How to Fix Outlook Data File Corruption Issues?

Outlook corruption issues can prevent users from accessing their email account or mail items and render their Outlook account unusable. When Outlook data file gets damaged or corrupt, the email client can’t access or read the file. As a result, it displays error messages, such as:

1. Cannot start Outlook……Errors have been detected in the file C:\....\abc@xyz.com.pst

2. Outlook data file corruption….create a new data file.?

3. The file C:\...\abc@xyz.com.pst cannot be found.

In this article, you will learn the reasons that may cause Outlook data file corruption issues and the solutions to repair or fix the Outlook data file (.pst) without losing a single mail item.

Reasons for Outlook Data File Corruption Issues

Outlook data file corruption usually occurs when the file grows larger and exceeds the recommended size limit. According to Microsoft, an Outlook data file of 10 GB or smaller size provides decent Outlook performance on most hardware. However, when the Outlook data file exceeds this limit and grows larger, users may need to upgrade their system with additional RAM and high-speed storage media to avoid delay in sending or receiving emails, frequent freeze, Outlook crashes, etc.

Besides oversizing, Outlook data file may also get damaged or corrupt due to one or more of the following reasons:

1. System crash or abrupt shutdown
2. Power failure
3. Improper Outlook termination
4. Virus or malware intrusion
5. Incompatible, outdated, or faulty add-ins
6. Outdated Outlook client or Windows

There are also instances reported by users about PST file corruption after the operating system update. Thus, before upgrading or installing a major Windows update, it is recommended that you take your mailbox backup using Outlook Import/Export wizard to avoid data loss due to Outlook data file corruption.?

Solutions to Fix Outlook Data File Corruption issues

Below are some solutions to fix Outlook data file and resolve the corruption issues.

1. Use Inbox Repair Tool

Inbox Repair tool or SCANPST.exe is a Microsoft tool installed with MS Office installation. The tool can be found in the Office installation directory. It helps detect and repair errors or inconsistencies in Outlook data files, such as PST. However, it’s important to note that the tool is capable of repairing PST files up to 2 GB. If the file is larger than 2 GB or severely damaged, the tool may stop responding or crash.

Above all, you should also know that this tool repairs PST files by removing irrecoverable mail items. Thus, there are chances of lost mail items even if the tool successfully repairs the PST file. This is one of the reasons why the tool provides an option to backup your Outlook data file before repairing it.

The steps to repair PST file using SCANPST are as follows:

• Close Outlook.
• Press Windows + R, type %programfiles%/Microsoft Office/Officexx or %programfiles(x86)%/Microsoft Office/Officexx and click Enter.

• Find and launch SCANPST.exe.
• Click Browse and select the PST file. By default, the PST file is located in the %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook folder.
• After selecting the PST file, click Start.
• When the scan is finished, click Repair. This may take a while to complete.

• After the PST file is repaired, start Outlook.

The issue should be resolved. However, if Outlook crashed or didn’t finish the repair process, try recreating or creating a new Outlook data file in the next step.

2. Create New Outlook Data File (PST)

If you encounter the following error message while accessing Outlook, click Create New Data File to create a new PST file. This should fix the issue.

Note: Creating a new PST will not work if your email profile is disabled or removed from the mailbox server. This will work only if your email account is still active. Use a web browser to log in to your email account to verify before following the instructions given below.

However, if the error message you received is different, you can manually create a new PST file and replace the damaged or corrupt PST file to fix the Outlook data file corruption issue. The steps are as follows:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Search and click on Mail.
3. Click Data Files.

4. Select the email profile you can’t access and click Open File Location.

5. This will open a new File Explorer window displaying the PST file.

3. Use Outlook Repair Software

If nothing works or you end up losing mail items after repairing the PST file using the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.exe), you may use Stellar Repair for Outlook — a powerful and advanced Inbox repair tool to repair severely corrupt or damaged PST Outlook data files. It can repair PST files as large as 50 GB without any hiccup while maintaining the original folder structure. In addition, it runs on the PST file in read-only mode and saves the mail items in a new PST file. You may also choose to export the repaired PST directly to Office 365 or live Exchange.

It also provides an option to split or compact the PST file to reduce the file size. This helps improve manageability and Outlook performance and reduces the chances of PST file corruption.

The tool is free to download for evaluation purposes.

Conclusion

Data corruption is a leading cause of data loss. Mostly, it occurs due to human errors, software or hardware-related issues, or conflicts caused by concurrent access to the data file by more than one user or application. However, when the data file is corrupt, it can’t be accessed or read by the application unless repaired.

In case of Outlook PST file corruption, you can repair the corrupt Outlook data file by using tools provided by Microsoft or third-party Outlook PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook, to recover mail items, avoid data loss, and get access to your mail items.