Repair PST File

How to Repair Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007?

Written By Eric Simson
Approved By Kuljeet Singh
Updated on 1 Jul, 2024
Min Reading 6 Min
Share

Table of Content

Summary: Several reasons may lead to corrupt PST file in Outlook. Read this blog to know about common reasons behind PST file corruption and methods to repair Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007.

Free Download100% secure

You can easily become a fan of MS Outlook as the email application offers a lot of exciting features. At times you need to Repair Outlook Profile, Apart from sending and receiving emails, Outlook 2019 or Outlook 2016 or any other version provides several useful features such as creating meetings, scheduling tasks, sharing calendars, etc. But, despite all these useful features, Common Outlook issues.

One common issue that you may experience in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and other versions is Outlook data file (.pst) becomes corrupt and inaccessible.

Quick Fix: Try Outlook PST Repair Software to repair Outlook’s corrupt/inaccessible PST file quickly with a few simple clicks. The software is compatible with all MS Outlook versions: Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000.

What Might Cause PST File Corruption in MS Outlook 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007?

When it comes to Outlook 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007 PST file, the factors that can lead to its corruption are:

1. New PST File Creation: When migrating from a previous Outlook version to Outlook 2019, a new PST file might be created thereby possibly corrupting the older PST.

2. Large-sized PST File: When PST file exceeds the permissible size limit (owing to over-accumulation of data and lack of archiving), the chances of file corruption also increases.

Read this to know about PST file size: What is maximum PST size limit for different versions of MS Outlook?

3. Using PST File on Network Share: Using a PST file on a network shared drive can lead to its corruption, if the network connection fails or degrades.

4. Bad Sectors on Hard Disk: An often-overlooked factor that might contribute to the corruption of PST files is the development of bad sectors on your hard disk. Possibly, such factors could make PST files inaccessible.

5. Using Unreliable Tools to Compact/Split PST: An oversized PST file is more susceptible to becoming corrupt. And so, it becomes important to trim down the file size to reduce chances of corruption. This can be done by compressing or splitting large PST files with the help of third-party tools. However, using unreliable tools to compact or split an Outlook data file can also corrupt the file.

6. Virus Attack: A virus attack can crash your Outlook application and corrupt the PST files, which can result in data loss and inaccessibility of mailbox folders.

If your PST files get corrupt, you won’t be able to access your Outlook data. To overcome this issue, you’ll need to repair Outlook PST file.

Additional Tips: Prevent Outlook PST File Corruption! A few Useful Tips

How to Repair Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, & 2003 ?

You can repair Outlook 2016 (or other versions) data files manually by using Microsoft Outlook’s built-in repair utility or by using a third-party PST file recovery software.

Manual Method to Repair Outlook 2016/2019!

A corrupt PST can be restored using the Outlook inbuilt utility – ScanPST.exe. Here are the steps to do so:

Step 1: Exit Outlook if it is running.

Step 2: Find ScanPST.exe on your computer (it can usually be found at <disk drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\<your office version>).

Note: The ScanPST.exe location may vary depending on the Outlook version you are using. To find its location read this: How to Find Scanpst.exe in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2007? )

Step 3: Double click ScanPST.exe.

Step 4: In the dialog box that appears, click Browse to locate the PST file that needs to be repaired or physically type its location in the box “Enter the name of the file you want to scan”.

Note: If you are not aware of the PST file location, following steps will help you to find it:
1. Launch Outlook, and click File>Info>Account Settings>Account Settings>Data Files.
2. Note the path and file name of your .pst file.
3. Click Close >OK and Exit Outlook.

Repir Corrupt PST using Scanpst — Figure 1 – Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool

Step 5: Once the file is selected, click Start to initiate the repair process.

Step 6: Once the process ends, launch Outlook and create a new PST in your profile.

Step 7: Drag the recovered items (these will be present in a ‘Lost and Found’ folder) to your new PST.

Note: These steps apply to repair Outlook 2010 and later versions, including the latest Outlook 2019. For Outlook 2007 and previous versions, replace step 2 with “Click Tools -> Options -> Mail Setup ->Data Files”.

This method is quite straightforward and easy to follow. However, it suffers from certain limitations.

