Issues with Microsoft Outlook’s Personal Folders File format—commonly referred to as PST—have been a huge problem for years. Microsoft knows that, which is why Outlook comes with a built-in tool called Inbox Repair to help you fix corrupted PST files.
In most cases, simply running a damaged PST file through the Inbox Repair tool should be enough to patch it up. But sometimes, you must take extra action to recover lost items.
How Outlook PST File Repair Works
L'uttellu di Riparazione Inbox d'Outlook hè intarratu in u cartulare di stallazione di Microsoft Office in u vostru urdinatore, cusì avete bisognu di fà un pocu di scavà per ghjunghje. Una volta chì avete situatu è lanciatu Inbox Repair, tuttu ciò chì duvete fà hè di selezziunà u schedariu PST dannatu per riparà.
impurtante: Inbox Repair provides an option to create a backup of the damaged PST file. Make sure to select it since you may need a copy to retrieve missing data later on.
1. Completely exit Microsoft Outlook.
2. Open File Explorer. Depending on the version of Windows that you use, navigate through the following folders:
- Windows 64-bit: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Microsoft Office > root > Office16
- Windows 32-bit: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86)> Microsoft Office > root > Office16
nota: The folder paths above apply to Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 365. If you use an older version of Outlook, you must select the Uffiziu 15 (Outlook 2013), Uffiziu 14 (Outlook 2010), or Uffiziu 12 (Outlook 2007) folder instead.
3. Locate the file labeled SCANPST and run it as an administrator.
4. Utilizà u Sfoglia button to select the Outlook PST file that you want to repair.
If you don’t know the location of the PST file, press Windows+S to open Windows Search. Then, search for it by name and include the .PST file extension. You will see the file location within the search results.
Alternatively, open Outlook and go to File > Settings Account > Dati di Dati to view the PST file’s location. Make sure to close the application after that.
5. Select Start. The Inbox Repair tool will check the PST file for issues. That should take some time.
6. Check the radio button next to Fate una copia di salvezza di u schedariu scansatu prima di riparà è selezziunate Repubblica.
7. Select OK to finish repairing the PST file.
Open Microsoft Outlook and it should automatically start using the PST file without issues. You will find a copy of the corrupted PST file (with the .BAK extension) in the same location as the repaired original.
Recover Lost and Found Files
Sometimes, Microsoft Outlook’s Inbox Repair tool may end up repairing a severely damaged PST file. Suppose the tool fails to place any repaired items in their original folders or locations. In that case, it will lump them into a Lost and Found folder or a set of folders under the Recovered Personal Folders etichetta.
You can recover these items by creating a new PST data file in Outlook and moving the contents from Lost and Found or Recovered Personal Folders into it.
1. Grapi lu Home tab in Outlook. Then, open the menu next to Nuvellu Email, point to Più Articuli, è selezziunate File di dati di Outlook.
2. Pick the File di dati di Outlook opzione è selezziunate OK.
3. Specify a location on your computer, enter a name for the new PST file, and select OK.
4. Sceglite u More icon (three dots) to the Outlook window’s lower-left corner and select Cunsiglii to switch the Outlook sidebar to Folder List view.
5. Drag the contents within Lost and Found or Recovered Personal Folders into the new data file.
Once you’ve done that, you can choose to remove the Lost and Found folder or the Recovered Personal Folders data file from Outlook.
Recover Additional Items from PST
Suppose you notice any missing items within the repaired data file. if you also can’t find them inside the Lost and Found folder or under Recovered Personal Folders, you can try retrieving them using the backup copy of the original. Basically, you try to import the contents within the file without duplicating any items that the Inbox Recovery tool has already recovered.
1. Copy the corrupted PST file backup to your desktop.
2. Cambia u .BAK extension at the end of the file name to .PST.
nota: If you can’t see the file extension, open the File menu in a File Explorer window and select Aldatu carpeta è opzioni di ricerca. Allora, cambia à u Veduta tabulazione è smarcate a casella accantu Oculta l'estensioni per i tipi di file cunnisciuti.
3. Grapi lu File menu in Outlook and select Apertura & Esporta > Importazione / Export.
4. Select Importa da un altru prugramma o schedariu è selezziunate Next.
5. Select File di dati di Outlook (.pst) è selezziunate Next.
6. Select Sfoglia and select the backup copy of the corrupted PST file (the one that you just renamed).
7. Select Ùn importate micca i duplicati è selezziunate Next.
8. Cuntrolla a casella accantu Includite subfolders. Dopu, selezziunate Import folders into the same folder and pick the account or data file that you want to import the items into.
9. Select Finisci.
Once Outlook finishes importing any items, you must manually confirm if the previously missing items are now present. If not, try running the Inbox Repair tool another time.
Third-Party Outlook PST Repair and Recovery Tools
A cursory search online will reveal lots of paid third-party tools that claim to repair damaged or corrupted Outlook PST files. In almost all cases, though, the Inbox Repair tool should be more than good enough for the job.
Only use a third-party recovery program if Inbox Repair fails to retrieve your data, and do your due diligence by checking online reviews thoroughly before spending any money on them.
Before we wrap up, here’s an interesting tidbit: the Inbox Repair tool also allows you to recover deleted items from Outlook.