April 18, 2010

Your Options when it Comes to PST File Repair

Having a bad pst file is about the same as having your whole computer go down. At least for me. If you have a backup program installed on your computer then you need to ensure you have selected to have your pst file backed up as well.

A PST file stores almot all your data in just this one file including your contact and e-mails as well as attachments. If you don’t know how to make a backup of this then we urge you to look over at this pst backup page. It has a link to the free Microsoft backup plug-in that will help ensure you never suffer if your pst file goes down.

For those that already have gotten an error you can view the above linked website for exact tips on trying to recover it. Keep in mind that in the end if the free methods do not work then you will need to purchase some pst recovery software to get the job done. Even though the software costs a bundle it’s nothing compared to you loosing all your e-mails.
Of course the most important lesson to be learned here is to alwasy backup your data. Not only when the file is in good condition but alwasy before you attempt any repair. The reason for this is you need to ensure you do not do more damage to the file. Making a backup is a must. That way you can use multiple methods to try and get your data back without having to worry about doing more damage.

Microsoft has a free built in tool called scanpst. exe that you can try first for free. It is a very week tool but if your issue is just in the headers of the file it will resolve your issue. If the file gets damaged more it will be that much hard to recover. It will only take you around twenty minutes or so to run the free tool so it’s well worth a look and it’s free so it should be your first option.

the Microsoft Outlook repair tool is the only free one on the market at this time. you would think Microsoft would of made a better tool to help in the repair process and perhaps they re-working on one but it’s not here yet.

If you are having an issue with your old pst file being too big and over the 2g mark then there are a number of free and paid tools out there that can help you resolve this issue.