Limitations of the Manual Method

Does not Guarantee Data Recovery: The utility cannot fix every Outlook problem resulting in a corrupt .pst file. It can help fix minor corruption issues but may fail to fix severely corrupt Outlook data file. And, in some cases, ScanPST.exe may fail to recover particular mailbox items.
Time-Consuming Process: You may have to run the ScanPST.exe utility multiple times to repair Outlook file, which requires a lot of manual effort and time. Also, running it several times may cause ScanPST to freeze in the middle of the repair process. And you may encounter Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool not responding error.
Need for Technical Assistance: When using the ‘Inbox Repair Tool’ to repair the .pst file, you need to be aware of the location of your PST file. Also, when recovering items using the built-in repair tool, you need to manually create a new PST and drag each recovered item individually to the new PST. Performing all these steps can be confusing for first-time users. Thus, technical assistance may be required to run the tool.
No Option to Export PST File to Other Formats: Sometimes, you may need to export the repaired file to other formats such as RTF, PDF, MSG, Office 365, etc. But, the built-in repair tool does not have any provision to export the resultant file into any other format.

To Repair Outlook You can also refer the Manual Guide

You can overcome these limitations, by using a specialized Outlook PST repair tool.

How to Repair Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, & 2003 through Automated Method?

If ScanPST.exe doesn’t work for you, use Stellar Repair for Outlook software to repair PST file to overcome its limitations. Here’s how:

Ensures Complete PST File Recovery: The software can troubleshoot PST file related issues. With an advanced scan engine, the software can parse through severely corrupt PST file and recover the file data in its original and intact form.
Repairs in Few Clicks: It allows repairing a corrupt PST file in three steps: ‘Select’, ‘Repair’, and ‘Preview and Save’.
Does not Require Technical Assistance: The interface of the software is easy to navigate and helps perform the repair process in a straightforward manner.
Multiple File Saving Options: With this Outlook repair tool, you can save the repaired file in multiple formats such as EML, MSG, RTF, HTML and PDF formats. The technician version of the software also allows saving of the resultant file in Office 365.

Detailed Steps to Repair PST File by Using Stellar Repair for Outlook Software

Download and install the software. Once installed, run the software and follow these steps to perform PST file repair:
Step 1: In Select PST File for Repair window, browse or find PST file to repair, and then click Repair.

select corrupt pst file — Figure 2: Browse & Find button to select or Search for Corrupt PST File

Step 2: The software scans the selected file and shows a preview of repaired file in the three-pane structure.

preview repaired Outlook pst file — Figure 3: Previews Repaired File Components

Step 3: Click Save Repaired File on Home menu. From the Save As dialog box, choose PST under Save As and select the destination where you want to save the file. Click OK.

multiple file saving options — **Figure 4: File Saving Options**

The repaired file will get saved at the selected location.

At a very nominal price, this software repairs PST files with precision and recovers data stored within them safely. This is the most recommended PST Repair software by MVP.

Conclusion

Like all other Outlook versions, Outlook 2016 and 2019 PST file can also turn corrupt due to large size, hardware or software issues, virus infection, etc.

You can try repairing Outlook manually by using Outlook built-in repair tool. But there are a few downsides to using the ‘ScanPST.exe’ utility. It requires investing a lot of manual effort and time in fixing the file, and might not even deliver expected results. But, using the best PST repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Outlook software can help you quickly and efficiently repair Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007.

Was this article helpful?

YES0

About The Author

Eric Simson

Eric Simson is an Email Platform Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 6 years. He writes about the latest technology tips and provides custom solutions related to MS Outlook, MS Exchange Server, Office 365, and many other Email Clients & Servers.

61 comments

Marianne McCready says:

May 24, 2016 at 3:40 am

Hello, I am sick with worry. I deleted a pst file at work it was about 4.5 GB size. I also deleted it from the trash can. I tried to recover it with Recuva. 1st time I ran receive it found the file in great shape but I had trouble saving it to my removable flash drive – the flash drive had enough room but found out because it was FAT and not NTFS it couldn’t save that big of a file. Didn’t know it at the time so I shut off the computer until I could figure out what to do. When I ran receive again with a NTFS flash drive, the pst file had been overwritten and was then in a poor state for recovery per recuva. I downloaded the file anyway to my flash drive. Do you think Stellar will be able to fix this file and make it usable again. I am absolutely desperate. I left Stellar running on the file on a different computer that the one I lost the file on. I’m not sure yet what it has found, but from what I read, I won’t know if the data is recoverable until I pay. I’m not sure I like those odds. I read a review on Amazon that said the individual didn’t know until he paid that Stellar couldn’t make his pst useful again and the satisfaction guarantee was contingent on undisclosed parameters.

