An Outlook PST file can get corrupt due to several issues. To fix such corruption problems, Microsoft provides a built-in tool called Scan pst that help repairing them. The tool analyzes the corrupted PST file directory structure and items headers. It can recover all mail folders items if works. It find issues with the damaged file and corrects what it can. But if the corruption is severe, odds are that the tool might not work to repair. You should then apply your last backup to restore the file contents. Sometimes, backup also fails. To deal with such situations and to recover data, third-party tools are available. Such tools are competent to restore PST file using powerful scanning algorithms.

For example, you might come across the below error when trying to launch Microsoft Outlook:

"Unable to display the folder,[path]Outlook.pst could not be accessed, access denied."

Trying to restart the application doesn't help as you receive the same error as above.

Cause

This error occurs if Outlook.pst is infected from errors and is corrupted.

Solution

The prime solution to solve this issue is to run Scanpst tool. To use the tool, you need to follow the below sequence of steps:

1. Quit Microsoft Outlook.

2. Click Start and point to Search or Find option (as per the Windows version installed).

3. You should then locate the tool by typing scanpst.exe in 'Search for files and folders' named box.

4. Open the tool and specify the PST file path you want to repair. If the exact location is unknown, you can click Browse to locate it.

5. Click Start to begin the repair process.

6. Exit the tool when it finishes.

At times, Scan pst doesn't help to solve the issue. In such cases, you should try other repair methods such as running chkdsk, changing PST location, and recreating the Outlook profile. If the problem continues, switch to more reliable solutions to repair the damaged PST file. The third-party PST repair tools can repair and restore damaged PST file even if Inbox Repair Tools fails to do so.

Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair is an unmatched repair solution to repair and restore corrupted Outlook PST file. It is a safe repair product that works even when Scanpst cannot repair. The tool is compatible with Outlook 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000. It restores all file contents including emails, notes, journals, appointments, contacts and others.