I rmemeber a recent Windows 10 update that caused issues just like you are having, for Outlook users. It is actually a FALSE error being reported. See :
https://www.zdnet.com/article/outlook-not-working-microsoft-works-on-fix-for-buggy-june-update/T
Tony says
Hello, I run Office 2013 with Outlook, on Windows 10, 64 bit. I get a few minor irritating bugs with OLK2013, that are easily fixed by doing a send/receive all (for the object not found error during a manual move to archive), or a restart of Outlook when I get "cannot display the folder" message (usually after I have switched from one account folder back to another). I have run the 2013 version of scanpst.exe, but as I see FLT slot errors during a folder walk, even after NO update or move activity, I don't trust its accuracy. QUESTION: I have access to my son's laptop, and as he runs Office 2016, I see that his version of scanpst.exe is a later version - will this later version be "aware of" the 2013 header bits, and format differences between the levels - that is, if I transfer this over with a USB stick, will it be safe to run it to check for minor errors to be sure?
Diane Poremsky says
I think scanpst is the same on both...
This is an imap account? on object not found, switching folders usually fixes it too. on cannot display folder, it might be a corrupt view. Try changing the view or resetting it.
Tony says
Hi Diane, I tried the Office2016 version of scanpst, It appears to check its expected product paths (and probably other env stuff as well), so would not run, just exits immediately - no error shown). It seems a bit more stable since Outlook/Office 15 updated to version 15.0.4867.1003
Peter says
Whats about the compatibility between different "scanpst.exe" and Outlook-PST-files? Do I have to use the exact matching scanpst.exe or can I use the newest scanpst.exe (from Outlook 2016) to fix errors in a PST from Outlook 2007?
Sharon says
cannot open default emails
copy.pst cannot be opened
I am lost as to what & how to correct this (not technical savy but can follow directions)
Diane Poremsky says
What version of Outlook do you use? Do you get any error messages? When did the problem start? Are their any windows updates waiting for a reboot?
DAN HANSEN says
I created a new Outlook folder in which I transferred in important emails.. The folder is gone. How do I get it back?
thanks!
Diane Poremsky says
Is this in a hotmail account? Did you create it in Outlook or online? Generally speaking, if it's not online and not in deleted items (or deleted item recovery), it can't be recovered.
Andy says
Hello Diane,
I am using outlook 2010 since past 3 years with the same PST file and suddenly it stopped receiving emails. The outgoing mails are working fine but I can't receive any emails. I have done repairing the pst using the scan-repair pst utility but it didn't help. Finally, I created a new folder under inbox and changed the message delivery to that new folder and it started receiving emails.So now how do I get it back to my original Inbox folder? Please help me with this as I don't want to transfer all of my sub folders (which are too many) to a new pst or profile. PLEASE HELP!!
Diane Poremsky says
How many messages are in the inbox? Is this a Unicode PST? (if you created it in 2010 it should be Unicode.)
If you need to make a new PST, you can export and it will maintain your folder structure.
Andy says
Hi Diane, Thank you for the prompt reply. I am not sure how to check if it is a unicode pst. However, my inbox has about 3000 emails right now.
Diane Poremsky says
That's not too many - i was expecting 50,000ish. Right click on the pst name in the folder list and choose Data File Properties then Advanced. Does the Format field include "Outlook 97 - 2002"
Andy says
I checked and it is in Unicode format. What is the best option for me a) to repair the pst 2) export to a new pst (not sure how to do that 3) any other solution to this issue of emails not downloading in the original Inbox folder. Your solutions have always helped me in the past, So am eagerly awaiting your reply :).
Diane Poremsky says
Setting it back to use the Inbox doesn't work? (That would be my first step.) Then run scanpst on it. Oh, and if you haven't rebooted in a while, reboot.
Michael Deeb says
Hello my outlook 2007 keeps downloading thousands of old emails over and over . what can I do
Diane Poremsky says
The mailbox manager file that records what messages were downloaded but left on the server is likely corrupt. See https://www.slipstick.com/general/outlook-downloads-duplicate-emails-from-pop3-account/ for possible causes and solutions.
Ricardo says
Hello Diane,
I think i mess up with one of my .pst files. I´ve shift deleted and even with recover tools (like recuva or remo), adding again that pst file on "open data file option", it says ".pst is not a personal folders file". On scanpst, tells me the repair tool doesn not recognize the file and, no info can be recovered (even with 811MB). I really dont know how can i save this pst file ;(. Can you help me with some tricks?
Specs: W7 86, Outlook 2007.
Thanks.