Reply
Eric Simson says:

May 6, 2016 at 10:48 am

Hi Christian,
It is a common issue in MS Outlook. Sometimes, any virus or bug is responsible to empty the content of EXE file. In this situation, you can’t run this utility.

In a real-world scenario, PST file is easily prone to damage because of several reasons like the power outage, virus, bad settings with firewall priority etc.

Of course, Outlook 2016 PST file size limit is 50 GB but users should keep their Outlook data file in lighter form by using the manual archive or compact procedure. It helps to maintain the performance of Outlook effectively.

You can try free software (Stellar Viewer for Outlook). It shows the content of damaged PST file for depth analysis. If it seems suitable then you can opt full version of PST repair software to repair Outlook 2016 files.

Reply
Christian Robinson says:

May 5, 2016 at 3:58 am

I found that my ScanPST.exe is empty, which is getting terminated and is not able to execute repair operation even after trying it many times. My Outlook file size is just 6 GB.

I’m not able to understand How my PST file could get damaged at 6 GB only as I read at many places PST file storage limit is 50 GB in Outlook 2016.

Reply
David Moore says:

April 13, 2016 at 1:57 am

Yesterday, I found that Outlook wasn’t connecting through genuine combination of username and password. At my end, I removed old account in Outlook 2016 and created a new one account with IMAP protocol. Then I have added an old PST file. But, I didn’t receive emails of old PST file.

I have used Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) twice to repair Outlook 2016 emails but unable to find missing emails in Outlook.

Please suggest.

Reply
1. Eric Simson says:
  
  April 13, 2016 at 10:55 am
  
  Hi David,
  The main problem which we can figure out with your query is related to your old PST file.
  
  You should make sure that the new Outlook data file is set as default. After that, it is required to remove the old data file for this IMAP account. However, you can take backup of old file at another location. Now, open the Outlook account to confirm that it freezes or not.
  
  If problem still exists, then create a new Outlook profile for this new IMAP account and set new profile as default.
  
  To avoid clash with old PST file, you can import the old emails into new data file.
  
  Reply
Nicole Jones says:

February 9, 2016 at 5:19 am

I am trying to run “Inbox Repair Tool” in MS Outlook but it denies initiating email repair process.

Can you explain the reason of this one annoying situation?

Reply
Christopher says:

November 19, 2015 at 10:21 am

Hi

I am using Outlook 2016 on windows 10. From last few days I am facing issues with my PST file. As I opened my Outlook PST file I am unable to open it. Could you please guide me the way to access it?

Reply
1. Ankur says:
  
  November 19, 2015 at 10:42 am
  
  Hello Christopher,
  
  It would be really great if you share the size of PST file.
  
  Reply
  1. Christopher says:
    
    November 19, 2015 at 10:43 am
    
    PST file size is approx. 40 GB.
  2. Ankur says:
    
    November 19, 2015 at 10:50 am
    
    Size of your PST file is too large. Large sized PST files are more prone to corruption. Such kind of issues user’s faces when there Outlook PST file got corrupt. Same is happened with you, your PST file is Corrupt.
    
    To access PST file I would recommended opting for Stellar Repair for Outlooksoftware.
  3. Christopher says:
    
    November 19, 2015 at 10:51 am
    
    Could you please share more details to get this software. I also want to know whether software provides any demo version to their users.
  4. Ankur says:
    
    November 19, 2015 at 10:53 am
    
    Yes, software demo version is free to use and allows seeing preview of repaired PST file. You can download software from here:
    http://www.stellarinfo.com/outlook-pst-file-recovery.htm
    
    Please try it, still if you face any issue, feel free to contact us.
Izzac says:

October 28, 2015 at 6:31 am

I’m Outlook 2007 user on Windows 7. I am fronting corrupt PST file issue and want to get back access to my Outlook. I want to use the recommended Stellar Outlook PST Repair software. But it will be great if you could tell me what is the difference between demo and registered version of the software?

