How to Repair PST File without ScanPST Tool? 3 Proven Solutions

ScanPST Tool is a nice way to fix damaged PST file, however, if for some reason you are unable to use the repair tool. Then how can you repair Outlook PST files? Therefore, this guide will address this question by providing solutions to repair PST file without the ScanPST tool. Also, we will share preventive methods so you will never face this problem again.

The PST file is a proprietary Outlook data file that stores Outlook items. It contains data like email, attachments, contacts, calendars, and many other items. The file is basically for Outlook for Windows which means you cannot open it in other email clients or any other platform. To prevent any unknown users from opening the PST file and reading it, you can set the password on the file.

PST file is a secure way to store your Outlook data, but there are times when the PST file is disabled on your computer, corrupt PST files, etc. File corruption is a very big issue, as it damages your data and deletes important Outlook items. To resolve this issue, Microsoft created ScanPST Tool.

What is ScanPST Tool?

Inbox Repair Tool or ScanPST software is a repairing tool to resolve damaged PST files. The software does a number of things such as scan and fixing corrupt PST files and recovering emails, attachments, and other lost data, it can also be used in oversized PST files and is free to install.

With this, you can easily repair your PST file in Outlook. But in some cases, the ScanPST tool does not do its work and we have to use alternative ways to repair Outlook data files. So, let’s see these scenarios where you have to repair the PST file without ScanPST tool.

Instances Where ScanPST Fail to Repair PST File

It is a free way to repair Outlook PST files, you can easily resolve minor issues from your PST file. However, there are times when the Inbox Repair utility fails to repair the corrupted file. Below are the cases where it doesn’t work.

• The tool is capable of resolving minor structural issues, if the issue is major, then it couldn’t repair the damaged file.
• If you use the ScanPST Tool to repair an oversized PST file. The utility will crash and your file will not be recovered.
• Sometimes, the PST file is severely damaged then the tool can’t detect and miss the major error from the corrupted file.
• When repairing the file in the Inbox Repair utility, it removes attachments and other data. This could lead you to lose your important Outlook items.
• If your PST file is encrypted or password-protected. The tool does not support the file and it will not resolve the problem.

Therefore, there are several cases where the repairing tool fails to recover the corrupted PST file and you have to use an alternative solution. Now we will explore various ways to repair PST file without ScanPST Tool.

Fix Windows File System Issue

PST files can be corrupted due to file system errors. To repair them, you can scan your system disk using the Windows Check Disk (chkdsk) tool. Following are the steps to resolve the file from this solution.

• Step 1: On the home screen of your Windows system. Type “Command Prompt” in the search bar.
• Step 2: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
• Step 3: Write “chkdsk/f” and press “OK”. This command scans your Windows disk for any issues.
• Step 4: If it finds an issue, it fixes them. Once the command is finished, check your PST file if the problem is solved or not.

With this, your file corruption will be solved and you can see your data. If this doesn’t work then follow the next method.

Copy Content from Corrupted PST File to New File

If your damaged PST file still works, you can copy the data and paste it into the new PST file. This method will be lengthy so carefully follow the steps.

• Step 1: First, open the corrupted PST file in your Outlook.
• Step 2: Then, create a new PST File. For this, click on the “Home” tab and select the “New Items”. Choose “More Item”, then “Outlook Data File”.
  
• Step 3: Select the “Outlook Data File (.pst)”, then press the “OK”.
  
• Step 4: Browse a location where your newly created PST file is stored. Name the file and click “OK”.
  
• Step 5: After that “right-click” on the corrupted email, copy it, and paste it to the new PST file listed on the left pane.
• Step 6: Once you have copied all the data, set the newly created file as default. For this, go to the “File” option.
• Step 7: Click on the “Info” and “Account Settings”. Again click the “Account Settings” option.
• Step 8: Select the “Data Files”, then choose the new PST file you have just added the data in.
• Step 9: Click on the “Set as Default” button and then “Close”.
• Step 10: Restart your Outlook and remove the old PST file by “right-clicking” the root folder and choose “Close folder name”.

This way you can see your data. But it will only work if the file opens in Outlook. If you can’t do so, then use the next method.

Rebuild Outlook Profile

If your PST file is still corrupted, then rebuilding your entire Outlook profile helps you to repair PST file without ScanPST Tool. Here, we create a new profile and reconnect the account to the same profile using the IMAP or Exchange server.

• Step 1: Go to the Control Panel and then the “Mail” option.
• Step 2: Click on the “Show Profiles” button and “add a new profile”.
• Step 3: Configure your Outlook email account and resync your mailbox data with the server.

These are the alternative methods to repair PST file without ScanPST Tool. We explain each method in easy steps. So by using them, you don’t have any problem. But, these solutions are temporary. Because there are chances of this happening again. In order to prevent them. Below we have mentioned a method.

Summary

If you also want to repair PST file without ScanPST Tool. Then, this guide explored three solutions to fix the issue. Here, we explained various scenarios of why the Inbox Repair Tool fails to repair Outlook PST file and then the three alternative options to restore the file. Furthermore, is there a chance of this happening again? We discuss a preventive method that you can use.