How to Repair PST Files in MS Outlook 2010?
Updated On - March 26, 2024
MS Outlook 2010, like other Outlook versions, uses PST format for saving its mailbox data like email messages, tasks, contacts, calendars, etc. Problems with the drive where the PST file is stored result in file corruption, which leads to data loss.
A common cause of Outlook 2010 PST file corruption is the abnormal termination of a PST file when opened in Outlook. This scenario is unavoidable in a case if, either Outlook or Windows crashes or the machine is powered down without quitting Outlook.
A corrupted PST file leads to interruption in MS Outlook, and it prevents users from accessing their mail items or sending/receiving new emails. As an Outlook user, you must learn methods on how to repair PST files.
Reasons why Outlook PST files get corrupted
Basically, the PST file corruption in Outlook 2010 can be divided into two categories
Hardware Corruption:
A problem with the disk drive might not allow the user to either store or transfer data (or both), leading to file corruption. Hardware corruption can be further subcategorized into three categories, which are as follows:
- Drive failure: If the PST file is stored in a bad sector on a faulty drive or running drive out of space, corrupt the PST file and make it useless due to these errors.
- Faulty network hardware: The Outlook PST file resides on a remote network server and can only be accessed from the client’s computer via. Network. In this case, the improper connection between the computer and server network corrupts the PST files.
- Power fluctuations or failures: An abnormal shutdown is the most common cause of corruption which can be easily avoided by employing and investing in power backup devices such as UPS and generators.
Software Corruption:
Software corruption also affects the PST files and is further subdivided into four categories:
- Abnormal Outlook termination: In a normal scenario, user always save the changes to the PST file and then only quit the program. An abnormal shutdown can cause the PST files to corrupt.
- Viruses and other malicious attacks: A virus attack does not specifically damage PST files but affects the whole system. It might make the PST files inaccessible to the user.
There are various methods to repair MS Outlook corrupt PST files which help you in quickly resolving the corrupt PST file issue in Outlook.
The ScanPst.exe is a Microsoft Outlook utility designed to repair problems associated with personal folder (.pst) files. When PST files get corrupted due to any situation, and you are unable to read your data, then you can use it to repair your valuable data.
- Open ScanPst.exe.
- Select Browse to select the Outlook Data File (.pst) you want to scan.
- Choose Start to begin the scan.
- If the scan finds errors, choose Repair to start the process to fix them >
- When the repair is complete, start Outlook
This tool doesn’t guarantee if your PST file is severely damaged or corrupted as it can lead to data loss. To overcome this situation and repair PST files easily, use Recoveryfix for Outlook PST Repair.
As the name suggests, Recoveryfix for Outlook PST Repair is a very efficient data recovery tool, especially meant to recover those troublesome and corrupt PST files which are giving you a hard time.
This tool is your one-stop solution to repair, recover, preview, and save corrupt PST files. This tool is equipped with powerful algorithms that can recover severely damaged, corrupt and even deleted PST files such as emails, calendars, contacts and attachments. Later, the recovered PST data can be saved in MS Outlook or Outlook Express. The PST emails can also be saved to PST or MSG file formats.
Before, we are moving forward to repairing PST files using a tool. We are going to discuss how to find the location of PST files in MS Outlook. However, it is present in the hidden folder and is a bit tricky to locate.
Locating Outlook 2010 PST Files on Your System:
Many Outlook users are unaware of the location of the corrupt/ damaged PST files on their drives. The location of these files depends on the version of Outlook. If you are using MS Outlook 2016 and 2013, then the location can be found here –
C:\users\username\Documents\Outlook Files
If you are using the earlier versions of Outlook like 2010 and 2007, then you can find PST files here –
C:\users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
It is quite easy to find the location of the PST file within the Outlook application itself. In Outlook 2021 (Latest Version), 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010.
- click the File option (which can be found in the menu bar)
- select Account Settings. From the dropdown menu again, select Account Settings.
- select the Data Files option, this will show you the names and locations of all .pst and .ost files.
Now, we have the location where our Outlook PST files are stored. We can now move on to the next step, i.e. PST file recovery, which is quite straightforward.
- Install and launch the software, this opens a user interface.
- Next click on the Browse button. and select the location where your damaged PST files are located. Then Click Next.
- To Save the files of your choice, just check those folders/ files. Then hit Save.
- One can Save the recovered data either in MS Outlook or in Outlook Express. To Save the data in any of the two MS Outlook formats (PSG or MSG), Additionally, it comes with the functionality to Split large files into multiple smaller-sized files. From the dropdown menu, choose the size accordingly and click OK.
- The too now shows the recovery progress (see the progress bar).
- The saved file(s) can be accessed from the Path shown in the message below.
Conclusion
We have discussed ScanPST.exe to repair PST files in Outlook 2010. However, its accuracy depends on the corruption of the PST file. In situations where the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPst.exe) fails, we have given straightforward instructions on how to repair PST files using third-party software Recoveryfix for Outlook PST Repair. We ensure that it recovers all the mailbox items such as emails, calendars, contacts, and attachments and Repair damaged and corrupt PST files.
Read Related Blog
