Repairing Outlook PST Files

Most people who have used Outlook for a number of years have had to work on the PST file at some point and time. Outlook uses the PST file (Personal Stroage Table) to store all the user data like emails, callander, contacts. Not only does this include e-mail messages from Microsoft Exchange mail boxes, but also calendar items and other task items. Outlook PST files are often stored locally on the user’s hard drive, but these files can also be transported across and stored on remote network servers.

The only issue most people have with PST files is that they become corrpt. It is possible to do a PST file repair using a variety of methods, depending on the severity of the damage. The first task is to find out where your PST files are stored. By default, they can be found in “C:Documents and SettingsUSER Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook”. Be sure to substitute your Windows login screen name for USER when typing in this directory. The default filename for your PST file that is hosting your current mail box is Outlook.pst. There is also an archive file available, known as Archive.pst. There is no way of telling if a PST file is corrupt based on visual inspection. When you start Outlook you will be prompted if the PST file is corrupt and needs to be repaired.

If you are very computer illiterate and this sounds a little too daunting then check out this computer repair company.  These guys are well known to repair many different kinds of issues online and they are a whole lot cheaper then most.

Microsoft Outlook comes with an automatic repair method and an external repair kit for fixing Outlook PST files. When Outlook is opened, the program will notify you of this problem, and then attempt to fix the PST file automatically. Before trying the manual method, it is best to let Outlook attempt an automatic repair of the damaged or corrupt PST file. In the event that the automatic repair fails to fix the Outlook PST file, you will have to open the Inbox Repair Tool located in “C:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMSMAPI1033” and search for the Inbox Repair Tool, under the filename Scanpst.exe.

The Inbox Repair Tool is an external executable program that scans and repairs corrupt or damaged PST files. To start this program, double click on the Scanpst.exe executable. You will then see window that will ask you to locate the name of the PST file you wish to repair. After this task is done then it's on to starting the Inbox repair tool to scan and repair the PST file. If the PST file is too corrupted or damaged, the Inbox Repair Tool may not be able to fix the Outlook PST file, requiring other third-party solutions. If the Inbox Repair Tool cannot be found in the specified location, find and run CNFNOT32.exe, which should be in the same location that Scanpst.exe should be located. This will restore the executable back to the proper location.

Not everyone needs help repairing a pst file but this guide should help out in case you need it.In many instances PST files get corrupt because Outlook keeps crashing, if this is the case for you then consider uninstalling the software and re-installing it.This works a lot of the time to fix the problem.  In case you are having trouble uninstalling office then check out this cannot uninstall site for software to help out.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Learn How to Repair Your PST File Free

A .The pst file is the file that contains almost all your Outlook information. This is not only your email, but contacts, the tasks list, all of your calendar information and your notes. This is an extremely important file, so you should know how to repair PST file in advance of a problem occurring. Imagine how frustrated you would be if you lost all this critical date just like that. Read this article to learn how to PST File Repair.

Unlike with Outlook Express where all of the folders are separate files, in Outlook all of your email, contacts, calendar info, notes, and tasks are contained in a single .pst file. This file can grow to be very large and for any of various reasons, it can become corrupt. If this happens, don’t panic. There are several ways you can repair the .pst file.

The first thing you should do is to make a backup of the .pst file. Don't procrastinate, now is the perfect time to backup all your pst info. Depending on how often your data changes and how important it is will determine how often you will want to back it up, but back it up. In Windows Explorer you should copy the Outlook PST file to another location that is not on the current hard drive.   Better yet check out this Online Vista Back article.Backing up your data online is a great choice.  Your .In XP the file can be found at drive:Documents and SettingsuserLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook and in Vista at drive:userApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook. If your .pst file becomes corrupt, you can use Data file Management on the file menu to remove and replace the .pst file with the backup, or simply drag the backup file back into place. Outlook will need to be closed to drag the file into place or back it up.

But if you need to know how to PST File Repair, the first thing to try is the Inbox Repair Tool. The location will varie but for all Outlook programs pre 2007 is will be a close match to drive:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMapiLocaleID and titled scanpst.exe.exe. Take not that the LocaleID is specific to your computer and depending on what Outlook version you have it may or may not even have this last folder. Browse there from your Start, Run menu and click OK. Even if you have a backup, choose the option to make a backup before repairing.

If the repair works, you will see a message saying that the repair is complete. If not, then it is time to pull the backup or use a more advanced PST repair tool like the one this article links to. Many of these are very good, and a lot of them are try before you buy, so you can make sure that they work before you purchase them. The main part of this article is to get you to backup your PST file and all your important documents, we do also cover some free pst repair methods as well.

Popularity: 3% [?]