Best regards
S P says
Hi Diane
I have outlook 2003 but have send/receive that does work ie it gets stuck at 250, then 500 and after a very long time after reading few thousand it gives up and closes. It would sometimes work by closing and opening outlook several times. Even after it works at work, then going home it happens all over again. I recently found that using repair on Microsoft Office 2003 from the installed programs in Control Panel fixes it. So, I tried the scanpst.exe and it found 20 errors and fixed them. However, starting outlook, the send/receive issue happened again. So again using the repair on MS Office got it working again.
Keenan says
Hi Diane
A client recently upgraded their hosting, but in one of the IMAP email accounts there were two custom folders (with appx 50 subfolders) full of critical emails.
After the migration to the new server all of the subfolders and messages disappeared in Outlook 2010 and in their Android mail.
I sounds like the subfolders may not have been set up to be synced, so when Outlook synced to the "new" server, it erased anything not on the "new" server. But the part I don't understand about this idea is how the subfolders would have also been visible on an Android device if they were not synced.
Note: this is not an Exchange Server
They do not have a recent backup of the .pst file.
They desperately need to recover these messages and are willing to purchase the software to do this. What do you suggest?
Diane Poremsky says
I’m not holding out much hope of recovering them without a backup copy of some sort. If outlook is open, close it ASAP.
The 2013 imap ost is at %localappdata%\microsoft\outlook - make a copy. Does the file size seem right for the missing mail? If so, one of the recovery or ost to pst tools might work. If you removed the profile from 2013 and recreated it, you’ll need to use a program to recover deleted files as the ost is deleted when the profile is deleted.
If you are using 2010, the mail is in a pst at %localappdata%\microsoft\outlook. If you created a new profile, the old pst is on the drive in the same location mentioned above. It’s also possible the server change forced a new pst – hopefully using a new file name. if not, you’ll need to recover the file using a utility before you can recover the mail.
Scot Gerardi says
Hi Diane,
I have a customer with a 6GB pst file. It is crashing his computer because he leaves Outlook open. When Outlook is closed his computer is fine. I have never seen anyone with a pst file that big. I tried scanpst and it really couldn't fix the pst file. Out of the three products you recommend, which of them would work best at fixing this large pst file? Thank you.
Lesley Barnes says
I have Outlook for Windows 2013. I use the personal files to store various bits of information. I always slide any new emails received or sent into their respective files down the left hand column of the Outlook page. The personal folder headings are all there but the information stored within them has disappeared in most cases. I have a couple of these folders that still do contain the emails I have transferred into them but most have completely disappeared. I have tried to locate the missing emails again by asking Outlook to search for them but I keep getting the message 'no information found'. I have been on line to try to sort this out and retrieve my information, which incidentally is vital to me, but to no avail. I have tried to 'repair' Outlook. Are you able to help retrieve the lost emails messages please. Thank you in advance.
Diane Poremsky says
What type of email accounts do you have configured in Outlook? Are you moving the messages to folders in a pst file stored on your computer?
Dave says
Hi Diane,
I have a .pst file that inbox repair tool tried to repair but didn't recover all the emails. Outlook prompted the member to run scanpst and then it ran the IRT. File size of the repaired .pst and the .bak that IRT made are 880 to 900 Mb but the contents inside could not be more then 200.
The original size of the .pst before repair was approx 900 Mb but it is missing about a year and a half of archived emails in the repaired file which tells me they are still in the .bak somewhere.
I have tried working with a copy of the .bak that the tool made but it doesn't seem to bring back any more. Is this a backup of the newly repaired .pst or the original before IRT tried to fix it? Also, the person I am trying to help says he clicked "replace" during the repair process. I have made several attempts at recovering his email from the backup and repaired .pst file and never seen a "replace" dialog come up.
So in short, is his email gone or should I try something else? Also, if this helps, his .pst file was stored on a sharedrive that is prone for corrupting .pst files and was on said share drive when IRT attempted to repair the file.
Thank you,
Diane Poremsky says
I don't recall ever seeing a replace option, unless he ran scanpst multiple times and when it made the backup, told it to replace the old bak with a new copy.
Having it on the shared drive is not good - but before giving up on it, try one of the pst repair tools on this page - they have free trials and will show you what is found before you buy. If the utility can't find the missing mail, it can't be recovered. (If one can't find the missing mail, it's doubtful if any of the others will, so you only need to try one.)
Luis Krause says
Diane:
We're using OLE to synchronize Contacts and Calendars with our app and for the most part it's working fine. But a few users get an error (4096) along with an error code of -2147352567 and I discovered that by running scanpst.exe the problem is fixed and our
sync works again.
What I'd like to know if it's possible to use some tool on the log file scanpst.exe creates to understand what is causing the corruption so we can avoid it.
