How to recover a corrupt PST file? Can't delete emails from Outlook anymore? Do you get an Outlook read error every time you try to do this? You must know that Microsoft Outlook store emails in archive files with PST extension, which by default are located in the folder C:UsersnomeutenteAppDataLocalMicrosoftOutlook, where username is the name of the Windows user.
How to recover a corrupt PST file
It may happen that due to a virus, a sudden system shutdown or other external causes, these files are damaged. That is why it is referred to as corrupt PST file.
In this case, Outlook can no longer handle mail properly.
Instead of despairing, we can use a special one tool di Office named Inbox maintenance; the application to run is called SCANPST.exe.
SCANPST is one Free tool designed to restore damaged Outlook PST file. All Outlook versions like: XP, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010 include this repair tool.
Here are all the paths, according to the different Outlook versions, where you can find this file:
- Outlook 2010 (Win – 32 bit) – C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice14
- Outlook 2010 (Win – 64 bit) – C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice14
- Outlook 2007 (Win – 32 bit) – C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice12
- Outlook 2007 (Win – 64 bit) – C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice12
- Outlook 2003 (Win – 32 bit) – C:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMSMAPI…scanpst.exe
- Outlook 2003 (Win – 64 bit) – C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesSystemMSMAPI…scanpst.exe
- Outlook 2003/XP – C:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMAPI…scanpst.exe
- Outlook 2000 – C:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMAPI…Nscanpst.exe
The only thing to do is to select the .pst file to correct and then SCANPST will think about recovering what can be saved, but be careful:
- You will not be able to restore files if the PST file size is greater than 2GB.
- It cannot repair severely corrupted files.
Recover corrupt PST with Scanpst.exe
However, here are the steps on how to use SCANPST in detail:
- Open, after locating it, SCANPST.exe (the icon is a yellow envelope cut in half).
- After opening the program, click on "Shop by Department”And select the corrupted PST file (the path to the file is indicated in the Outlook error message, when you try to access your emails).
- Click on "starts"And immediately after on"Edit".
- At the end, reopen Outlook and everything should work as before.
If this solution didn't work you can try with Outlook PST Repair by Stellar Phoenix (repairs PST files over 2GB).
