If you want to fix PST files using this tool, make sure to have a proper backup of the Outlook PST before processing. This utility is not the professionals’ recommendation, as it comes with a lot of drawbacks. Before implementing this method to fix Outlook PST files, read its limitations for more insight.

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It also has no restrictions on adding oversized PST files to resolve corruption. Two methods, manual and professional will be explained here along with diagnose Office activation conflicts their stepwise working procedure to fix Outlook data files or Personal Storage Table (PST). The manual solution will uncover the step by step guide on the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe).

Methods to Rebuild an Outlook PST File

Dealing with corrupt files is always scary, especially because of the potential for data loss. If you’ve tried Outlook’s recovery tool with no luck, it might be time to consider something more powerful. After running SCANPST.EXE, you might find a folder called Recovered Personal Folders in your files that contains your default Outlook folders or a Lost and Found folder. The folders might just be empty and redundant, or they might contain recovered data that Outlook couldn’t place in its original locations. The Inbox Repair Tool is an in-built utility from Microsoft to overcome the Outlook PST file corruption issues.

Manually start the Inbox Repair tool

Therefore, users should put some effective solutions into action to deal with inaccessible or damaged PST files as soon as they encounter Outlook issues. The Inbox Repair Tool can’t always recover a heavily corrupted .pst file. If you’re tried using it with no luck, the best fix might be a third-party tool. The Inbox Repair tool is built to diagnose and repair many potential errors with Outlook data files, but it isn’t always the best solution. For example, it can’t help if your file was permanently deleted or corrupted beyond its repair abilities. Like any type of data file, it’s possible for a .pst file to get corrupted.

Locating the Outlook Data Files

Although Outlook lets you recreate the file, doing so may result in the loss of any unsynced changes. If you’re dealing with a corrupt .pst file, the very first step you should take is using the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE). You can usually repair a damaged .pst file using file repair software, but you might even be able to fix it using MS Outlook’s built-in capabilities. Each user can have particular reasons for corrupting their PST files. But, in some cases, a few common reasons are usually present behind Outlook data file corruption. However, the most common ones connection status shows disconnected are virus infection, large file size, compatibility issues, improper termination of Outlook, etc.

• Yevgeniy Reznik is Laboratory Operations Manager at Secure Data Recovery Services in Cleveland, Ohio, and has more than a decade of experience as a data recovery engineer.
• Although the repair process might recreate some of the folders, they may be empty.
• Follow these steps to repair your Outlook personal folder file (.pst) by using Inbox Repair tool.
• Optionally, you can try to recover additional repaired items from the backup personal folder.
• This might happen with a large .pst file that exceeds the size limit due to third-party add-ins or apps.
• Depending on your Office installation type (Click-to-run or MSI-based), you'll see the following options to proceed with the repair.

Therefore, structures such as BTrees and reference counts, are checked and repaired as necessary. disable faulty add-ins in Outlook These low-level objects have no knowledge of the upper-level structures, such as messages, calendar items, and so on, that are built upon them. This guide walks you through the steps to rebuild OST files in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010—using both manual methods and EdbMails for secure recovery. This section elaborates on two different ways to fix Outlook PST files.



Although the repair process might recreate some of the folders, they may be empty. The Lost and Found folder contains any folders and items recovered by the repair tool that Outlook can't place in their original structure. This post explains how to repair Outlook .pst files using Microsoft’s Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE), as well as other solutions you can try. It’s saved on your computer, and contains data from your Microsoft Outlook account, like your email messages and other information. Typically, .pst files are used by POP accounts, a type of email account created when you add an email to Outlook from an internet service provider (ISP) like ATT.