Also, is there a way to programatically fix the errors instead of having users run scanpst.exe over an over again?
Thanks!
Jolie says
Hi Diane,
I tried to open Outlook 2010 (which I haven't used for a long time), it asks for password for Outlook Data File... (I did not create password for Outlook), would your instructions work for this type of issue? If I cannot open Outlook, does this mean that I need to re-install? Other the other components of Outlook 2010 are working fine.
Diane Poremsky says
It might work, but if the problem is a forgotten password on a pst file, try one of the free tools password remover tools.
robert gerbasi says
Obviously if I COULD OPEN outlook I could find the PST file. But since I CAN'T open it, what would you suggest? Unbelievable. I'm not paying for any piece of you know what
Diane Poremsky says
What version of Outlook and Windows? The Outlook 2007 and older default is %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook if using Windows 7/8. Type or paste that into the address bar of windows explorer and press Enter to open the folder to that path. The new default in Outlook 2010 and 2013 is in My documents \ Outlook Files.
Randy says
Diane, I have a corrupted archive.pst file. I have ran scanpst.exe on the file until it reports there are no errors (four times). When I open the archive.pst from within Outlook 2010 it contains no e-mail messages but instead only 800+ calendar items. The file size is 28 MB. I have tried the demo version of a couple of the retail tools listed below and get the same results. I have tried opening the file with CopyPST, changed the two bytes to "00", re-ran scanpst until no errors and get the same result: only calendar items. Any suggestions for getting the e-mail messages out of this file? Thanks much!
Diane Poremsky says
Are you sure it has any mail in it? At 28 meg, it wouldn't hold a lot of items, although probably more like 3000 items unless they are large. If the commercial products can't find mail, it's not a good sign. If you'd me to take a look, you can email it to me at diane at slipstick.
Lynn says
OK Diane! Never mind! I googled it and found an earlier post from yours truly (you) and I used the suggested start up Outlook in the RUN box as "Outlook.exe /cleanreminders". And that seemed to do the trick! Thanks!
Lynn says
Hi Diane. Thanks for the response. I made note of your suggestions, but I did end up doing the scanpst which makes a backup of the pst file before it does any updates. The scan does just review your file and then tells you if you have errors (which I did), so I let it run the clean up. The entire process took a l-o-n-g time. Maybe because my file is so large. But I do have a remaining problem. I have a reminder for an appointment that keeps popping up. The appointment has been deleted from my calendar, but the reminder continues to come up, even though I say dismiss. Is there a switch I can start Outlook with that will remove reminders or will one of the ones you already gave me work? Many thanks. :)
Lynn says
Hi Diane,
Here is my dilemma. I have had a couple of 'crashes' with my computer lately, it says due to overheating. When I restart it is fine and seems to run ok, however I will be haivng this checked out. Assuming the fan is not working 100% to cool the machine. However, around that time, my Outlook started to not function correctly anymore either. I am Windows XP, running Outlook 2007. I am unable to clear the flags in my to-do list. It comes up with an error message and tells me to run scanpst. Will scanpst fix this issue or do I need to run something a little more robust. A little nervous since I use Outook extensively in my business and don't want to loose anything in the process of running any fixes.
Diane Poremsky says
I would close Outlook and restart with the it /resettodobar switch, and if that doesn't work, I might try the cleanviews switch. Then I would use scanpst. In most cases, scanpst won't cause data loss but if you are worried, make a copy of the pst before running scanpst on it.
Rick P. says
Hello Diane, great article! It definately got me out of the woods last night, but I feel like I'm still stuck in no-mans-land...Outlook is now running again, and I appear to have all my data (sans iCloud calendar sync), but I'm still getting "broken letter" icons when I create a new .pst file in the target location (my Desktop or /Appdata/Local/Microsoft/Outlook/...)??
First of all, I'm running Vista 64 and Outlook 2007.At the beginning, Outlook wouldn't open at all, so I was able to locate Scanpst. When I ran Scanpst, I couldn't get the "browse" button to locate/find my Outlook.pst main file in the folder heirarchy - something to do with Windows permissions or something, I don't know, it was as if they were hidden files or something - but I was able to use the Search File function in Windows Explorer and find the folder and file (complete with "broken letter" icon). I then moved the file to the Desktop so I could point to it with "browse" in Scanpst...this seemed to work fine, as I went through all the prompts and then hit "repair" when prompted.Now here's where my memory starts fading...when I tried to start Outlook afterwards, it didn't want to open, but somehow I got it to work after a few prompts from iCloud(?) Does this seem right? When I use Data File Managment now, the Outlook.bak file on the desktop has been identified as default??Also: there are no "repaired folders" or "Lost and Found" folders anywhere???
