Bug with Microsoft Outlook's Personal Folders File format—commonly referred to as PST—have been a huge trouble for years. Microsoft knows that, which is why Outlook comes with a congenital-in tool called Inbox Repair to assist 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 actress action to recover lost items.

How Outlook PST File Repair Works

Outlook's Inbox Repair tool is buried deep inside the Microsoft Office installation folder on your figurer, and so yous need to do a bit of digging to get to it. Once yous've located and launched Inbox Repair, all you lot need to practise is select the damaged PST file to repair it.

Important: Inbox Repair provides an option to create a fill-in of the damaged PST file. Make sure to select it since you may demand a copy to retrieve missing information subsequently 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-fleck: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files > Microsoft Office > root > Office16
  • Windows 32-fleck: Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86)> Microsoft Office > root > Office16

Annotation: The folder paths higher up apply to Outlook 2022, Outlook 2022, and Outlook 365. If you lot use an older version of Outlook, you must select the Office15 (Outlook 2022), Office14 (Outlook 2022), or Office12 (Outlook 2007) folder instead.

3. Locate the file labeled SCANPST and run information technology as an administrator.

4. Utilise the Scan button to select the Outlook PST file that you lot desire to repair.

If you lot don't know the location of the PST file, printing Windows+Due south to open Windows Search. Then, search for it by name and include the .PST file extension. Y'all will see the file location inside the search results.

Alternatively, open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Data Files to view the PST file'southward location. Make sure to close the application after that.

5. Select Start. The Inbox Repair tool will bank check the PST file for problems. That should take some time.

6. Check the radio button next to Make backup of scanned file before repairing and select Repair.

7. Select OK to finish repairing the PST file.

Open Microsoft Outlook and information technology should automatically showtime using the PST file without issues. You volition 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 whatsoever repaired items in their original folders or locations. In that case, it will lump them into a Lost and Found folder or a gear up of folders under the Recovered Personal Folders label.

Yous 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. Open the Home tab in Outlook. Then, open the card next to New Electronic mail, point to More Items, and select Outlook Data File.

2. Pick the Outlook Information File option and select OK.

3. Specify a location on your computer, enter a name for the new PST file, and select OK.

4. Select the More icon (three dots) to the Outlook window's lower-left corner and select Folders to switch the Outlook sidebar to Folder List view.

5. Elevate the contents within Lost and Establish or Recovered Personal Folders into the new data file.

Once you lot've done that, you tin cull to remove the Lost and Institute binder or the Recovered Personal Folders data file from Outlook.

Recover Boosted Items from PST

Suppose you notice any missing items within the repaired data file. if y'all also can't find them inside the Lost and Constitute folder or under Recovered Personal Folders, you lot can endeavor retrieving them using the backup copy of the original. Basically, you attempt to import the contents within the file without duplicating any items that the Inbox Recovery tool has already recovered.

ane. Copy the corrupted PST file backup to your desktop.

2. Change the .BAK extension at the end of the file proper noun to .PST.

Note: If you lot can't see the file extension, open up the File menu in a File Explorer window and select Change folder and search options. Then, switch to the View tab and uncheck the box next to Hide extensions for known file types.

3. Open up the File bill of fare in Outlook and select Open & Export > Import/Export.

4. Select Import from another program or file and select Adjacent.

5. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and select Adjacent.

half dozen. Select Browse and select the backup re-create of the corrupted PST file (the one that you but renamed).

seven. Select Practise non import duplicates and select Next.

8. Bank check the box side by side to Include subfolders. And so, select Import folders into the same binder and pick the business relationship or data file that you want to import the items into.

nine. Select Finish.

One time 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 fourth dimension.

Third-Political party Outlook PST Repair and Recovery Tools

A brief search online volition reveal lots of paid 3rd-political party tools that claim to repair damaged or corrupted Outlook PST files. In most all cases, though, the Inbox Repair tool should be more than proficient enough for the job.

Only apply a third-party recovery programme if Inbox Repair fails to call back your information, and do your due diligence by checking online reviews thoroughly before spending whatever coin on them.

Earlier we wrap up, here's an interesting tidbit: the Inbox Repair tool likewise allows yous to recover deleted items from Outlook.