Reply
1. Ankur says:
  
  October 28, 2015 at 6:55 am
  
  Hello Izzac,
  
  Functioning of the demo version & registered version is same. Only difference is in file saving options. Demo version doesn’t provide saving options. Using demo version of PST repair software you can see only previews of repaired PST file. To save repaired PST you have to register the product by using the software activation key.
  
  Reply
KitPark says:

October 21, 2015 at 9:51 am

Could you please suggest me how can I get back access to my Outlook mailbox? Recently I repaired my corrupt Outlook PST using scanpst.exe. It repaired my corrupt PST but would not show me the repaired data in recover PST file. I am too much worried and don’t know whether I would be able to get back access to my PST or not. Please provide me solution!

Reply
1. Ankur says:
  
  October 21, 2015 at 9:52 am
  
  Scanpst.exe is a free utility provided by Microsoft with some drawbacks due to which sometimes, it does not give promising results. Along, there is risk of data loss. But you don’t worry, we will provide you complete assistance in getting your access back to your email.
  
  To repair your corrupt PST, I would suggest you to opt for Stellar Repair for Outlooksoftware. Scan and repair your corrupt Outlook PST using recommended tool and I am sure you can access your PST without any hindrance. Moreover recommended PST repair software will not do any alteration in original data. You can download tool from official webpage and can see preview of recovered PST in demo version.
  
  Free Demo Version is available at: http://www.stellarinfo.com/outlook-pst-file-recovery.htm
  
  Reply
  1. KitPark says:
    
    October 23, 2015 at 8:05 am
    
    Thanks for providing me the solution to repair my corrupt PST file. I used the recommended software and get access back to my PST.
    
    Recommended
GreekBob says:

September 28, 2015 at 3:48 am

I recently migrate to Windows 10 and using Outlook email application. Every time I tried to open my Outlook it displays a pop up with error message Outlook PST file is not recognized. Could you please suggest me solution!

Reply
1. Ankur says:
  
  September 28, 2015 at 3:53 am
  
  To answer your request I would like to know which version of Outlook you are using.
  
  Another thing I also want to know that whether you witness same issue with Outlook before migration. It will help me to resolve your problem precisely.
  
  Thanks
  
  Reply
  1. GreekBob says:
    
    September 28, 2015 at 4:41 am
    
    I am using Outlook 2013 as email client.
    
    I was not facing issue before migration. Before migration it is working perfectly fine. Recently when I logged in to Outlook then it is displaying the error of “Outlook PST file is not recognized”.
  2. Ankur says:
    
    September 28, 2015 at 5:13 am
    
    Hello GreekBob,
    
    It looks like the issue of PST file corruption. You don’t need to worry at all. Such kind of errors has been reported in past as well and usually happen when user upgrade their Windows OS or change Outlook versions.
    
    As a solution I would suggest you to repair your corrupt outlook .pst file using “Scanpst.exe” or alternatively you can also use Stellar Outlook PST Repair. Software will surely resolve your issue.
    
    Thanks
Raymond says:

September 25, 2015 at 2:52 am

I found that some emails are missing from Outlook Mailbox, but I am unable to find SanPST.exe into Outlook 2016 on Windows 10 PC.

Can you show the exact path?

Reply
1. Ankur says:
  
  September 25, 2015 at 3:25 am
  
  Like previous versions, MS Outlook 2016 also encapsulates with ScanPST.exe at predefined location.
  
  Depends on Windows System type (32 or 64 bit), it varies as follows :
  
  32-bit Windows 10 PC
  
  Windows; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\
  
  64-bit Windows 10 PC
  
  64-bit Windows; C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\
  
  We hope, you would be able to find required executable file (ScanPST.exe).
  
  Thanks
  
  Reply
  1. Raymond says:
    
    September 26, 2015 at 3:53 am
    
    Thank You Ankur!
    
    I appreciate your efforts for providing useful information to repair Outlook 2016 files.