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 的收件箱修復工具深埋在您計算機上的 Microsoft Office 安裝文件夾中,因此您需要進行一些挖掘才能找到它。 找到並啟動收件箱修復後,您需要做的就是選擇損壞的 PST 文件進行修復。
重要事項: 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
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 掃描儀 並以管理員身份運行它。
4。 使用 瀏覽 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 > 帳戶設置 > 數據文件 to view the PST file’s location. Make sure to close the application after that.
5。 選擇 開始. The Inbox Repair tool will check the PST file for issues. That should take some time.
6. Check the radio button next to 修復前備份掃描文件 並選擇 修復.
7。 選擇 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 標籤。
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。 打開 首頁 tab in Outlook. Then, open the menu next to 新郵件, 指向 更多項目, 並選擇 Outlook數據文件.
2. 選擇 Outlook數據文件 選項並選擇 OK.
3. Specify a location on your computer, enter a name for the new PST file, and select OK.
4。 選擇 更多 icon (three dots) to the Outlook window’s lower-left corner and select 文件夾 to switch the Outlook sidebar to Folder List view.
5. Drag the contents within 失物招領 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。 改變 .BAK extension at the end of the file name to 。太平洋標準時間.
注意: If you can’t see the file extension, open the 文件 menu in a File Explorer window and select 更改文件夾和搜索選項. 然後,切換到 瀏覽 選項卡並取消選取旁邊的框 隱藏已知文件類型的擴展名.
3。 打開 文件 menu in Outlook and select 對外開放 > 進出口.
4。 選擇 從另一個程序或文件導入 並選擇 下一頁.
5。 選擇 Outlook數據文件(.pst) 並選擇 下一頁.
6。 選擇 瀏覽 and select the backup copy of the corrupted PST file (the one that you just renamed).
7。 選擇 不要導入重複項 並選擇 下一頁.
8. 選中旁邊的框 包含子文件夾。 然後,選擇 Import folders into the same folder and pick the account or data file that you want to import the items into.
9。 選擇 完.
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.