This blog will guide you on all the possible solutions to repair Outlook PST file for free. If you are also facing an issue while opening the .pst file in Outlook, then your data file got corrupted. Read the complete article and know various free ways to fix the damaged .pst file.
PST is an Outlook database file that store emails, contacts, journals, task, calendars, and other mailbox data. However sometimes while accessing the .pst file in Outlook you can encounter some errors – “File doesn’t found” or “unable to display folders” error. If it is the case, then your PST file is corrupted and needs to repair.
Before we move ahead, let’s know the factor that causes PST corruption. There can be various reasons some of which we will discuss here –
Reasons For PST File corruption
PST file is prone to corruption or damage. There can be internal or extrenal factors that damage the Outlook PST file. Some of the major causes are mentioned here –
- Malware Software: Any malicious application download to the system can seriously damage the PST file and affect your important data.
- Aparant Outlook Shut Down: While accessing your PST file data, Outlook stops working and shut down. This halt can damage your PST file and you will not able to view your emails saved in the data file.
- Trying to open PST file in another platform other than Outlook can also sometimes corrupt your data file.
How to Repair Corrupted PST File For Free
There are a few manual ways to repair Outlook PST file and secure the emails and other data without modifying the content.
In this blog section, we will discuss some free solutions to repair Outlook data file in a few simple steps.
Solution 1: Use Inbox Repair Tool
The Microsoft Inbox Repair Tool is a simple way that will fix the inaccessible PST file. It will repair the header of the data file ad delete other data that is not recognized by the tool. You can easily find this tool, just go to start and search for SCANPST.EXE and you will find the application in your system.
Follow the instructions and after you locate the tool and repair Outlook PST file for free.
1. Run the Inbox Repair Tool and browse the corrupted PST file from the system. After that click on the Start button to begin scanning.
2. After the scan completes, this tool will display all the error that is located by it. Now click on the Repair option to start the fixing process.
Although SCANST.EXE is a free tool to repair corrupted PST file, sometime it will not work if your PST file is highly corrupted. Along with that, it also leads to some errors and not being able to recognise PST file.
2. Reduce Oversized PST File
Large PST file is also one of the reasons for corruption. Since Outlook limits the size of the PST file to 2 GB thus it is recommended not to exceed the limit of the data file. If you try to open an oversize PST file, then there are chances you will face the error. Thus it is best to reduce the size of the PST file by splitting it into small parts. You can use the Microsoft free tool to reduce the size of a large PST file.
Both the manual method can repair PTS file but they are not that efficient to fix corrupted data file without any modification. Thus it is best to use a secure and efficient third-party tool that will fix the damaged PST file.
Alternative Approach to Repair Outlook PST File
To repair corrupted or damaged PST file you can use Xtraxtor PST Converter Solution. This tool is an all-in-one solution for all Outlook PST file conversion. In this tool, you will upload a corrupted data file and export all its emails in a new and healthy .pst file. This utility makes sure to maintain mailbox hierarchy and structure during the repairing process. Along with that, there will be no modification in the file content and will be saved in the new data file with complete data.
Procedure to Repair Outlook PST File using the Automated Software
Follow the given instructions to fix corrupted or damaged PST file in a few simple clicks –
Step 1. Install and Run the software from Xtraxtor on your Windows OS.
Step 2. After that, click on Open >> Email Data File >> PST File >> Select File form Folder.
Step 3. Here you can view all your emails.
Step 4. Click on Export and choose PST format.
Step 5. If you only want to save specific folders then you can select the folder here.
Step 6. At last, browse the targeted location and hit on the Save button.
Done! Here you repair Outlook PST file in a few simple steps. You can use the demo version of the software and know the way of fixing PT file without affecting data integrity.
Conclusion
In this writeup, we discuss the reason of PST file corruption and also know a few approaches to fix it. We mention a manual way to repair Corrupted PST file without any data loss. Along with that we also mention a direct way to repair Outlook PST file without any glitches and data loss.