How to Repair Damaged PST File in a Better Way – Learn Here
Summary: In this article, we will learn how to repair damaged PST file. And will be implementing a free as well as an advanced repair method for this purpose.
Microsoft Outlook email client uses PST files or Personal Storage Table to store all the emails, attachments, contacts, tasks, calendars, notes, and journals. PST file has so many advantages over other mailbox formats
PST files can easily get corrupted or damaged. It can be due to the sudden shutdown of the Outlook application, hardware issues, faulty network devices, or viruses. But whatever the reasons, for damaged PST, the result is Outlook errors and may even lead to complete loss of data.
Why does the PST file get Damaged?
The PST file is very useful, can be sensitive. During the file updates it can cause corruption. So, look into the below points to know the common cause of PST files getting damaged.
- Due to exceeding the maximum size limit of PST files, it can become unstable and eventually get corrupted.
- If you close your outlook abruptly, especially when you are doing any command operation on the PST file, leading to damage.
- Any external problem with the hard drive can corrupt the PST file.
- Cyber attacks such as viruses or malware can corrupt PST files.
Method 1: Using Free Repair Utility To Repair Damaged PST File
Microsoft is aware of the sudden corruption of PST files. And that’s why it packs the Outlook email client with a free PST data file repair tool – i.s., Inbox Repair Tool or ScanPST.exe. However, it only repairs minor corruption and fails if the file is highly damaged.
Repair Damaged PST File for Free, follow the steps given below:
1. Locate the ScanPST.exe file on your computer. A simple search should suffice.
2. Common location is somewhat similar to “C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\”
3. Once you find it, start the tool on your computer. Make sure that Outlook is closed at that moment.
4. “Browse” and select the PST files that you wish to repair.
5. Click on “Start” to start the scanning process.
6. You can choose to make a backup of the scanned files before repairing them. This will help to avoid future trouble with your PST file.
7. Then, click on the “Repair” button to start the repair process.
8. If everything goes alright, the tool will successfully repair your file.
If it fails, while repairing the damaged PST file several times, then the file is severely damaged or corrupted. Note that this tool comes prepacked with Outlook and is not downloadable. If you don’t have it on your system, or your inbox repair tool not responding, then read the next solution.
Limitations for Using Scanpst.exe
There are some limitations when we repair damaged PST file by using scanpst.exe, here are the some steps pointed below.
- Scanpst.exe is only effective for minor corrupt PST files and not the major issues.
- Recovering deleted items within Outlook is not possible.
- For thorough repair of PST files, the tool needs to run multiple times.
- It can create problems in repairing large PST files.
Method 2: Repair PST file by Creating New PST file to Import Data
There is another way to repair damaged PST file just by creating a new PST file and then importing data into the new one. Follow the steps given below:
1. Open MS Outlook.
2. Go to file > account settings > account settings.
3. In the Account setting, Select the “Data Files” tab and click on “Add”.
4. Now, Name the new PST File, and then choose a location where you want to save the file and click “OK”.
Import your Data into New PST File
- Open MS outlook application.
- Select “Import from another program or file” and then click on “Next”.
- Then, choose Outlook Data file (PST) and click on “Next”.
- Browse and select your damaged file, and replace duplicates with the files which are imported.
- Now, Select the new PST file as the destination location.
Method 3: How to Repair Damaged PST file – Using Backup
By using the above methods you are not able to fix the problem, then you can try another way of repairing Damaged outlook PST files.
- Check the backup of your PST file if it is available.
- Replace the damaged PST file with the backup file.
- Now, open MS outlook and verify if the restored PST file is correctly replaced and approachable.
Prime Tip
We have explored 3 manual methods to repair damaged PST file. If you are not getting the results, then you can go with an effective approach which is EmailDoctor Outlook Repair PST Tool. It can repair multiple PST files of any given size quickly and can save repair PST in multiple file formats which makes it easy for the users.
FAQs
Q) What should I do if manual repair methods don’t work to repair damaged PST file?
Ans. If manual methods fail to repair PST files, then it is recommended to go with the above advanced tool to repair your PST file with ease.
Q) What are the common causes of PST file corruption?
Ans. It can be caused due to unstable network connections, malware, viruses, oversized PST files and fewer chances related to outlook versions.
