How to Repair PST file | Corrupt, Damaged, or Not working

Method 1: Repair PST file using the ScanPST.exe tool

If your PST file is corrupt or inaccessible, the first thing to do is to utilize the SCANPST tool. This inbox repair tool is designed to solve all the minor corruption associated with the Outlook data file (.pst) with ease. However, it is recommended to take a copy of your PST file before you start fixing it.

A) Steps to Repair PST file using ScanPST tool:

1. Locate the ScanPST tool on your Windows computer. You can make use of the following ScanPST location based on your Outlook version.
   
   • Outlook 2019: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\
   • Outlook 2016: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
   • Outlook 2013: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15
   • Outlook 2010: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14
   • Outlook 2007: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12
2. Open SCANPST.EXE by double-clicking on it to start repairing corrupt PST file.
   
   
3. Click the Browse button and select the corrupt Outlook PST file that you want to repair.
   
   
4. Click the Start button. Now, the inbox repair tool will start scanning the PST file to find any corruption or error in the Outlook data file (.pst).
5. Once the SCANPST tool finds any corruption in the PST file, select Make a backup of scanned file before repairing option to create a backup copy. This will ensure the safety of your corrupt Outlook data file.
6. Now, click the Repair button to start fixing PST file corruption.

The major disadvantage of using the ScanPST is you need to run it multiple times to repair PST file. And also it cannot repair the severely corrupted Outlook PST file. During such instances, you can make use of the Remo Repair PST tool.

B) Recover Lost and Found folder- After Repairing PST file using ScanPST

Once the ScanPST repairs minor Outlook PST file corruption, open your Microsoft Outlook account (If you use multiple profiles, then open Outlook with the repaired PST file). And follow the steps to access missing or deleted emails, contacts, reminders, and other Outlook folders.

In Folder List, locate the Recovered Personal Folders, a folder that gets created after repairing the PST file. And it contains all your default folders like Calendar, Contacts, Deleted Items, Inbox, Journal, Notes, Outbox, Sent Items, and Tasks.

If you find the above recovered personal folders empty, then look for the Lost and Found folder. It contains all the recovered items. However, the recovered Outlook items cannot be placed in their original structure. To overcome this issue, you can create a new Outlook PST file.

Steps to create a new PST file:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Info.
• Click on Account Settings and then, Account Settings.
• Select the Data Files and click on Add tab.
• In the File Name field, enter the PST file name of your choice.
• Click OK. This will create a new PST file.

Note: Creating a new PST file, will help you import the recovered items from the Lost and Found folder to your desired path. In your new Outlook PST file, you can just drag the recovered Outlook items from Lost and Found or Recovered Personal Folders to your specified location. And later, you can delete the Lost and Found/ Recovered Personal Folders.

C) Recover Additional Outlook items from Repaired PST file using .bak file

A .bak file is a backup file created by the SCANPST tool during the PST file repairing process with the same name of the corrupt .pst file under the same location or folder but with a .bak extension. With the help of this backup file, you can recover the extra Outlook items that cannot be restored even after using the inbox repair tool.

Steps to Recover Additional Outlook items using .bak file
Go to the PST file location or folder > locate .bak file > Make a copy of the .bak file > Rename the .bak file extension to .pst file (for example outlook.bak to Outlook.pst) > Import the .pst file in your Outlook using Import/Export wizard.

Note: In some cases, even this method of recovering Outlook items might not work effectively if the severity of PST file corruption is beyond repair.

Method 2: Repair PST File using Remo PST Repair tool

Utilize Remo Repair PST a read-only mode software to safely fix corrupted or damaged PST file created on any version of Outlook including Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, and its previous versions. This PST file repair tool takes only a few simple clicks to repair PST file. And it recovers also missing Outlook items such as emails, attachments, contacts, folder structure, rules.

Steps to Repair PST file using Remo Repair Outlook PST tool:

1. Download and install Remo Repair PST Software.

2. Launch the Outlook PST repair tool and select an option from the main screen based on your need and then, click Next.

• • Open Default PST File: Select this option if the corrupt PST file is located in the defined location.
  • Select PST File Manually: Select this option if you want to manually browse your corrupt Outlook PST file.
  • Find All Your PST Files: If you have more than one PST file in your Windows, then select this option and click Find. Now, the tool will locate all your available PST files. Select the corrupt PST file which you want to repair.

3. Now, click the Smart Scan option. And select a destination of your choice to save your repaired PST file on Windows and click Repair.

4. After the repairing corrupt PST file process completes, check the destination location to view your repaired PST file.