Outlook - Repair OutlookNow You Can Fix or Recover Outlook PST Files in Minutes

If you are reading this, you are probably having some troubles with your PST file. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you fix the problem fast.

You can use recovery tools to fix the problem or you can attempt a manual fix. Just choose your preferred option from the list below.

Outlook Recovery Software

In most cases, Outlook recovery software is the fastest and easiest way to restore a corrupt or damaged inbox. These are powerful tools that can fix many problems. If you have any of the following problems, we recommend that you try out the download, which you can find here at no cost.

Use PST Recovery software to fix:

  • Corrupt or damaged PST files and inboxes
  • Oversized PST files
  • Frozen or locked PST files and inboxes
  • Lost or missing Outlook passwords
  • Missing or deleted Outlook email

Check out the download for PST repair on this page. Otherwise, you can try the manual fixes listed below.

Manually Fixing Outlook Problems

You are here probably due to a serious Outlook error, or a corrupt inbox. So for this reason, we have listed the more serious problems first, to help you quickly identify and fix, because there is nothing worse than losing your email and contacts.

Corrupt Outlook Inbox

This problem can be a real nightmare. Either your Outlook won’t open, or it reports a corrupted/damaged inbox. If you have this problem, the only way that I can see out of it, is to run a third party repair tool or the Microsoft repairt ool.

Using Scanpst.exe to fix Outlook Problems

There is a tool in Microsoft called Scanpst.exe. You can run this over your PST file to see if it fixes the problem. Hopefully it will.

The location of this tool can be difficult to find. Depending on your system, it should be in a similar location to this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033\SCANPST.EXE

Once you have located this file, just double-click to start it. You then just select the location of the inbox to repair. You will need to know the location of your Outlook PST file. You can get the location of the PST file by right-clicking your inbox and select properties. Then you click on the advanced tab. You should see the location.

If you can’t open Outlook, the default location of the PST file, will be something like:

For XP

C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Vista and Windows 7

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

Once you know the location of your PST file, it is a good idea to also make a backup. Once you run scanpst.exe over your inbox, if successful you will be able to view mail again. If not, you will need a third party repair program. You can read our review of Stellar PST Repair, if you want a solution that works extremely well.

Cannot Find Outlook PST File / Missing PST File

Sometimes your PST file will change locations or you may have initially been setup with a non-default location for your PST files. If this is the case, you need to find your PST files and move them back to their original location or remap your account via Outlook.

For example, if you had PST files in a non-standard location, if Outlook was re-installed or your profile was moved to another machine, when you setup Outlook it won’t find your files. It might appear as if your email is all gone, but don’t worry it can be found. Assuming it hasn’t been deleted. You can also use third party tools to manage this.

First you need to find your PST file. The best way is to do a search in Windows, using “*.pst” as the search term. Once you have located large PST files, you should be able to identify which one is yours. Now you just need to remap in Outlook.

To point Outlook to your PST file:

  • In Outlook, click Tools->Options
  • Click Email accounts under the Mail Setup tab
  • On Data files, click Add
  • Select the PST option
  • Find the location of your old PST file
  • Set as Default
  • Done – Don’t forget to restart Outlook

Oversized PST File

This was quite an issue with the earlier versions of Outlook. If you are using anything earlier than Outlook 2007, then you might experience this problem. The filesize limits for Outlook files were 2Gigabytes. Once you hit this limit, your Outlook will die. Well not quite, it will open, but you can forget about receiving any email. Generally you won’t receive any error messages either….thanks Microsoft!!

The filesize problem in Outlook is only relevant to users with imap accounts. This is where the restriction is placed. If you are using POP3 accounts, then your PST file can grow beyond the 2GB limit. If you have hit the limit though, there are some steps you can take to fix this.

