Restore Damaged PST File: 2 Quick Solutions
Tags: restore, pst
Published: 2021-12-08 12:05:53

_Want to restore damaged PST files? Try reading this article carefully to understand the details of fixing the PST file._

Microsoft Outlook is popular, without a doubt. It is also the primary of all desktop email applications available for Windows. Outlook uses the PST file format to store most mailbox items, including emails, contacts, calendars and more. Outlook is usually a secure email client, but its PST file is not the most reliable due to a number of factors.

In many cases, the PST file gets damaged, becomes inaccessible and completely inoperable. For such cases, Outlook provides a repair tool to mend the problem and restore the PST file. Once we understand the common reasons behind Outlook problems, we will discuss the step by step method to restore damaged PST file.

## Common Causes of Outlook PST Problems
Many errors occur in Outlook. You may come across some major ones such as:

- Outlook failed to start;
- Outlook send/receive error;
- Deny access to Outlook data file denied;
- Outlook attachment could not be opened;
- Cyclic redundancy check error, and many more.

Although the most common cause of most Outlook errors is PST file corruption, there are some other factors that can solve user problems. Users can implement these solutions before the restoring process.

- Reset the navigation panel settings.
- Start Outlook in safe mode and eliminate the faulty add-ons.
- Check your antivirus to see if it is blocking the Outlook process.
- Check the Outlook SMTP settings.

If nothing works, use the repair tool for Outlook.

## Restoring Damaged PST File With Repair Programs
To restore PST files using the repair tool provided with MS Outlook, close the Outlook application first. Now backup the problematic PST file. Then follow these steps:

1. On the Windows system, go to the following path: C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Microsoft Office \ root \ Office16

Note: This path may vary as per your Office version. For Office 2013, 2010, 2007, use the path respectively: C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Microsoft Office \ root \ Office15, "Office14", "Office13" "respectively.

2. Find the "Scanpst.exe" file and double click to open the Microsoft Inbox Repair application.

3. Click the "Browse" button, then select the .pst file that needs to be repaired, then click the "Open" button.

4. Click the "Start" button to start scanning Outlook PST files.

5. This tool shows the errors found in the PST file. Click on the "Repair" button to begin restoring the PST file.


![the inbox repair tool](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6qt6u4z3qsn8geqhx0me.png)

After the repair process is complete, open Outlook and check for the PST file problem. The user may have to run the tool multiple times to resolve the issue.

### What If Outlook Inbox PST Repair Tool Does Not Restore the File?
The Scanpst.exe application can mend only small problems with PST files. If the corruption level is too high, it will not work properly. In this case, a third party is required. Such things can not only identify problems with PST files but also restore them regardless of the degree of damage.

A **[trusted PST repair tool](https://www.pstrepairtool.org/)** is the best choice to perform this task. The tool will preview all the contents of the PST file, including email, contacts, etc., immediately after scanning the file. It also gives you the option to selectively restore PST data so that users end up with only the data they need. Various optional functions such as splitting PST files, date filtering, etc. It also helps provide a rich user experience.

![restore damaged pst](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gvo6w88ahk8fikdnem54.png)

To know how to restore damaged PST file, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Outlook PST repair software on the user's system.

2. Click "**Add file**", then add the damaged PST file that needs to be restored.

3. Select the "**Advanced Scan**" mode to thoroughly check for problems in the PST file, then click "**Next**".

4. The software will preview the contents of the PST file. Switch to the "**Export**" button.

5. Now, select “**PST**” from the list of export options, then select the location where these files will be saved after restoration.

6. Apply "**Advanced Settings**" to the PST file, then click "**Export**" to start repairing the PST file.

After the repair process is complete, import the PST file into Outlook to access its content without fail.

### Conclusion
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email clients for Windows PCs. In general, Outlook is known as the best email client but it still has flaws. The PST file that Outlook uses to store mailbox items eventually gets damaged and becomes inaccessible. Even minor damage can lead to data loss and email loss problems.

Therefore, in this article, we have demonstrated the steps to restore damaged PST file using Inbox repair tool. However, for the users who did not get satisfactory results with the manual method, we also provided Outlook PST repair software. This advanced software can easily complete the restoration process. Users can use any solution according to their needs.