Everything You Need to Know about PST Recovery Process of Corrupted or Damaged PST File 

The Personal Folders File, also known as PST, is one of the biggest problems of Microsoft Outlook. As Microsoft is aware of this problem, they provide a built-in tool with Microsoft Outlook known as Inbox Repair. This tool will help you fix damaged or corrupted PST files.

In most cases, running the corrupted PST file through the Microsoft Inbox Repair will help you solve the problem. However, you might not be lucky all the time. Sometimes, the PST file corruption problem is so severe that you need to take extra measures to recover the lost items. Some people go through the DIY process, whereas some hire professionals to recover their lost data.

Top 4 Reasons That Cause PST File Corruption 

There are various reasons behind the PST file corruption. Even though the problems might seem massive, there is always some crucial way to restore your essential data. Here are some common reasons:

• System Barriers
• Massive PST File
• Virus Intrusion
• Spurious Tool
• Now PST File Creation

How does the Repairing Process of the Microsoft Outlook PST File Work?

The Inbox Repair Tool of Microsoft Outlook is hidden deep within the installation folder of Microsoft Office. Therefore, you need to pay extra attention while finding it. Even though the finding process is time-consuming, you cannot solve your problem without the Inbox Repair tool. Once you know the exact location, you need to run the Inbox Repair tool. All you need to do is choose the corrupted PST file and run it through the repair software.

The Inbox Repair creates an option to develop a backup of the corrupted PST file. Don’t forget to choose it since you need to create a copy to retrieve the missing data.

• Exit Microsoft Outlook completely.
• Open the file explorer of your computer. Keep in mind that the version or UI of the file explorer is dependent on the version of Windows you are using. After that, navigate through the two folders known as Windows 64-bit and Windows 32-bit. These folder paths are applicable to Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 365. As per Forbes, Microsoft Office 365 can enhance data security. If you’re operating an older Outlook version, you need to choose Office12, Office14, or Office15 folders instead.
• After that, locate the file labeled as SCANPST and fun the file as administrator.
• Use the browse option to choose the Outlook PST file you’re planning to repair. If you’re unaware of the location of the PST file, use the Windows Search option by pressing Windows+S. After that, search using the name followed by the .PST file extension. This way you will know the location of the file.

Just like this, open Microsoft Outlook and go to Files>Account Settings>Data Files to view the current location of the PST file. Don’t forget to close the application after that.

• Select the option Start. Upon clicking this, the Inbox Repair Tool will start checking the PST files for any issues. The process is time-consuming.
• Don’t forget to check the button named Make a backup of scanned file before repairing and select the option Repair.
• After that, select the option OK to finish repairing the damaged PST file.

Recover Lost and Found Files

The PST recovery is undoubtedly one of the most important issues people face. Sometimes, the Inbox Repair tool of Microsoft Outlook repairs a severely corrupted PST file. If the tool is unable to replace any relevant repaired items in their original locations or folders, the tool will stack them in the Lost and Found folder under the Recovered Personal Folders label. This is the only way to recover the damaged or lost data.

You can recover these essential items by developing a new PST data file in Outlook. After that, move all the content from the Lost and Found folder to the newly created PST data file.

• Open Outlook and choose the Home tab. After that, you will see a menu next to the New Email option. Click on More Items and choose the option Outlook Data File.
• Choose the Outlook Data File and press OK.
• Specify a relevant location on your system, enter the PST file’s name and click on OK.
• Select the three dots on the lower-left corner of the Windows and choose Folders to switch the sidebar of Outlook to the Folder List view.
• Drag all the contents within Recovered Personal Folders into the new PST data file.

Once you’re done with this process, you will be able to remove the Recovered Personal Folders or the Lost and Found folder from Outlook.

Recover Additional Problems from PST

If you notice any missing files within the repaired PST data file, you need to know some additional methods. If you cannot find these files within the Lost and Found folder, make sure you try to retrieve them from the backup copy of the original. This way you can import the essential contents within the relevant file without damaging any items that the Recovered Personal Folders already recovered. Check out TechnoBurst.

• Copy the damaged backup of the PST file to your desktop.
• Change the name of the extension from .BAK to .PST.

If you cannot find the file extension, search for the File menu within the File Explorer window. After that, select the change folder and search options. After that, switch to the View tab and deselect the option Hide extensions for identified file types.

• Open the option named File menu and choose Open & Export > Import/Export.
• Select the option Import from another program or file and choose the option Next.
• Choose the Outlook Data File (.pst) and choose Next.
• Choose Browse. After that, select the backup copy of the damaged PST file (the file you renamed in the previous step).
• Choose Do not import duplicates and select Next.
• Choose the box next to Include subfolders. After that, choose the Import folders into the same folder. This way you can pick the data file or account that you need to import your items into.
• Choose Finish

Once Microsoft Outlook is done importing the items, you will be able to confirm if the previously missed data is now present. If not, consider running the Inbox Repair tool from scratch.

Conclusion

This is everything you need to know about the repairing process of the damaged or corrupted PST file. Do you have any other questions? Make sure you comment below to let us know.