How to Repair Outlook PST File without ScanPST.exe?

PST file corruption is a common issue that Outlook users face. When the PST file gets corrupted, users may encounter various problems, such as missing mailbox items, Outlook freezes or stops responding, error messages when trying to send emails, etc. To repair the corrupt PST file, Microsoft provides an Inbox Repair tool or ScanPST, along with Outlook installation. Sometimes, ScanPST fails to repair the PST file, if it is large or severely corrupted. In this case, the only option is to use third-party PST repair tools. In this article, we will list some of the common reasons for PST file corruption and see how to repair an Outlook PST file without ScanPST.exe.

Why PST Files Get Corrupted?

PST files can get corrupted for several reasons. Below, we have listed some common reasons:

Large PST File Size
Microsoft Outlook imposes a maximum file size limit for PST files, which varies depending on the version of Outlook. Recent Outlook versions support PST files up to 50 GB in size. When a PST file reaches this limit, Outlook may struggle to maintain the data integrity, potentially leading to file corruption.
Abrupt Shutdown of System
If the system shuts down unexpectedly due to a power failure, hardware issue, or other reason, it can damage the structure of PST file, resulting in corruption.
Connectivity Issues on Network Drives
If PST file is stored on network drive, disruption in network connectivity can impact Outlook’s performance and potentially corrupt the file.
Malware Infection
Viruses and malware attacks on system can corrupt Outlook PST files.
Incompatible Add-ins
Incompatible or faulty add-ins can cause Outlook to freeze or crash during tasks, resulting in corruption in the PST file.

What are the Limitations of ScanPST.exe?

ScanPST.exe has the following limitations:

It is suitable for fixing PST files with minor corruption issues.
If the PST file size is too large, the tool may freeze or even fail to repair the file.
If there is severe corruption in PST file, the tool may fail to repair it.
ScanPST cannot recover deleted mail items.

Repair PST File without ScanPST.exe

If the ScanPST.exe fails to repair the PST file, then you can rely on a reliable PST repair tool. Stellar Repair for Outlook is one of the widely trusted tools by IT administrators that can repair large and severely corrupted PST files. The tool is capable of retrieving emails and all other mailbox items from the corrupted PST file. It also helps recover deleted emails from the PST file.

Here are some benefits of using Stellar Repair for Outlook:

Repairs corrupted PST files of any size with complete integrity
Recovers all the mailbox items, including emails, attachments, contacts, and calendar
Offers preview of mailbox items after file repair
Offers advanced filter options for specific items recovery
Saves the repaired file data in different formats, such as new PST, EML, MSG, RTF, etc.
Supports Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, and previous versions

Now, let’s see how to repair PST file using Stellar Repair for Outlook.

Firstly, download Stellar Repair for Outlook from its product page. If you purchase the software, you will receive an email with the download link.
Then, install the software and launch it to begin the repair process.
Click on the “List Profiles” button. It will display all the PST files configured with your Outlook profile. You can choose the file you need to repair from the list. Alternatively, click “Choose Mailbox Manually” to browse for the PST file or if is stored at another location.
After selecting the PST file, click on the Repair button.
The software starts scanning the PST file. The time taken for scanning depends on the size of the file and the level of corruption.
Once scanning is complete, a message will appear: “Selected file has been repaired.” Click OK.
You will get a preview of all the items, including contacts, emails, tasks, and calendar.
After previewing, select the folders or items you want to save and click Save Repaired File.
If Microsoft Outlook is open, you’ll see a prompt: “MS Outlook is already running. Please close MS Outlook and restart the process.” Click OK, close Outlook, and return to Stellar Repair for Outlook to click Save Repaired File again.
Choose the format in which you want to save the repaired file (PST, MSG, EML, RTF, HTML, or PDF) and click Next.
Click on browse and select the destination folder where you want to save the repaired PST file.
If you want to recover items from Deleted and Junk Items folders, you can click on Apply Advance Filter. You can also choose to save emails for a specific time duration or exclude emails from specific senders. After applying the filters, click on Apply and then click OK to save the repaired PST file.
Once the process is completed, a message will confirm that the repaired PST file has been saved successfully.

You can now import the repaired PST file into your Outlook account to access the file items.

How to Import the Repaired PST File into Outlook?

To import the repaired PST file into Outlook, follow the below steps:

Open Outlook and go to the “File” menu.
Click “Open & Export and then click “Import/Export.”
In the Import and Export Wizard, select “Import from another program or file,” click “Next,” and choose “Outlook Data File (.pst).”
On the next window, select “Do not import duplicates” and click the “Browse” button to choose the PST file that needs to be imported. Then, click the Next button.
Lastly, click the “Finish” button.

The PST file data will now be available in Outlook.

Conclusion

While ScanPST.exe can be effective in repairing smaller PST files, it often fails when dealing with large, severely corrupted files. In such a case, you can rely on Outlook PST repair tools, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. This tool is designed for repairing severely corrupted PST files, without any file-size limitations. It can recover all the mail items, including deleted items, from the PST file. The free demo version of the tool is available that can let you scan the corrupted PST file and preview its content.