How Do You Repair The Outlook PST File In Windows 11?

Microsoft Outlook undoubtedly dominates the niche of email clients, and its flawless performance depends solely on the health of PST (Personal Storage Table) files. Touted as Outlook’s nucleus, PST files store crucial data files like email messages, contacts, calendar events, and tasks.

But sometimes, these crucial PST files can get corrupted due to common issues, causing operational issues in Outlook.

Such corruption issues not only halt daily chores but also pose the risk of data loss. Therefore, the user must repair the corrupt PST file and make it healthy again to avoid major issues.

In this blog, we will explore reasons that pave the way for corruption issues in Outlook PST files. We will also teach methods to resolve corruption issues. 

This post will also explain how to use a PST repair tool if nothing works. I am wondering how you repair the Outlook PST file in Windows 11. Follow our step-by-step guide.

Understanding the Error and its Reasons

Before you understand how to repair Outlook PST file, it is important to learn about the different errors.

Outlook’s PST files keep data organized and manageable, enabling the email client to work efficiently and effectively. Any issue with the integrity of these files can cause irreversible damage to important data. 

In this part of the post, we will examine the factors that can compromise the integrity of PST files. The PST file gets corrupted in the following cases:

• When a PST File Exceeds its Size Limit: Outlook has imposed a size limitation on its PST file. In older versions, the limit was 2 GB, while in current versions, it stands at 50 GB. If the file size breaches the size limit, corruption is inevitable.
• There is a Power Failure: Any power outage while Outlook is working hinders the writing process of the PST file, leading to a corruption issue.
• Outlook Shuts Down Inappropriately: A sudden shutdown of Outlook may cause issues in the Outlook PST file.
• There are Software Conflicts: Compatibility issues between third-party add-ins or antivirus programs may cause faults in the PST file.
• We Save Corrupted Email Attachments: Issues in the PST file may arise when we try to save any corrupt or improperly formatted email attachment.
• We Have Aging PST Files: Without an archiving data folder, the PST file may accumulate loads of data and metadata, leading to corruption issues.
• There Are Network Errors: Network connectivity errors may corrupt the PST files stored on network drives or servers.
• There are Inadequate Backup Procedures: A lack of proper backup mechanisms to safeguard data may lead to corruption issues in the Outlook PST file.

Preventative Measures

Being agile and proactive is the best protection. Follow the below approaches to prevent PST file corruption:

• Backup of PST Files: This is one of the best practices for Outlook users. When we take backups on a regular basis, we ensure that the latest copy of the PST file is always available for backup in case of corruption or data loss. 
• Effective Antivirus: Protect PST files by installing an effective antivirus. 
• E-mail Attachment: Before saving or downloading an email attachment, conduct a proper scan to ensure it is safe and free from malware or corruption. 
• Cracking Compatibility Issues: As agile and proactive users, we must check and resolve compatibility issues between Outlook and other software, such as antivirus software.  
• Use of Trusted Add-Ins: We must use only trusted add-ins sourced from reliable vendors. We must also ensure that these add-ins are compatible with the Outlook version. 
• Archiving Old Data: It is a great approach, as archiving prevents data and metadata from accumulating in aging files.

Repairing Corrupted PST Files

There are two widely used PST file repair methods: repair using the Inbox Repair tool or the SCANPST and repair using a third-party PST repair tool. Below is a step-by-step guide to these popular methods:

Method 1 of How to Repair Outlook Pst File

Using the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST): We can use Outlook’s built-in utility called ScanPST.exe or the Inbox Repair Tool to repair a corrupt PST file. Follow the below steps for the same:

• Leave Outlook and other related processes.
• To navigate to the Run Dialog box, press the Windows key + R, write %program files%/Microsoft Office, and then press Enter.
• Browse to one of the following file locations:

Outlook Versions

2019: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

2016: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

2013: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15

• Locate ScanPST.exe after opening the folder
• Double-click the folder to launch the program
• Press ‘Browse’ to choose the .pst file you want to scan
• Select ‘Start’ to initiate the Outlook PST file-scanning process
• After scanning is done, the ScanPST will display the errors and inconsistencies in the file
• In case of error, choose ‘Repair’ to start the process to fix them
• Close the ScanPST program once the repair process is done and re-launch Outlook
• Now, after a successful ‘Repair’ process, you can access your emails and send/receive new emails

Method 2: Using PST repair software

The main drawback of Scanpst is that it is time-consuming and may take hours to fix the scan and repair process.

This manual approach may result in the user losing crucial data. To save time and ensure the integrity of the PST file, we can use a smart PST repair tool like Outlook PST repair tool, like Stellar Repair to repair a damaged PST file. 

Salient Features of Stellar Repair for Outlook:

• Free Trial Version available with no file size limitation for testing
• Availability of 3 professional Technician and Toolkit to suit your needs and budget
• Efficiently repair corrupt Outlook PST data files
• Capable of recovering all mailbox items like email messages, contacts, tasks, etc., from a corrupt file
• Recover the deleted emails
• Offers an advanced filter option to include/exclude emails
• Offers multiple file-saving options like PST, EML, MSG, RTF, HTML, and PDF formats
• Exports PST to Office 365 post recovery—Technician Version
• Exports the recovered PST to Live Exchange Server—Technician Version
• Splits and compacts the PST file post restoration—Technician Version
• Exports the contacts in CSV–Toolkit Version
• Merges the PST files–Toolkit Version
• Improved scanning and saving speed–Toolkit Version

The Final Notes!

Nothing is wrong with saying that healthy PST files provide the much-needed fuel for Outlook’s flawless functioning. 

Any corruption of these files that store mailbox data, like emails, contacts, tasks, calendar entries, etc., would surely put vital data at risk. Therefore, it is a priority to prevent any Outlook PST error.

The above post discussed several reasons, such as an oversized file size, malware attack, forced Outlook shutdown, etc., that can result in PST file corruption. 

We have also suggested some proactive approaches, such as data archiving, backup of PST files, etc., to prevent corruption issues in the PST file. 

We have also learned that Scanpst or the Inbox Repair Tool is an effective method for repairing a corrupt PST file. However, in some cases, this free utility is unable to fix PST file errors. 

When Scanpst crashes while repairing a damaged file, we can use PST repair software like Stellar Repair for Outlook. This tool has advanced features for recovering all items in mailbox, including email messages, tasks, attachments, etc.

Hopefully we were able to give you a sufficient answer to how to repair outlook pst file. If you have more to add or further questions, do let us know in the comment section below.

Read Also:

• Free Computer Mock Up: Facts You Should Know

• What Does A Computer Programmer Do: Essential Guide

• Computer Monitoring Software: How It Works and Its Benefits