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Summary: This blog tackles the pervasive problem of PST file corruption in Outlook, highlighting its causes, including large size and virus attacks. It offers manual methods for resolution while emphasizing Kernel for Outlook PST Repair as the preferred automated solution for comprehensive fixes. The blog aims to equip users with insights and tools to effectively address Outlook PST corruption issues.

Outlook data files (PST) are integral to the Microsoft Outlook email client, housing all your emails, contacts, calendars, appointments, journals, and more. These files, however, are vulnerable to corruption, which can occur at any moment, rendering Outlook emails and other mailbox items inaccessible.

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Try automated tool Kernel for Outlook PST Repair to repair and resolve all Outlook PST corruption issues. It is compatible with all MS Outlook versions: Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000.

Reasons for Outlook PST Corruption

PST files can become corrupt or damaged for various reasons, which can be broadly classified into two main categories:

  1. Hardware Reasons
  2. Software Reasons

Hardware reasons: Common hardware-related causes of PST file inaccessibility include the failure of the storage device where the PST file is stored, issues with networking devices responsible for synchronizing the file with the server through network connections, and power failures.

  • Device Failure: PST files residing on a hard disk can become damaged if the disk itself becomes corrupted.
  • Power Failure: Power failures and abrupt system shutdowns can trigger unexpected Outlook exits, often resulting in PST file corruption.
  • Damaged network devices: Storing PST files over a network introduces the risk of corruption due to network-related issues.

Software reasons: PST files can suffer from logical corruption when subjected to various software-related issues. These include incorrect file opening and modification, corruption PST file caused by viruses or malicious software, abnormal termination of Outlook, and the file size limitation of 2 GB in earlier versions of Outlook. These software-related factors can lead to PST file corruption, creating challenging situations for users.

  • Virus Attacks: Virus attacks have the potential to damage not only the PST files but also the entire system’s data.
  • Improper system shutdowns: Irregular and abrupt system shutdowns can result in Outlook problems and potentially damage PST files.
  • Oversized PST files: When your PST file becomes oversized, it can lead to PST.
Methods to repair corrupted PST files

There are two methods available for repairing damaged and corrupted PST files.

  • ScanPST.exe (Inbox Repair Tool)
    Microsoft offers a free utility capable of repairing Outlook inbox and corrupted PST files, allowing their reuse. However, this tool may not effectively repair severely damaged or large PST files. In such cases, a third-party tool becomes necessary.

    repair Outlook inbox

  • Third party tool -Kernel for Outlook PST Repair
    This utility conducts a thorough scan of damaged and corrupted PST files, facilitating data recovery. It further enables the export of PST files to various platforms, including Office 365, Exchange server, Domino server, and GroupWise. Notably, this PST Repair tool excels in repairing even large and severely damaged PST files while prioritizing data security and integrity throughout the repair process. Its user-friendly interface is compatible with all versions of MS Outlook and Windows OS.
  1. After installing the software, launch the tool on your desktop.
  2. Select the corrupt PST file from the welcome screen of the tool and click Next.Select the corrupt PST file
  3. Read the instructions for repairing the corrupt PST file and click Finish.
    repair corrupt PST file process finish
  4. After fixing the corrupt file, the PST file folders will be visible in the left pane of the tool. Select any folder to preview its content in the tool.select folder to save
  5. Now, click the Save button to save the PST file. Select the specific saving option to save the file and click Next.save PST file
  6. Apply the specific filters to the corrupt PST file based on your requirements and click Next.Apply the filters
  7. In the next step, if you want to split the PST file, then select the specific option from the drop-down menu and click Next.split the PST file
  8. Select the specific location to save the recovered PST file and click Finish.Select the location to save
  9. he tool will start saving the PST files. After the file saving process is complete, a notification will appear on the screen confirming the same. Click OK to end the process.Finish the process to save

Conclusion:

In this blog, we delved into the issue of PST file corruption within Outlook. Like any other files, PST files are susceptible to corruption and can become compromised at any given time. We explored the various factors that could trigger such corruption, ranging from excessive file size to virus attacks and abrupt system shutdowns. To address this concern, we presented both manual approaches and an automated solution. Among them, Kernel for Outlook PST emerged as the optimal choice for resolving all PST file corruptions effectively. We hope this blog has provided valuable insights and solutions for addressing this issue.”

FAQs
Q. What issues in hardware can cause corruption of my PST files?

A. Scenarios like the abrupt shutdown of the system, power failures/fluctuations when the Outlook application was running, corruption in the hard disk, PST file stored on corrupt network drives, etc., can lead to corruption of the Outlook PST file.

Q. Can I repair my big PST file with the ScanPST.exe application easily?

A. The Inbox Repair tool or scanPST.exe application supports repair of PST file up to 2GB size only. For larger files, you can rely on Kernel for Outlook PST tool.

Q. What does the preview feature in the Outlook PST tool display?

A. The tool offers the preview of selected mailbox items and metadata.

Q. Any issue in saving multiple PST files together to the cloud via the Kernel tool?

A. Not at all. The tool supports saving multiple PST files together to Office 365 destination location with few steps only.

Q. Can I reduce my PST file size to fix its corruption issue?

A. Yes, sometimes it works. Just empty your deleted items folder, archive old emails, use the Compact Now feature in Outlook to compress the file size, move PST data to another location to free up storage space, and then try accessing it in the application to check if the problem is resolved.

Kernel for Outlook PST Repair