For instructions about how to unhide files and folders, see your operating system documentation. After renaming the file successfully, you can then launch your Outlook program. You’ll find a new .PST file at the default location on your hard drive. If ScanPST determines that a specific block of the structure or table is unreadable or corrupted, ScanPST removes it. If that block was part of a specific item in Outlook, the item will be removed when it is validated.

Repair your .pst file quickly with our proven tool

The folders might just be empty and redundant, or they might contain recovered data that Outlook couldn’t place in its original locations. The Inbox Repair Tool is an in-built utility from Microsoft to overcome the Outlook PST file corruption issues. Users can look at this now fix Outlook PST files using this utility, but firstly you need to locate the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) in their system. We are going to share a table below with the default location of this utility for different Outlook versions, like Outlook 2010, 2013, or 2019. In addition, it turns into leading Outlook errors, which might affect overall productivity and efficiency and can increase downtime. Therefore, users should put some effective solutions into action to deal with inaccessible or damaged PST files as soon as they encounter Outlook issues.

Step 1 - Exit Outlook and start the Inbox Repair tool

Use the Browse button to  choose the Outlook Data File (.pst) you need to scan — find the file based on Outlook Login Issues Troubleshooting the locations in step 2 above. This utility is not the professionals’ recommendation, as it comes with a lot of drawbacks. Before implementing this method to fix Outlook PST files, read its limitations for more insight.

Situations When You Need to Repair Outlook Data File Without SCANPST

To avoid data loss, EdbMails OST to PST converter provides a reliable way to recover mailbox content from damaged or orphaned files. It converts the data into PST format, which can be easily opened in Outlook without Fix Outlook and Office 365 Errors 2025 needing access to the original account. The Inbox Repair Tool can’t always recover a heavily corrupted .pst file.

Locating the Outlook Data Files

• ScanPST mostly validates and corrects errors in the internal data structures of a .pst file.
• At a higher level, the more visible changes that you see involve folders and messages.
• However, deleting the PST file isn’t ideal as you may lose some mailbox items.
• After renaming the file successfully, you can then launch your Outlook program.
• In addition, it turns into leading Outlook errors, which might affect overall productivity and efficiency and can increase downtime.

If it does not work, then unfortunately, you will be unable to recover any additional information. If you could open the file, the following procedure may help you recover additional items from your damaged Personal Folders (.pst) file. To start, create a new Personal Folders (.pst) file entry in your profile. Then, you can move the recovered items to your new Personal Folders (.pst) file. If you do not know where the .pst file is located, follow the steps in How to locate, move, or back up your .pst file. To start the Inbox Repair tool manually, locate one of the folders by using Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then double-click the Scanpst.exe file.

Shortcomings of the Inbox Repair Tool

If you’re tried using it with no luck, the best fix might be a third-party tool. The Inbox Repair tool is built to diagnose and repair many potential errors with Outlook data files, but it isn’t always the best solution. For example, it can’t help if your file was permanently deleted or corrupted beyond its repair abilities. After running SCANPST.EXE, you might find a folder called Recovered Personal Folders in your files that contains your default Outlook folders or a Lost and Found folder.