application to repair Outlook pst and ost files

I am having a problem with a corrupted pst file in outlook 2007 on XP. Outlook will not start and returns an error message telling me to use scanpst.exe to repair the files.

The problem is that when I try to run "scanpst.exe" it does not start, no error messages, I double click it and ...nothing. (Is this a permissions issue?)

I downloaded a second copy of scanpst.exe and placed it in its correct location (the 1033 file), but I got the same result when I double clicked, i.e. nothing.

I tried to run it from the run command but it said it could not find the file.

My file "outlook.pst" is 402MB so I believe that is not a problem.

I'm looking to try something else, any suggestions?

 

I dont have a suggestion for what you can do to make scanpst run, but I know something else you can try:
Exit outlook if its running.
Go into your outlook folder and make a backup of outlook.pst to another location in case something goes wrong.
Then rename the outlook.pst file in the outlook folder to something else, like "withoutmercy.pst".
Now start outlook again. A new empty outlook.pst file will be created.
Then go to "file"->"import and export"->"import from another program or file"->"personal folder file (.pst)"
Locate "withoutmercy.pst" (or whatever you named the original pst file) and see if you're able to import everything you need.

If the result isnt good you can restore the original pst file by deleting the new outlook.pst file and renaming "withoutmercy.pst" to "outlook.pst", or copying from the backup.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. That is a great idea. Fortunately, as I was exploring the internet for a solution, I came across another possible location for the scanpst.exe file. I looked there, and sure enough there was another copy of scanpst. I double clicked it and it ran without a hitch and I was able to successfully start Outlook.

What apparently happened is that when I upgraded to Office 2007 an orphaned copy of scanpst was left behind in a different location on my computer.

 

I sure am glad that I was able to effect repairs without needing third party software. I ran scanpst.exe that shipped with outlook and it did the job. Just be aware that if you have upgraded your software with new or different releases of Outlook there may be several copies of "scanpst.exe" on your harddrive. You must find the one that is associated with your active version of Outlook or it will have no effect.

I might recommend that anyone who encounters a similar problem, i.e. errors in their *.pst file(s) first try to run "scanpst.exe" that comes with Microsoft Outlook before considering spending $250 on the third party product you have referenced.

Even better, spend the $250 on a hard drive back up product that will protect your computer against the thousands of possible issues that always seem to surface when you least expect, including the aforementioned pst issues.

Thanks for the tip.

 

You don't need to spend $250 for a hard drive backup product.
I find Acronis True Image at $50 http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
is an excellent program.

The more important the data is, I find, the less likely that a person will back it up! Sad but true. I make a full image about once a month and I do not store important files on my computer.