Are you unable to open PST file? Is it corrupted? You must be looking for a way to repair PST file. You have come to the right place!
In my previous post, I have discussed the most common reasons for PST file corruption. Now in this article, I will help you learn how to repair PST file by using the Inbox Repair tool. If you are a new Outlook user, you must not be familiar with this term. So let us understand this term and find how it can actually help you to repair PST file.
Inbox Repair Tool – Scanpst Utility
Do not get confused with Inbox Repair Tool and Scanpst Utility since both are the same thing. Since a PST file is prone to corruption, Microsoft provides a built-in repair tool called Inbox Repair tool aka Scanpst utility. It works as a first-aid-kit when corruption occurs in PST files due to any reason. We have already discussed the most common reasons for PST file corruption previously in one of the previous posts. What exactly the Inbox Repair tool does is it scans corrupt PST files and fixes all the errors and issues. And then it creates a new PST file containing all the mailbox data. It is very easy to use the Inbox Repair tool. But before we can learn how to use that, we must know the location of Scanpst utility.
Locate Scanpst Utility
The exact location of the Scanpst exe file depends on your Microsoft Outlook version and the installation type. It also depends on which version of Windows you have installed it, i.e. 32-bit or 64-bit. Below are the default locations of Scanpst utility as per your Outlook and Windows versions:
Microsoft Office 365 / Outlook 2019
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\office16
Microsoft Outlook 2016
32-bit Windows C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16
64-bit Windows C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16
64-bit Outlook C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16
Click-to-Run C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\office16
Microsoft Outlook 2013
32-bit Windows C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15
64-bit Windows C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15
64-bit Outlook C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15
Click-to-Run C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\office15
Microsoft Outlook 2010
32-bit Windows C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
64-bit Windows C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14
64-bit Outlook C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
Microsoft Outlook 2007
32-bit Windows C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
64-bit Windows C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12
Use Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst Utility) to Repair PST File
Once you have successfully located the Scanpst utility, double click it and follow the steps given below:
Step 1: Click the Browse and select the PST file that you want to repair. Click Start to start the scanning process.
Step 2: The scanning process is being conducted. Please do not cancel the process.
Step 3: Once the scanning process is completed, you will see a scanning report that shows the number of errors found in the PST file.
Note: If you want to make a backup of a scanned file before repairing, there is an option.
Step 4: Now click Repair to start the actual repairing process. This process may take some time (sometimes more than half an hour).
Step 5: If everything goes smoothly, the repairing process will be completed successfully. Now click OK to close it and start Microsoft Outlook again.
Please note that if the Inbox Repair tool fails to repair PST file, you should try running it again. If it fails repeatedly, you can create a new PST file but still, you can access the file in Outlook, you can create a new PST file and copy all the content to the new file. In case you cannot do anything to fix corrupt PST file, you should consider using a professional solution. There are many vendors in the online marketplace that provide PST Recovery software. You can try any of them to repair PST file. Most of them are available with the free demo version.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned about the Inbox Repair tool, how to locate it, and how to use it to repair PST file. Remember, the Inbox Repair tool may fail to repair PST file if it is severely corrupted. In such a situation, it is better to consider using a professional solution to repair PST file.