PST files or Personal Storage Table files, allow users of Microsoft Outlook email client to store their email messages and other personal information. It is the main storage file for the Outlook client and if it gets damaged, then users are left stranded until the file gets recovered.
Microsoft Outlook is the most widely used email and personal information management client in the world, which is not only used by individuals but also by organisations looking for an efficient way to manage the emails that are exchanged within a work group, a department or the whole organisation. Users are not only able to manage their email accounts, they are also able to create calenders, tasks to do, manage their address book or contacts, maintain a journal and browse the web if they wish to do so. A Personal Storage Table or PST file, allows users to save all their information such as emails, file attachments, personal information and desired Outlook configurations. When the file gets damaged or corrupted, the all the information stored in the file becomes inaccessible. This leads to significant data loss which can cause serious problems for the users. When a PST file becomes damaged, the Outlook application also stops working properly, which can make it difficult for users to work on the client properly. Users then need to use the PST repair tool provided by Microsoft in the form of Outlook Inbox Repair Tool. The utility scans the PST file in question and allows users to recover the information from it. In order to start repairing the file, you first need to run the Inbox Repair Tool, which is also refered to as, ‘scanpst.exe’. This can be done by clicking on the ‘Find’ option from the ‘Start’ menu. When the ‘Find’ page opens, type ‘scanpst.exe’ in the named search bar after selecting the ‘Files and Folders’ option. When the application shows, double click on it to run it. When the tool opens, type in the name of the PST file you want to repair on the given box or you can select the desired file using the browsing options. Before the PST repair process begins, you must make sure that the application creates the back-up of the file just in case something goes wrong. When you click the ‘Start’ option, the application begins by first scanning the PST file for errors, of which it later gives a detailed report which can be viewed from the ‘Details’ option. At this point, you can either quit the application or start the repair process, which might take some time depending on the size of the PST file. You must keep it mind that even if the tool succeeds in repairing the PST file, some of the information stored on the file might still be missing. The lost information cannot be recovered. Now, you will know that the PST file is repaired when the repair tool displays a message informing that the file has been repaired. You can also check whether the contents of the file have been recovered by accessing the Outlook application and opening the PST file from the folder list. PST repair can also be performed using third party software such as DataNumen’s DataNumen Outlook Repair tool which works just as nicely as the Microsoft in-built utility does.