Best Ways to Unlock & Recover Encrypted PST File Data

Managing sensitive Outlook data often requires password protection. Microsoft Outlook allows users to encrypt PST files with a password to prevent unauthorized access. However, if you forget or lose this password, the encrypted PST file becomes inaccessible, locking away all your important emails, contacts, and calendar entries. In this guide, you’ll learn how to recover data from encrypted PST files in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and older versions. We’ll explore why encryption is used, the limitations of manual recovery, and the best way to restore your Outlook data without losing valuable information.

MS Outlook is the most widely used desktop based email client application for business as well as personal purpose. More than from an email communication application, it acts as a personal manager which can organize and schedule your data in an efficient way. The MS Outlook stores data in PST (personal storage table) file, which includes mailbox data items like emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, journals, to-do list, schedules etc. This Outlook PST file acts as a data repository, which stores your personal information locally on the client machine.

Why Users Need Encryption Protection on PST Files?

Are you eager to know how to recover data from encrypted PST files? But before going further on retrieving emails from encrypted PST file, you should have a clear cut idea about what is encrypted PST file. As we have already said, PST file is locally stored database on the client system. One can independently access it even without having a connection to the server. But sometimes, these PST files might have crucial information regarding personal or business. Here comes the importance or need for protection of PST files from unauthorized access. And Microsoft Outlook provides an option to encrypt PST files using password in-order to safeguard data from illegitimate access and improper data correction or editing.

How to Recover Data from Encrypted PST File?

Protected PST file using password is salutary as long as, user remembers the password (it can also be called as encryption code). The situation becomes worst when you forget or lost this encryption code or the password. This may result in failure of accessing protected or encrypted PST file in your system. Accessing your crucial information, which is safely stored in Outlook PST data file will become inaccessible and lost.

In such situations, the only solution is to recover data from encrypted PST file and store them in normal PST file. Microsoft provides a free inbuilt utility called Inbox Repair tool to resolve Outlook PST file issues. It can fix a minimal level of corruption issues in a personal storage file. But it fails so badly in the case of encrypted PST files. It cannot repair and recover emails from encrypted PST files. That is, you cannot retrieve emails from password protected PST file mailbox if you don’t know the password or encryption code of your PST file.

Retrieve Data from Encrypted PST file Without Password

The perfect solution!!: A professional solution or an Expert service is necessary to recover emails from encrypted PST files or logically corrupted PST data file. SysTools provides an efficient PST Repair Tool to access your data stored in encrypted PST file even without encryption code.

Download Now Purchase Software

More than retrieving mailbox data from encrypted PST files, the Outlook Recovery software provides many other essential features for MS Outlook users. It can resolve PST file issues efficiently. Now, explore the procedure to recover data from encrypted PST file. The process is simple and user-friendly. Follow the steps as discussed below.

1. First and foremost, download the software from the above button and install it in a Windows OS system in your preferred language.
2. Then, Select or search PST file from Add PST option. You can add multiple encrypted or password-protected PST files at a time and press Add button.
   

3. The software scans and load the added encrypted PST file. In this process, the tool will recover data from encrypted PST file.
4. Now you will be provided with a preview of entire mailbox data items in the loaded PST file.
   

Note: This preview panel is so advanced. You can view each data item separately by the Data Item sort option provided in the left side. It also provides the filter, sort and multiple preview formats (emails can be viewed in 7+ formats) etc. You can preview your email, contact, calendar, task and journal attachments in a separate panel by double-clicking them.

5. Now, save the retrieved emails from password protected PST file (encrypted). Press on the Export button on the top.
   

Note: To save only a few selected emails or data items, choose Export Selected option in the top right corner.

6. The software provides 5 different Export option, you can choose the PST option. This allows you to create a new PST file with all the data from your loaded encrypted PST file.
   
7. Select a destination location to store the newly created PST file and press the Export button.
   

Complete!! The software will display the export process followed by the completion message. It then generates a report and displays the success count and also the failure count if any. This efficient tool makes data recovery simple and easy. Most importantly, the new created PST files do not ask for any password while accessing it.

We also provide Mac Outlook Recovery for Mac users. Go to its page to understand its working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I recover an encrypted PST file without the password?

Yes. Manual methods won’t work if the password is lost. You’ll need a specialized recovery tool to unlock and recover data from encrypted PST files.

Q2. Does Microsoft provide any tool to recover encrypted PST files?

No. Microsoft’s Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST) only fixes corruption issues. It cannot decrypt or recover data from password-protected PST files.

Q3. Is it possible to open an encrypted PST file in Outlook directly?

No. Outlook will prompt for the password each time. Without the correct password, the file remains inaccessible.

Q4. Can encrypted PST file recovery cause data loss?

Not with a professional recovery tool. These tools recover emails, attachments, contacts, and calendars safely, even from corrupted PST files.

Q5. Does Outlook 365 support encrypted PST recovery?

Yes. Encrypted PST files can be recovered on all Outlook versions, including Outlook 365, 2019, 2016, and older editions.

Let’s Conclude

Outlook PST file encryption is essential for securing sensitive information, but losing access to a password-protected file can disrupt your workflow. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s built-in tools cannot decrypt or recover encrypted PST files. The most effective way to regain access is by using a professional recovery solution. With advanced features like decryption, corruption repair, and selective export, these tools make it simple to recover emails, contacts, calendars, and attachments from any encrypted PST file. By following the right recovery approach, you can securely restore your Outlook data without compromising security or losing important information.

Note: SysTools also provide an advanced utility for PST Password Recovery. Visit and know its pros and cons.