.pst file

An Archive is a method to reduce the overall volume of the Outlook Data File. It is required when the increased volume of the PST mailbox starts affecting the Outlook performance to a noticeable extent. It is also used for storing older mailbox contents that are not required frequently.

Many users consider it a backup strategy, but it is quite different from the traditional backup technique, as archived components are moved to a separate Outlook PST and can be accessed when required. Sometimes, archive.pst denies access due to traces of corruption that the file encounters. In such cases, it becomes important to repair a corrupt Outlook archive PST file to gain access to inaccessible data.

Introduction to ScanPST.exe

Outlook offers a helpful utility named ScanPST, also known as the Inbox Repair Tool, to repair the corrupt archive.pst file. The location of the archive.pst is based on the version of Windows installed on the system, as shown below:

For Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 on Windows 10/11:

C:\Users\\Documents\Outlook Files\

For Outlook 2013, 2010:

Windows 7 & Windows Vista:

“ \Users\\Documents\Outlook Files\archive.pst”

Windows XP:

“ \Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst”

Note: If any previous version of Outlook is installed on the machine, the archive that is created on the previous version can be found at the following location:

Windows 7 and Windows Vista:

“ \Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst”

Windows XP:

“ \Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst”

Tips:

1. Before you launch ScanPST.exe, close the Outlook application, and back up the PST file that needs to be repaired.
2. Next, execute ScanPST.exe, which is normally located at “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15.”
3. The location of ScanPST.exe may vary depend on the version of the Office installed on the machine. You can find it using Search function available in Windows explorer.

Below is the process to execute ScanPST.exe to repair Corrupt Archive.pst :

• Double-click on ‘ScanPST.exe’ to launch the PST Repair software
• Click on the Browse button to locate the corrupt PST file

• Once the file is located, click on the Repair button to upload the archive.pst file

• Next, click on Start to begin the repair procedure

Note: The tool will then begin analyzing the archive.pst for consistency check that consists of 8 phases. Some of the phases take a bit longer based on the volume and level of corruption within the file. Once the analysis phase is completed, the tool will display a scan report along with further alternates.

• Click on the Details button to get more information about existing corruption
• Next, click on the Repair button to initiate the actual repairing procedure

Note: It is recommended to backup your data before you start repairing corrupt Outlook archive PST files. Once you press the Repair button, the tool will execute the 8 phases once again. This might take longer, if the archive.pst is larger in volume.

• If the repair procedure is executed successfully, the tool will display ‘Repair Complete’. Click on OK to close the message box.
• Next, start MS Outlook and access the archive.pst file to check the integrity of integral data components.

Important Points!

• When the Inbox Repair Tool initiates the repair procedure, it might appear like the process hangs in between, while it doesn’t. The tool is making a replica of the selected archive.pst file in the background.
• The time that the inbuilt PST repair software or ScanPST takes in making a copy of the selected file solely depends on the volume of the file as well as the speed of the system hard drive.
• If the process remains in a hang state after 10 minutes and if there is no hard drive activity or the repair procedure has actually not begun, there might be an issue with the repair process itself.
• If so, you might need to abort the repair procedure by interrupting the scanpst.exe process from the Task Manager. To abort the process, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete simultaneously and then select the Processes tab. Then click on scanpst.exe and click on the End Task button.

In case the repair process fails, try to start it once again. However, ensure that the Backup option is disabled. If the Inbox Repair tool repeatedly fails to recover data from the selected archive.pst file, it can be concluded that the tool is not capable of handling the extent of corruption. Also, the file might involve higher intensity corruption, which is beyond the repair capabilities of ScanPST.exe. Here, it is important to mention that the tool is capable of dealing with lower-level corruption, while it fails to repair files at a higher corruption level.

The Way Forward

Keeping this in mind, it is recommended to employ a proficient PST file recovery tool with the capability to handle higher extent of damage in the PST file. Stellar Repair for Outlook helps to deal with all kinds of corruption issues existing within the Outlook data files. Moreover, the professional tool can repair both password-protected and encrypted PST files while the built-in Inbox Repair tool fails to provide any extensive repair features.