Why do organizations need to run a PST recovery? Is it because users love to save so much email that their PST files exceed all reasonable storage limits and then blow up – putting hundreds or thousands of business critical emails at risk? Or is it because they try to store these enormous PSTs on network shares – leading to corruption from simple over the network access (which is not supported)? Could it be that the organization charges users more for storage on the Exchange Server than on the file server, so business units encourage their users to store mail in PSTs to “save money”?
Repairs oversized Outlook PST files for e.g. Outlook 2000 PST files getting corrupt when it reaches 2 GB or more in size You can repair most PST files that cannot be repaired using inbox repair tool provided with Outlook i.e. Best recommendation for free PST repair tool and PST file recovery software is here. Only use PST repair tool when Outlook PST files got corrupted and will not open; however, download PST recovery software when PST files were missing, deleted or formatted by mistake. Free PST Repair Software| PST Recovery Software. Updated on Dec 05, 2017.
Whatever the reason, there’s not an Exchange admin out there who hasn’t been faced with the need to run PST recovery to save some user’s email. Featured Product There are several ways to go about PST recovery, depending on what versions are in use, how large the files are, and how much you are willing to spend. Older versions of Outlook don’t handle PST files larger than 2GB very well, but won’t prevent users from creating larger files. Outlook 2003 and 2007 can deal with PST files up to 20GB in size, which is a huge file to try to back up over the Wi-Fi connection most users have today. Storing such large files on the server has its own challenges, especially when users lose connectivity while the file is open. Outlook 2010 can go up to 50GB, which is just an astronomically large amount of mail to lose if the file corrupts and cannot be repaired. Here’s a rundown on three ways to perform a PST recovery, and one way to avoid ever needing to again.
Inbox Repair Tool This tool is included with Outook and is called scanpst. Scanpst.exe can be found in either drive: Program Files Common Files System Mapi LocaleID scanpst.exe or drive: Program Files Microsoft Office Office14 (Outlook 2010).
The scanpst.exe tool can scan a PST file for damage, and can recover it in many cases. Run it when you encounter an error message like this one: Errors have been detected in the file. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool. OST Crop Tool Remember those limits to PST size? When a user blows past that point, the Inbox Repair Tool may not be able to repair it.
You can use the OST Crop Tool to truncate the corrupt file down to a size that may be accessible. Make a copy of the corrupt PST first, because when you use this tool you will lose data. Recovering some mail is better than none, but preserving a copy lets you try another fix or two. You can download that tool from the Microsoft website’s Download Center. Third Party PST Repair Tools The market is full of free and commercial from third party sources. Look at the vendors’ websites carefully, and see what you can find using your favorite search engine about real users’ successes. As always, make a copy of the PST before you try any tool so that you can take another crack at it if the first choice fails.
A Better Alternative Of course, there are no guarantees with PST recovery. PST files were never intended for enterprise email storage, and sometimes your best efforts with the top of the line software may still fail. Really, the only way to be sure that your users will never lose email to corrupted PSTs is to not use them.
Email archiving solutions are to the enterprise what PST files are to a user’s personal email – providing users practically unlimited email storage, while relieving the stresses that this might otherwise place on an Exchange system. Email archiving works with your email system. Older emails can be moved to the archive by hand, or automatically using any particular logic you need to employ. Commonly, archiving is automatic for all sent or received messages, but can also be based on age. When email is moved to the archive, it is still available to the user.
They can access archived messages using their Outlook client or a web browser, but rather than taking up premium storage on the Exchange server, they are stored in the archive’s less expensive disks. This also makes backup and restore operations easier, since mail is now split across multiple storage systems, while still being accessible to the user as one. With no more need to store email in PSTs, critical data stays on the server where it is protected, accessible, and can be searched as needed; and the best part is that there’s no need for PST files or painful PST recover efforts. Look at deploying email archiving today to solve your storage needs and eliminate PST files. You’ll never have to deal with a PST recovery operation again.
Outlook Email PST Recovery Software Many people use Outlook to send and receive email, log email addresses of friends, family members and colleagues and keep track of business appointments and other important dates. Fortunately, Outlook usually works properly most of the time. However, if Outlook fails, then a person will often lose a lot of data if he or she does not have PST recovery software. A PST recovery program can enable a person to get back lost data that would have otherwise been impossible to recuperate. How Do Outlook PST Recovery Programs Work?
There are various recovery programs and each one operates a bit differently. Outlook Recovery Toolbox will help a person recover emails, contacts, notes, appointments and task notes by copying all the information from these files into new.pst,.eml,.vcf. Or.txt files.
Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair and Inbox Repair Tool repair the damaged files instead of creating new ones. Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair also enables a person to recover files that have deleted from Outlook’s “deleted items” folder and can open emails that are password protected. How to Choose the Right Program There are a number of Outlook recovery programs from which to choose. This makes it difficult for a person who is not technologically savvy to choose the program that best suits his or her needs.
Following are some tips to keep in mind when considering various program options. Taking advantage of free trial periods is always a good idea. Many software manufacturers offer a free trial period of their products so that users can try them out before purchasing them. These trial periods generally last for 30 days, although some may only be valid for 15 days. It is also important to note that many of the trial versions of a program may not have all the features and amenities that the full version of the program provides. It is also important to make sure that the program in question is compatible for the version of Windows being used. This information is usually provided in a prominent place on the software package or software manufacturer’s website.
Using a program that is not right for the version of Windows and Outlook being used can cause more harm than good and may further ruin the damaged PST files. Those who are unfamiliar with various types of software programs may want to check out online reviews of various programs before choosing one with which to work. When checking what others have to say about any given program, it is important to note if the program takes up a lot of room on the computer’s hard drive, how easy it is to install the program and whether or not the program is easy to use. Preventing Outlook Email and PST Corruption Problems While PST recovery is actually a fairly straightforward process, it is better to avoid PST problems in the first place. PST files can be corrupted by a computer virus or, in the case of desktop computers, a power course interruption.
It is also important to note that Microsoft Outlook PST files that are 2GB or more tend to become corrupted, as the program was not designed to handle large PST files in the first place. Besides investing in antivirus software and a UPS for a desktop computer, a person can also avoid PST file corruption problems by using a reliable hard disk and always shutting Outlook down properly instead of with the Task Manager. A business network should make sure that the network is functioning properly at all times, as a malfunctioning network can cause Outlook PST file corruption.
Anyone who uses Outlook on a regular basis will likely have to deal with PST file problems at some point or the other. Thankfully, there are various software programs that will help a person to either save the information to new PST files or fix the damaged files so that they will function properly.
A person simply needs to consider the various program options and then choose the one that best suits his or her needs.