  1. Check the filesize of your PST file
  2. Ensure that you have an imap account
  3. If you have hit 2GB and no longer receiving email, you will need to start deleting
  4. Delete or move mail accordingly, you might need to do this on the server
  5. Alternatively, you can split an oversize PST file, with an Outlook Repair Tool (see bottom of page)

Because of the oversize file issues, it is a good idea to archive your email on a regular basis. This will stop oversize file problems from occuring. Then by the time you upgrade to Windows Vista onwards, with Outlook 2007, it won’t be a problem.

Email not being delivered

If you are not receiving email in Outlook, there are several culprits that could be causing the problem. Luckily this is not a serious problem. Only in rare circumstances was it due to a corrupt inbox. If your inbox is corrupt or if you suspect that to be the case, run a scan immediately with scanpst, or with a third party repair tool.

Common reasons for email not being delivered.

  • No connection to server, lack of connectivity. Check your internet connection.
  • Oversized PST file. This is very common cause for email to stop being delivered.
  • Exchange server problems. There could be problems with the remote server that you connect to. Try again later on.

Oversized outlook imap files are usually the problem when email stops. You don’t receive any error messages and Outlook opens up fine. However, you will not receive any email, even though it all seems good. If this is the case, you need to check the filesize and take appropriate action.

Cannot Open Outlook

There are several causes to this problem. Unfortunately this can be a severe problem, due to a corrupt inbox or PST file. If you do have a corrupt file this will usually be reported to you in some way or another. If Outlook is just starting and crashing, you should first reboot your computer, then try again.

If the problem persists and you cannot fix. We recommend you try the step above for corrupt inbox. You will need to use some kind of repair tool in order to retrieve your email.

Other reasons for not being able to open Outlook include:

  • Invalid shortcut or file pointer
  • Oversized PST file
  • Spyware or Malware
  • Damaged inbox
  • Missing PST file

Check that your PST file is in the right location and run a spyware scan on your computer if necessary.

Cannot Send Email in Outlook

Generally if you cannot send email in Outlook, this is a minor problem. It usually is not caused by a corrupt or damaged PST file. The general cause is connectivity or remote server problems. In probably 80% of the cases I have seen, it is the remote server down. Occasionally Windows can play up and a simple reboot fixes the problem.

If you cannot send email, the possible causes and solutions are:

  • Check connectivity, ensure you are connected to the internet
  • Check account setings, make sure SMTP settings are correct
  • Check remote server, contact your IT admin to make sure it is up and running

Cannot Remember Outlook Password

If you have forgotten your Outlook password or if you need to access and Outlook account, there is only one option here. You need a third party tool, eg: Stellar Outlook Repair. This product can provide access to accounts that are password protected. We have never required this service, but we do know that it can be done quickly and easily.

Outlook Times Out

A very common problem in Outlook and very annoying. Outlook can timeout for a number of reasons. Generally due to lack of connectivity, remote server problems or a corrupt inbox. You might see a number of associated errors with this problem. Below are some steps that you can try to resolve these problems. If the steps below do not resolve the errors, you might require an Outlook repair tool.

Sometimes when connecting to the mail server, Outlook can timeout because the timeout setting for your account is set too low. To remedy this, do the following:

  • Click Tools->Account Settings
  • Select the account that is timing out
  • Click More Settings->Advanced tab
  • Here you can increase the timeout to a higher number

If that did not fix the problem, ensure that you are properly connected and that the remote server is not having problems. Otherwise, if you suspect a corrupt inbox, try the Outlook repair tool.

Third Party Repair Tools

If you need a quick fix for a corrupted inbox, or the solutions above did not work, you should try an Outlook repair tool. This software can recover corrupt, damaged or missing Outlook PST files in 95% of cases. The free scan model first notifies you of what can be recovered. We highly recommend such a tool for anyone that needs to recover email fast. With Outlook, you will also recover contacts, notes, calendar and everything else in your PST.

Just be sure to always use a trusted third party product. Some software can be harmful. I have personally used Stellar Outlook PST repair on various occasions and it has always worked great. You can find this in our downloads section, or you can read a review about this application here.