An Unknown Error Occurred Error Code 0x80070002 in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is a feature-rich and powerful email client that’s used by a wide range of organizations. However, like other software applications, it’s prone to errors. The error code 0x80070002 is one such error that can trouble Outlook users.

There are two main situations in which you can encounter unknown error code 0x80070002 in Outlook:

• The directory where Outlook needs to save the PST file is inaccessible.
• The Outlook PST file is corrupt.

Let’s consider both situations, along with the solutions:

Case #1: Inaccessible Directory

Outlook can create and save PST files successfully only when it can access the following paths:

• C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
• C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\Outlook Files

You can locate and navigate to these paths to confirm if the folders Outlook and Outlook Files can be accessed. If these paths are broken, you can manually create the paths. For that, follow these steps:

1. Go to C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents and create a new folder OutlookNew.
2. Search Regedit utility i.e. Registry Editor by using Windows Search and launch the program.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
4. Click the folder that bears your Office Version [See Image 1]

Image 1: Registry Editor Window

Refer this list to find your Office version number:

• Outlook 2007 = 12.0
• Outlook 2010 = 14.0
• Outlook 2013 = 15.0
• Outlook 2016 & Office 2019 = 16.0
• Right-click at the empty region in the right panel.

A small tab will appear.

• Select New and then select String Value.

A new window will open.

• In the Value name field, enter ForcePSTPath and click OK.
• Right-click ForcePSTPath and select Modify.
• In Value Data field, enter the path of the OutlookNew folder.
• Click OK and close Registry Editor.
• Restart computer.

Creating path for PST can help resolve the unknown error code 0x80070002 in most situations.

Case #2: Corrupt PST File

Sometimes, the reason behind the unknown error code 0x80070002 in Outlook is a corrupt PST file. Repairing a corrupt PST file can fix the error. You can use Outlook’s in-built inbox repair tool – Scanpst to repair the PST file. You can find the tool in the following locations:

In Outlook 2007:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
• C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12

In Outlook 2010

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office(x86)\Office14

In Outlook 2013:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15
• C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15

In Outlook 2016:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
• C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

In Outlook 2019:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

To repair corrupt PST by using the Inbox Repair tool, follow these steps:

1. Launch Scanpst.exe.
2. Click Browse and go to the location of the PST file.
3. Click Start to initiate the scanning process.

When the scanning process completes, a new window appears displaying the errors found.

• Click Repair to remove the errors.

Outlook Inbox Repair tool can easily repair a corrupt PST file in most cases. However, if the PST file is severely corrupted or oversized, then this tool may fail to repair the file. In that case, you can use a third-party application such as Stellar Repair for Outlook.     

Why Stellar Repair for Outlook?  

Stellar Repair for Outlook is an advanced PST repair tool that can repair even severely corrupt PST files of any size. You can use the tool to:

• Recover emails, contacts, attachments, and even deleted items
• Repair PST files of all Outlook versions viz. 2019, 2016, 2013, and older
• Perform selective repairing by previewing and selecting the desired items in a PST file
• Repair password-protected PST files

Follow these steps to repair corrupt PST files by using Stellar Repair for Outlook:

Install the software and Launch the software and click Select Outlook PST in the Home tab.

A new window will open.

Click Browse and enter the location of the PST file that you want to repair.

Note: If you don’t know the location of the PST, click Find.

Click Repair to initiate scanning.

Once scanning is finished, a window will appear with the list of restored files and folders that are available in the PST file.

Select the files and folders you want to save and click Save Repaired File in the Home tab.

A window will appear with different file formats for saving the recovered mailbox data.

Pick a file format for saving the repaired data.

7. Click Browse and enter the location where you want to save the repaired files and click OK.

Repairing the PST file by using Stellar Repair for Outlook can help fix the unknown error code 0x80070002.

Conclusion

When using Microsoft Outlook, you may come across the error code 0x80070002. The error occurs if the path to save the PST is inaccessible/broken or the PST file is corrupt. You can try to resolve the error by creating a new path for the PST file. For fixing minor corruption in the PST file, you can use the Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair tool. However, if the PST file is severely corrupted, use a specialized PST repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. This advanced software repairs and recovers all mailbox items such as email, attachments, notes, contacts, etc., in a few clicks.

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About The Author

Abhinav Sethi

Abhinav Sethi is a Senior Writer at Stellar. He writes articles, blog posts, knowledge-bases, case studies, etc. for different technologies. He also has a keen interest in digital forensics and helps forward-thinking companies fight different threats with apt solutions.