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
Outlook 的收件箱修复工具深埋在您计算机上的 Microsoft Office 安装文件夹中,因此您需要进行一些挖掘才能找到它。 找到并启动收件箱修复后,您所需要做的就是选择损坏的 PST 文件进行修复。
重要提示: 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位: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Microsoft Office > root > Office16
- Windows 32位: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86)> Microsoft Office > root > Office16
请注意: 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 Office15 (Outlook 2013), Office14 (Outlook 2010), or Office12 (Outlook 2007) folder instead.
3. Locate the file labeled 扫描 并以管理员身份运行它。
4。 使用 浏览 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 文件 > 帐户设置 > 数据文件 to view the PST file’s location. Make sure to close the application after that.
5。 选择 Start 开始. The Inbox Repair tool will check the PST file for issues. That should take some time.
6. Check the radio button next to 修复前备份扫描文件 并选择 维修.
7。 选择 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 带有
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。 打开 主页 tab in Outlook. Then, open the menu next to 新邮件, 指向 更多项目, 并选择 Outlook数据文件.
2. 选择 Outlook数据文件 选项并选择 OK.
3. Specify a location on your computer, enter a name for the new PST file, and select OK.
4。 选择 更多 icon (three dots) to the Outlook window’s lower-left corner and select 文件夹 to switch the Outlook sidebar to Folder List view.
5. Drag the contents within 失物招领 or 恢复的个人文件夹 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。 改变 .BAK文件 extension at the end of the file name to 。太平洋标准时间.
请注意: If you can’t see the file extension, open the 文件 menu in a File Explorer window and select 更改文件夹和搜索选项. 然后,切换到 查看 选项卡并取消选中旁边的框 隐藏已知文件类型的扩展名.
3。 打开 文件 menu in Outlook and select 对外开放 > 进出口.
4。 选择 从另一个程序或文件导入 并选择 下一页.
5。 选择 Outlook数据文件(.pst) 并选择 下一页.
6。 选择 浏览 and select the backup copy of the corrupted PST file (the one that you just renamed).
7。 选择 不要导入重复项 并选择 下一页.
8. 选中旁边的框 包含子文件夹。 然后,选择 Import folders into the same folder and pick the account or data file that you want to import the items into.
9。 选择 完成.
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.