The PST (Personal Storage Table) file is widely used in Microsoft Outlook to store emails, contacts, calendar events, and other data. But if the PST file gets corrupted, you can’t access your Outlook emails or other important data.
In this guide, we will discuss different methods to recover corrupt PST files and restore lost data.
Part 1: Identifying Issues with PST Files
The first step in recovering a corrupt PST file is identifying the issue causing the corruption. There are several common causes of corruption including virus/malware infections, improper shutdowns, hard drive failures, etc.
To identify what caused the corruption of your PST file, follow these steps:
1. Check Event Viewer logs for any errors related to Outlook or other email clients.
2. Ensure that the latest service packs and security updates have been applied on all computers.
3. Check for any hardware issues like hard drive failures, bad sectors, etc.
4. Make sure Outlook and Windows are running with the latest versions.
5. Check whether you have performed any manual changes to system settings or registry entries that might have caused PST corruption.
Part 2: Repair Corrupt PST File Using Scanpst Tool
The easiest way to repair a corrupt PST file is by using the ScanPST tool which is installed along with Microsoft Outlook by default. It helps you detect and fix minor problems in the PST file without having to manually search for errors in the code or structure of the file itself.
Here’s how to use it:
1. Open the ScanPST tool from the Outlook installation folder.
2. Select the PST file you want to repair and click on the “Start” button.
3. The tool will start scanning your PST file for errors and try to fix them automatically.
4. Once the process is complete, restart Outlook and check if the issue has been resolved or not.
Part 3: Recover Corrupt PST Files with Professional Software
If the ScanPST tool fails to resolve the issue, you can opt for professional third-party software that offers powerful features to repair corrupt PST files quickly and efficiently. These tools are equipped with advanced algorithms which help in repairing severely corrupted PST files that cannot be fixed using a native utility like ScanPST.
Here’s how to use such software:
1. Download and install the software on your computer.
2. Select the corrupt PST file you want to repair and click the “Repair” button.
3. The tool will start scanning your PST file for errors and try to fix them automatically.
4. Once the process is complete, restart Outlook and check if the issue has been resolved or not.
5. You can also preview all recovered items before saving them to another location in different formats like MSG, EML, and HTML etc.
Part 4: Prevention of PST File Corruptions
The best way to handle a corrupt PST file is through prevention. Here are some tips to prevent PST corruption:
1. Regularly back up your Outlook data including emails, contacts, calendar items, etc.
2. Always close outlook properly and try not to use it while the system is running on battery power.
3. Avoid using third-party add-ins or programs that might interfere with Outlook’s performance.
4. Make sure all security updates are installed regularly and perform regular maintenance tasks like disk cleaning, defragmenting etc.
5. In case of a hard drive crash or virus infection, immediately disconnect the computer from the network to prevent further damage.
Conclusion:
Corrupt PST files can be a huge inconvenience and cause data loss if not addressed properly. It is important to take preventive measures such as regularly backing up your data, updating security patches and avoiding third-party add-ons to minimize the risk of PST corruption. If the issue does arise, you can use either the ScanPST tool or professional software to repair the file and recover your data.
Corrupt PST files can be quite frustrating especially when important data is lost. But with the help of the ScanPST tool as well as professional third-party software, you can easily repair corrupt PST files and recover lost data. Additionally, you should always take preventive measures to ensure that your Outlook data remains safe and secure.