A call that I get sometimes involves “I can’t open my Outlook email”. Microsoft Outlook uses a PST file to store your emails. The problem with the PST file is that a single file holds all the info, so if something happens to the file, it affects all parts of your email (Inbox, Sent Items, etc). The PST file has a size limit as well, for those using Outlook 2002 and earlier the limit is 2 GB. The size limit has changed for users of Office 2003, 2007, 2010 and its now 20 GB. Two of the most common ways to When you let your pst file get close to its size limit, or if your pc happens to power off while you are in Outlook you risk
Since the beginning of Outlook, one of the little known tools that Microsoft includes is the Inbox Repair Tool. The tool is designed to fix your pst file if it ever gets corrupted. The following steps will help you fix Outlook if your pst gets corrupted.
1 – Find your PST file. If you have installed Outlook in with default settings, the PST file will be located in
C:\Documents and Settings\user_id\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook (Where user_id is the name of the Windows id that is signed in).
2 – Find the Inbox Repair tool for your version of office. Unfortunately Microsoft stopped putting an icon in the start menu for the Inbox Repair tool after Office 97.
To use the Inbox Repair tool, locate one of the folders by using Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then double-click the Scanpst.exe file.
The Scanpst.exe file is typically located in one of the following folders: ( Where disk drive is the location of your install, typically the C:\ drive)
<disk drive>:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\1033\
<disk drive>:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033
The Scanpst.exe file for Outlook 2007 is is typically located in the following folder:
<disk drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
The Scanpst.exe file for Outlook 2010 is is typically located in the following folder:
<disk drive>\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
3 – Once you found and started the Inbox Repair tool (Scanpst.exe), type the path and the file name of the personal folders (.pst) file or click Browse to locate the file by using the Windows file system.
4 – Click on start.
5 – Once it completes, you should be able to start Outlook again.
