This article describes typical problems which occur when users cannot open PST files with MS Outlook data, yet the Personal Folders file is not corrupted and does not need to be recovered.
Often for certain reasons it happens that users cannot open PST files. Users immediately think that they are dealing with a corrupted PST file and begin to search for a PST recovery tool. But before beginning to repair PST files that are “corrupted,” it is important to make sure that they are actually corrupted. A PST error can result when the rules for working with such files are violated.
- Multiple users or programs cannot open PST files or work with them simultaneously.
- If it is necessary to access or open PST data files on a network disk or other computer, close all programs that might be using the file you need and then try to open the file after that.
- Attempting to open PST data files stored on read-only drives will cause an error.
- File system errors such as Cyclic Redundancy Error.
- It is possible to open PST files on a network disk only if read/write permission is given. Additionally, a Personal Folders file may be open by only one user at once.
- Older versions of Microsoft Outlook (versions 97-2002) cannot open PST data files in the new “Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders file (.pst)” format, or the Unicode PST format, as it is also called. Unicode PST supports multilingual Unicode data and offers extensive space for storing items and folders, but is not compatible with earlier versions of MS Outlook. If it will be necessary going forward to open PST files in earlier versions of MS Outlook, save them in “Microsoft Outlook 97-2002 (.pst) Personal Folders file” format.
If you cannot open PST files even after all of the above recommendations, the Personal Folders file in question is truly corrupted. There is a simple, effective PST recovery tool to repair PST files: Outlook Recovery Wizard.
This article describes typical problems which occur when users cannot open PST files with MS Outlook data, yet the Personal Folders file is not corrupted and does not need to be recovered.