Explore How to Recover Corrupted PST Files in Microsoft Outlook 2016

The Outlook PST file is a very common file format and almost all users know about it. But do you know how to recover corrupted PST files in Outlook 2016 and all other below versions like Outlook 2019, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010?

Most of the errors in Microsoft Outlook occur due to corruption in PST file. This further leads to the separation of all data items such as emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, journals, etc. of Microsoft Outlook.

If all data items stored in the PST file are damaged, then users will not able to access the information within it. To overcome this unfavorable situation, Microsoft offers a free of cost-utility called Inbox Repair tool or scanpst.exe inbuilt application in MS Outlook. It can repair a corrupt PST file in Outlook easily.

Read the complete article to know about some common Outlook errors, reasons behind corruption, and also explore the simple way to recover damaged Outlook PST file in Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007, etc.

Well, Grab The Tool:

Simple Steps to Recover Corrupted PST file Data

• Step 1: Download and run Outlook PST Recovery Tool in Windows OS

• Step 2: Click on Add File option to open corrupted PST file

• Step 3: Check Advanced Scan Mode and scan file

• Step 4: Save recovered corrupted Outlook PST file

Some General Errors that Displays During Corruption of PST Files

There are some errors that appear during the corruption in Microsoft Outlook that particularly indicates the actual issues within the PST files.

These are the most common PST problems that can affect the day to day activities of an active Microsoft Outlook user. So it will be very effective to discuss how to fix a corrupt PST file in Outlook 2010 and all the above versions like Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, etc. in the most efficient way. There are lots of MS Outlook users who search for solutions to queries like:

How do PST Files Get Corrupted?

A Microsoft Outlook PST file is very helpful to store emails, attachments, contacts, templates, signature, etc. on the local machine from Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and all below versions. But, it is vulnerable to corruption due to many issues like hardware or software hindrances.

The Outlook data file may get damaged because of hard disk failure, irregular power supply, faulty networking device, improper shutdown of Outlook, virus or any other malware intrusion, continuously increasing the size of PST files, invalid system registry and many more. There are many manual ways to recover corrupted PST files in Outlook 2016 and below versions like Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, 2007, etc. Explore the fine techniques that will help you to get rid of Outlook.pst file damages.

Few Simple Ways to Keep Outlook PST Corruption Away

Generally, Microsoft Outlook stores and maintains the PST files locally, but they are prone to corruption due to technical problems. There are some prerequisites that you need to follow to avoid the PST file corruption issues in the MS Outlook account. Some effective points are discussed that can certainly help you to fix a corrupt PST file in Outlook account:

• • Proper Exit from Microsoft Outlook
    After finishing your task with MS Outlook, you must close the Outlook window. If it takes time, then you should wait. Before, improper termination of Outlook program may affect the stored PST files and can be a cause of PST file corruption.

• • Save PST Files at Accessible Location
    Outlook PST files are prone to corruption and lead to inaccessibility. To decrease the chances of this problem, it is suggested to save the Outlook PST files in an accessible location other than a server or network drive.

• • Avoid Handling Large Emails at Once
    It is advised to avoid managing multiple Outlook emails in bulk. Because large emails in a batch may take a long time and may end up in inaccessibility issues. So, instead of doing this, you should do these operations in many repeated steps.

• • Ensure PST File Size Before Saving
    The maximum possible size limit of PST file is only 2 GB in lower versions of Outlook. But, in Outlook 2003 and 2007 it is 20 GB. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, this limit is 50 GB. So, it is better to ensure the file saving capacity according to the Outlook version.

• • Install Licensed Version of Antivirus
    It is well-known that PST files are stored in the user’s system. Therefore, chances of corruption in Outlook PST file and the difficulty to recover corrupted PST files in Outlook 2016 cannot be ignored. To work against such an unexpected issue, it is recommended to install a good licensed version of antivirus in the system.

• Periodically Take Backup of PST File
  At last, Outlook PST file backup is an ultimate solution that is advised by the data recovery experts. The backup of PST files offers the entire data-set of the files to be saved locally which could be accidentally or intentionally lost later in time.

How to Recover Corrupted PST Files in Outlook 2016 Manually?

Despite all these above-discussed precautions taken, there are still some chances of corruption in the Outlook data file. To deal with the corruption of Outlook data files instantly, Microsoft Outlook offers an inbuilt repair or scanpst.exe utility. These are following manual steps to recover corrupted PST file data in Outlook by using scanpst.exe:

1. First of all, close the Microsoft Outlook application.
2. Then, go to the C drive and search the scanpst.exe utility.
3. Navigate C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15
4. Now, open the Scanpst.exe tool.
5. Go to the Browse button & select the corrupted PST file.
6. After that, click on the Start button to begin the scanning process.
7. Further, enable the Make backup of scanned file before fixing option.
8. Next, enter the name of the backup file & specify the location to save it.
9. If an error occurs, then choose Recovery option.
10. Finally, start Outlook with the recovered PST file after completion of the recovery process.

But, sometimes even after recovery of the corrupted Outlook PST file, users face issues while accessing the Outlook program. This is mainly due to the error message “scanpst.exe cannot fix the PST file if it is severely corrupted”. In this situation, what can be done to fix a corrupted PST file in Outlook 2016? The best available solution is discussed in the above section. Recover corrupted Outlook PST data file using a reliable application that grantees 100% data safety and integrity even after the PST file recovery process.

The Final Words

Recovering damaged PST files in Microsoft Outlook is now made easier. You can choose either manual way with the help of inbuilt scanpst.exe utility or automated way to recover corrupted PST files in Outlook 2016. In this article, you have learned both techniques and now you can choose the method that suits you best.

Commonly Asked Queries