Experiencing problems with the Microsoft Outlook PST file in Outlook is pretty common. Outlook is the primary email platform developed and managed by Microsoft. Most businesses, marketers, and organizations use Microsoft Outlook for their corporate purposes. This application is unique and it uses one specific type of storage unit known as PST or Personal Storage Table to store the items in the mailbox. However, despite the advantage and effectiveness, the PST file is extremely vulnerable to corruption, which makes the inherent files corrupted and inaccessible.
In most cases, you can easily prevent these errors by following some steps and taking some necessary precautions. Even if the PST file corruption error occurs, there are some great troubleshooting methods. Here are some effective troubleshooting methods you need to try to solve the PST problem in your MS Outlook software.
Trim Down the Size of the PST File
One of the biggest problems with MS Outlook is the issues related to the large PST file. This will create lag and will undoubtedly reduce the performance of your Outlook application. And if you neglect this problem, the size of the PST file will increase and the oversized PSY file will end up being corrupted. This will create severe consequences and you might end up losing all the necessary items in your mailbox.
If you want to solve the problems regarding large PST file size, you need to remove all the unnecessary items and junk files from the PST folder. However, as the PST folders come with 50GB storage, you can easily create new folders and move your important files there.
Make Sure the Items are Stored in the Default Store – Microsoft Outlook PST
If your Outlook account is configured in such a way that it would move the items and data files from the default store, it might encounter corrupted pst problems. This issue is common specifically amongst the MS Outlook accounts that are configured on POP3 instead of IMAP.
Nevertheless, if there is no choice but to move the items from the default store, there is a safe option available on Outlook 2010/2013/2016/2019. Consider following these steps below:
- Visit the home menu of your MS Outlook application.
- Choose the File tab and then select Info.
- Go to Account Settings.
- Choose the POP3 account and then click on it.
- Click on the option Change Folder> Account Settings.
- Follow the command on the screen to choose a new folder in a different store.
Create New Profile on Outlook
If the Outlook profile is not configured appropriately, the PST files that are associated with MS Outlook will be affected severely. In such specific cases, your only solution is to delete the corrupted Outlook profile and create a new one.
You need to follow two different ways to remove your MS Outlook profile. However, the process is dependent on the mailing protocol you use such as IMAP or POP. On the POP configuration profiles, you need to export the mailboxes and then re-import them after you’re done creating a new MS Outlook profile.
On the other hand, it’s also possible to remove the IMAP configured profile via the “Control Panel> Mail/Profiles” without taking any large backup. Once the profile is deleted, just simply create a new one.
Shut Down Your Computer When the MS Outlook is Still Running
If the PST file has been failed to shut down properly, the system will provide you with an error message. In most cases, these PST files will become inaccessible. As per Small Business, force shutdown will affect the data files on the computer.
This problem happens when you shut down the Windows Operating System forcefully while MS outlook is still running and completing the essential tasks. This error also occurs when you exit MS Outlook and shut down the computer almost instantly.
To solve this issue, make sure the MS Outlook program is completely closed before you turn off your computer. If you do need to shut down completely, make sure Outlook is running in the background.
Implement ScanPST
The ScanPST tool, also known as the Inbox Repair Tool, is one of the best repair solutions that will fix all kinds of problems related to the Outlook PST file.
Therefore, deploying the ScanPST tool will ultimately help you a lot. Here are some tips to deploy the ScanPST tool:
- Close the MS Outlook application and open File Explorer.
- Locate the tool and open it.
- Click on Browse and Go through the local directory so that you can select the proper PST file to repair.
- Click on the Start option and wait for the process to begin.
- After the process is complete, prelaunch the MS Outlook application.
- Sign in with the respected profile.
- Complete the recovery and save it to the new PST profile.
However, keep in mind that locating the ScanPST tool might become a difficult task and the location is dependent on the specific version of MS Outlook. Therefore, make sure you search for the tool thoroughly.
Conclusion
Here are some effective tips to troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook PST file problems. What are your thoughts? Comment below to let us know.
