PST File is Not Recognized by Outlook | Resolved
PST file is an Outlook data file and it stores all the mailbox data such as emails, contacts information, calendar data, tasks, journals, and notes data. But what you will do if you face an error, “PST file is not recognized by Outlook”
Will the above error is not a common error, hence when the users get this error, then it is a mind-scratching situation for them. Now, if you are facing this unusual Outlook error and looking for the solution, then here in this section we are going to discuss the reasons as well as solutions to fix this error.
As we said in this blog we are going to discuss the reason behind this error, so let’s first see what is the reason for the same.
Reason Behind PST File is Not Recognized by Outlook
Well if we talk about the reasons for this issue, the only one that remains occurs behind this error is Outlook data file corruption. Because if your Outlook data file is corrupted, then Outlook is not able to recognize your Outlook data file and shows you an error message.
Now, if we talk about the reasons for the PST file corruption then there is a lot such as:
Oversized Outlook PST File – We know that Outlook has a certain data size limitation and if you exceeded the size, then there is a chance that your Outlook data file gets corrupted and once your Outlook data is corrupted, then you will notice this type of error.
Outlook Application Termination – For every application, there is a creation procedure to shut down. And if you are following the proper procedure, then nothing happens with your Outlook application and data file. But if you forcefully terminate the Outlook application, then there is a chance that you will face an Outlook data file corruption error.
File System Recovery – If you are recovering your system file and if any certain mistake occurs during the recovery then you will face PST file corruption too.
Now, after knowing the reasons let’s move towards the solution part!
How to Fix PST File is Not Recognized by Outlook
Here in this section, we are going to discuss some of the manual methods that will help you to resolve the error.
#Method 1: Examine Hard Disk Errors
Before repair, the Outlook PST file let us check for the hard drive corruption, or a faulty sector in your hard drive is also a cause of the PST file is not recognized by Outlook. So, in order to fix this problem, you must first repair the corruption on your hard drive, which you may do by following the steps below:
1. First, launch the Run Command window, by press the Windows key and the R key at the same time.
2. Now, enter “Cmd” to bring up the command prompt screen.
3. Open CMD using the Run as Administrator command.
4. Now, in cmd.exe, enter “chkdsk disc name: /f” and press the “Enter” key.
Now, once the check disk command completes its task, then simply restart your system and also restart the Outlook application to see the error is resolved or not. Now, the PST file is not recognized by Outlook still persist, then try the next method.
#Method 2: Repair Outlook Data File.
As we said Outlook data corruption is the major reason for this error. Now, the best part is that Outlook has its own Inbox Repair Tool that is also known as ScanPST.exe. Now, you can use this tool to repair the corruption of the Outlook PST file without spending a single penny.
But to use this tool users have to locate the location of the ScanPST.exe because the location of the PST file varies according to the version of Outlook. Now to make this task easy we have mentioned all the locations of ScanPST.exe. So check out the location as per your Outlook version.
For Outlook 2007
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
For Outlook 2010
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
For Outlook Outlook 2010 64 bit
C:\Program Files (86)\Microsoft Office\Office14
For Outlook 2013
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15
For Outlook 2016 & 2019
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16
Once you have reached the location of the Outlook inbox repair tool, follow the below steps to fix the corruption of the Outlook PST file.
1. Double click on the exe file to open it.
2. Click on the Browse button to add the PST file.
3. Once the file is added click on the Scan button to scan the Outlook
4. After the compilation of the scanning process, a pop message appears to repair the corruption of the Outlook PST file.
5. Click on the Repair button to fix the corruption of the Outlook PST file.
Once the repairing process is over restart the Outlook PST file to check the issue is resolved or not. Because sometimes Outlook inbuilt inbox repair tool does not responding and due to that users are not able to repair the corruption of PST files. And this happens due to a highly corrupted PST file, yes ScanPST is not able to repar highly corrupted PST files.
Now, the question is that what is the best option to repair the Outlook corruption that can fix this PST file that is not recognized by Outlook.
Best Way to Fix Corruption of Outlook PST FIle
We have seen that the Outlook inbuilt inbox repair tool is not able to fix highly corrupted PST files, SO in that case you can try the Outlook PST Repair Tool, It is one of the most effective ways to fix teh corruption of Outlook PST files.
Also, the tool is capable to recover the deleted data file from Outlook PST files. Along with that users can save the repaired or recovered PST files into various file formats such as PDF, HTML, MSG, EML, PST.
Also Read: How to Restore Outlook Contacts
Conclusion
Outlook data file corruption is the reason for many Outlook errors and PST file is not recognized by Outlook is one of them. Now, if you are seeking a solution to fix this error., then here in this blog we have discussed the two best solutions that help to fix this issue. In addition, we have also the automated method if any of the manual methods do not work for you.
