A PST file (“PST” stands for “personal store”) is used by Outlook to store all personal elements that a user may have. In addition to e-mails, this also includes appointments, contacts, or notes. The program manages and stores all data in the PST file like a virtual filing cabinet. Outlook requires at least one PST file, but can easily separate several of these files. For example, if the user distinguishes between private and business e-mails, Outlook creates two different PST files in its index.
If you suspect that one of these files has become corrupted, you will need a tool to repair your inbox. Outlook has already integrated the scanpst.exe tool. It detects whether a PST file is damaged and then repairs it. The following steps will help you repair a PST file:
- First, close the Outlook program
- Now open the folder C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) (the Outlook program folder is in one of the two)
- Enter “scanpst.exe” in the file explorer search field to find their chosen file, or check your Outlook folder manually
- Run scanpst.exe
- In the option “Enter the file name to be checked,”enter the name of the PST file you want to check, or if you don’t have one, search for and select the file you want with “Browse”
- Begin by selecting “Start”
- If there are errors in the file, the check will show them
- Click on “Repair” to start the repair process
- Restart Outlook to see if your repair was successful