How to Repair PST File after Outlook Error 0x80040600?

Steps to fix Outlook Error 0x80040600

Often, when user utilizes ‘Send-Receive’ option to refresh the Microsoft Outlook emails, below shown error erupts on computer screen:

This error stops all the Outlook activities to continue and prevents users from accessing any Outlook related file or folder. It can occur on any version of MS Outlook. Users can primarily use inbuilt tools like ‘scanpst.exe’ to fix this issue. Follow the below mentioned steps to get rid of this error:

Close Outlook in order to Run the inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE)
Click the Search option from Start menu and type the following command to locate the scanpst.exe repair tool:

Open SCANPST.EXE and click Browse to locate the affected or corrupted Outlook PST file
Click the Scan button to start the recovery process
A message will prompt on the screen, asking to create a backup. Check the option ‘Make backup of scanned file before repairing’. Click on browse to change the location where the backup file will be saved.
Click on Repair for the repair process to start.
Once the operation completes. A Repair Complete message will appear. Click OK.

Now, restart your Outlook application, and you should be able to resume your work without any disruption due to the error 0x80040600.

If the above method didn’t work for you or the error reappeared after some time, you need to create a new pst file. Follow the below steps to create a new pst file.

Open Outlook application.
Click on File -> Account Settings -> Manage Profiles.
Click on Show Profiles and then click on the Add button to create a new profile.
You can now enter the name of your new profile. Please choose a name to help you distinguish from the existing profile.
Click on OK to finish.

This should create a new profile, and you should now be able to get rid of the error once and for all. But before proceeding ahead, you may want to restore the data from the old profile. Remember the backup file location you entered while running scanpst in the Inbox Repair tool. This file comes handy now to restore your data from the old pst file.

Go to the location of the backup file. By default, it should be named with your old profile name, and the extension should be .bak. Eg - old_profile.bak.
Create a new copy of this file and rename it to change its extension from .bak to .pst.
Now, go to Outlook and click on File -> Open & Export -> Import/Export.
This should open a new window named Import and Export Wizard.
Choose the option ‘Import from another program or file’.
Click on Next and choose Outlook data file (.pst) as the file type.
Click Next; and select the .pst file that we earlier created a copy of from the .bak file.
You can choose not to import duplicates since you are importing to a newly created pst.
Select the folders to import and click on Finish.

Congratulations, you are all set now! Now, you have scanned and fixed your corrupt pst file, created a new pst file and also restored your items from the old pst file. Have a good time using Outlook without the 0x80040600 now. Before you exit, make sure to take a look at the causes behind this error and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.

Causes that lead to Outlook Error 0x80040600

Outlook error 0x80040600 generally occurs due to overloaded PST files. Every MS Outlook version has its limit to store PST files, which should be maintained and kept in check from time to time. When a user exceeds the storage capacity of PST files, then either gets corrupted or omitted automatically, then eventually displays this particular error 0x80040600. This error can also occur due to a virus attack on the user’s personal system or due to the utilization of improper or corrupted external devices or software.

Methods to prevent Error 0x80040600

Maintain a regular backup of PST files. This is necessary and useful at the time of version upgrade or file recovery
As soon as you suspect PST file corruption first handedly, look for the potential remedy and avoid abrupt application closure as much as possible
Remove unnecessary emails and data carried by PST files and folders to prevent full storage limit issues
Keep a check on antivirus program’s updates and use only authenticated softwares
Close your MS Outlook application, then all other running apps and avoid abrupt system closure
Modify the storage limit of PST files in the versions providing this facility otherwise never exceed them above 2GB limit

The above-mentioned methods to prevent MS Outlook corruption issues are highly beneficial. If a user encounters Outlook errors, even after following the prevention rules, then he/she can very well opt for a third party PST repair tool. Kernel for Outlook PST repair software is prominent software possessing similar capabilities. It fixes the persisting error and produces fresh PST files immediately. Checkout below mentioned steps the software follows for instant recovery of affected PST files:

Download software setup and launch the software.
Choose either Browse option (known location) or Search option (unknown location) to locate the PST files.
After selecting the source of PST file, select Repair multiple or Repair single file option as per requirement.
Select Recovery mode and click Finish button to begin the recovery process.
Software will Scan and fix the error 0x80040600 then, enlist the recovered PST files in hierarchical manner.
Click Preview option to verify the file contents and attributes.
Select Save button and choose desired file format from Select Output type option to save the recovered files.

Following these options users will retrieve 100%complete PST files and can then access Outlook files flawlessly.

Conclusion

In this blog, we jump-started by taking you through the steps to run scanpst or Inbox Repair tool to fix your corrupt pst file. Then, we covered the creation of a new pst file to get away from the problematic pst permanently. Keeping in mind how important old emails and other Outlook items can be, we provided all the steps to follow to import the data from your old pst file to the new pst file. Then, we briefly touched the common causes behind this error and the methods to prevent its occurrence in the future. In the end, we suggested Kernel for Outlook PST repair tool for the users looking for a quick fix without any troubleshooting. It is the right tool for those looking for a permanent solution in a single go without having to deep dive into this issue.