When I tried to create a new .pst file (since one didn't exist yet in the /Appdata folder), it created a "broken letter" icon file??And when I tried to export a .pst file (with the current data I have open now), it did the same thing (on the desktop)? Incidentally, the original broken .pst file was/is 2.87GB, and the newly exported .pst is 1.87GB. Why would Outlook export a broken file?The result: I'm scared to close Outlook at all! Any help would be most appreciated...
THANK YOU!
Diane Poremsky says
I think the icons are just messed up, especially if the file opens. The bak file as copy of the pst file, with the bak extension. You can change it back to pst. It's a copy of the original, so no repaired folders - they are in the other pst. The reduced file size can be attributed to a nmber of things - beginning with the recovery of 'white space'/
Bert Leen says
Hello,
I get this error "0x80040119, 0x80040600" by using Microsoft outlook and i have no any solution to fix this error please help and reply to me.
Regards
Bert Leen
Diane Poremsky says
What version of Outlook?
How large is your pst? If over 2 GB this would be only be a problem if you are using Outlook 2002 or older or an ANSI pst.
Did you try using scanpst on your data file?
Wasim says
Hi,
I get the following error when I run scanpst.exe
"An error has occurred which caused the scan to be stopped. No changes have been made to the scanned file."
OS = windows 7 pro
Office 2007 pro
Checked few tools but they are very expensive. Little frustrated because if those tools are able to fix the issue then why not scanpst.exe which is a Microsoft product.
Thanks.
Charles says
Thanks for this really comprehensive article. Right now I'm waiting for random tech person to fix my pst file - but if they don't, I might buy one of your spot lighted tools. Are YOU recommending them, or is that a paid promotion? Don't want to waste $249....
Diane Poremsky says
Both. :) If you need something stronger than scanpst, we recommend Advanced Outlook Recovery, Kernel for Outlook, or Stellar Outlook Repair. We've tested these products. Other products in the Tools list may meet your needs and most have demos that will show you what can be recovered before purchase.
Ian Robertson says
In my Outlook 2010 Account Settings/ Data Files I discovered I have 2 outlook.pst files both in the identical same name location. C:UsersMeDocumentsOutlook FilesOutlook.pst. One of them is checked.
The result is whenever I do a name search I get 2 of every e-mail. Can I safely delete the unchecked one?
Diane Poremsky says
that is really only one pst, the second is a ghost. You can try right clicking on the second and closing it, but if that fails, see Remove Ghosts
Diane says
Diane,
I had to run scanpst.exe and it worked but it brought back a whole bunch of my old e-mails and folders that had either been previously deleted or in an older, different .pst file. Is it possibly when i ran scanpst.exe it merged the two .pst files? Do you know of a way to get my system back to where it was without all of this extra old emails everywhere?
Diane Poremsky says
No, it didn't merge the pst files but I'm guessing the pst didn't get compacted so the old messages were recovered when you ran scanpst. Unless you have a recent backup of the pst file, getting back to how it was before will take a lot of manual labor.
Ryan - iPhone Repair In Bethlehem says
Scanpst worked for me! That actually works most of the time. In the event that it doesn't, that Outlook recovery program has worked for friends of mine.
Fix Corrupt PST File says
Thank you!!! Fantastic instructions. “Errors have been detected in the file outlook.PST”. I have tried to repair the SCANPST file but I get a message saying it is read only and cannot be repaired.
Andy says
Diane,
I think that message came from Microsoft.
Windows XP professional
AVG
Now I can't even turn it on from my desktop. The message reads "Unable to display the selected folder or item. Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter values are not valid". When I open Outlook from "all programs" the message reads. "unable to open your default e-mail folders. An unexpected error has occured. MAPI was unable to load the information dervice PSTPRX.DLL. Be sure the service is correctly installed and configured."
Diane, I am far from a computer wiz. I know just enough to be dangerous. Any help would be appreciated.
Andy
Diane Poremsky says
Did you install Office XPand keep Outlook 2000 installed? That can cause this error.
Diane Poremsky says
Well, outlook is obsolete but Outlook 2000 should work and it shouldn't be the one telling you its obsolete.
What version of Windows?
What antivirus do you use?
What is the exact error message?
Andy says
I am retired and have gone to gmail from my old outlook 2000. I have been lazy about transfering all my contacts to gmail. Monday this week my outlook 2000 stopped working. I have gotten a couple of error messages. one says outlook 2000 is obsolete and i should upgrade to newer software. the other says it can't open because of file PST.PRX.DLL. Do you have any suggestions to revive the outlook 2000 so I can get all my contacts?