Even if you are currently on the right track with your PST, the same could not be guaranteed for the future, as it is possible that some unforeseeable circumstances may force damage to the PST file rendering the messaging data inaccessible.

If you read down a little further, you will find a way for restore outlook operation and to gear up for the future.

First of all, let’s try to find out what could lead to the corruption of the PST. There is not a single common error that causes corruption in the PST file. I have come across cases where Users have lost their data because of Virus Attack, Application crash, Accidental system shutdown, operating system based issues etc.

PST files are used for archiving the Outlook data, if your budget permits and if you are dealing with not-so-big pool of data, then you can think about maintaining redundant backups. This is, of course, not an efficient way to solve the problem, particularly in multiple User scenarios.

Though, thinking about ways to eradicate issues that cause such problem in first place is a nice thinking, but there is no any one point solution for that. That needs to be handled at multiple levels, involving too many technological factors that extend well beyond the domain of messaging environment.

Keeping all these things in mind what I suggest is having an off-the-shelf PST repair utility that can restore outlook. Now, that we are inching towards a third-party solution, you need to take care of the following points while choosing the product:

1.The software should be compatible with your system and OS that you use. Here, look for a solution that is compatible with the latest available version as you don’t know when you will be upgrading to the next higher version of the software that you use.
2.The UI of the software should be simple and intuitive.
3.It should also recover password protected PST files.
4.It should be able to recover all kind of messaging data such as Emails, Attachments, Contacts, Calendars, Notes and Schedules etc.
5.Look for the demo versions so that you try the software before buying.

Restore Outlook PST is one such solution that can take care of all kind of PST corruption issues, restore outlook and also confirms to all the criteria that I have mentioned above. Recovering data from corrupt PST files is just a few steps process with this Tool.

The Scanpst.exe tool is a free utility of Microsoft and it can rectify many PST file errors of MS Outlook. Use the check disk command before using the scandisk.

First run cmd in open box and enter chkdsk /f when it prompts. Then enter Y for restarting the computer. Exit the Chkdsk option and use the next method if the Outlook is still not functioning.

Note: If the Chkdsk fails then it will show a message called “the format of file system is NTFS and it is unable to lock current the drive.”

Rebuild the PST folder

Close all running programs and open Internet Explorer. Prepare another copy of PST files residing in drive: \Documents and Settings\UserID\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
Note: Here Drive stands for boot drive, UserID is a users ID, LocaeID is LCID (locale identifier) for installation in MS Office.

Use the rename option and provide a new name to the Outlook PST files. Now, use the Inbox Repair Tool for repairing the PST folder

Search the Scanpst.exe tool in the search option after highlighting all files and folders. Open the tool and search for the newly created PST file folder. Inbox Repair Tool will scan the files and repair them. Exit the program and restart the computer. After this move all old PST files into the newly created PST folder.

If still the MS Outlook is showing the Redundancy Check (CRC) Error then it is the time to rescue the PST files with a restore Outlook PST tool. Outlook PST repair is a good option in this regards which salvages large number of PST files in just moments. This tool can retrieve the PST data from any kind of corruption and impairment. It is highly compatible with all Outlook versions and Windows operating systems.

1. Trimming down the oversized Exchange mailbox
2. Switching on to the online mode profile from cached mode profile
3. Chopping the PST file size

Trimming down the oversized Exchange mailbox

By reducing the size of exchange mailbox a user can increase the speed of Outlook to a huge extent. He can also delete the mailbox or archive the PST files. Mailbox cleanup (in the tools menu) and AutoArchive are some features to reduce the size of Exchange server.
Switching the profile from online mode from cached mode

The cached mode uses an OST file format to store the mailbox. That means the huge size of Exchange would retrospectively add on size to the OST files. By switching on to the online mode (from cached mode) a person can reduce the burden on hard disk.

Chopping the PST file size

The 2GB truncation tool is an inbuilt utility in MS Outlook to reduce the size of PST files. But the truncation tool is not available for MS Outlook 2007. So an Outlook 2007 user would have to split the PST files.

First an Outlook 2007 user would have to select the Archive option from File menu. Then select the Archive this folder and all subfolders option from the Archive dialog box. He can also set the date and browse the PST files for archiving them.

A user can subsequently reduce the size of the PST files by moving them to a new folder. By creating separate PST folders a user can save the PST files from reaching the 2 GB limitation.
All these measures can certainly increase the speed of MS Outlook. But there are various other reasons because of which the PST files can become damaged or corrupt. To effectively restore Outlook PST files a user can refer Restore Outlook PST Tool.

Outlook recovery tools repair the damaged or corrupt PST files to restore all the data back again. Actually PST files store every piece of email received or sent, calendar items, scheduled tasks, notes and all that are accessed through folders like Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts. Once outlook retrieves the mail, it stores the data at the user’s computer on a local disk. Other probable reasons of corruption are due to virus attack, accidental deletion of emails, unexpected system shutdown, software crash, logical failure, human errors, etc. Meet all this irregularities with proficient recovery tools.

Let’s have a look over its key features to be aware of its functions are areas of help.

1.Restores emails with attachments, zipped attachments, images, calendar details, contacts, tasks, notes etc.
2.Repairs password protected/highly-encrypted PST files.
3.Recovers even deleted mails from the Outlook folder
4.Resolves 2GB limitation error and restore emails even from broken PST files.
5.Enables saving of recovered data in .PST, .EML, .DBX and .MSG format

The potent algorithmic approach thoroughly scans the PST folder to restore Outlook perfectly. Recovered emails and other items are listed in a tree like structure and preview of the email data can be checked for complete restoration.

Outlook PST Repair is the comprehensive tool with all these inbuilt features. Outlook PST software supports MS Outlook versions 97, 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003, 2007, 2010 as well as MS Outlook Express v5.0, 5.01, 5.5 and 6.0. Try the product for free to check its potential. Buy it from three different available licenses, depending on the type of use and required recovery.

Just in case your answer to the aforementioned question is yes then you have hit the right page. In this blog, we have tried to explain as to why you are not able to open an Outlook 2003 PST file in earlier versions of Outlook email client. Also covered in this blog is the resolution of the problem.

Let’s consider a real life scenario wherein you completely fail in your trial of opening an Outlook PST file in earlier versions of Outlook email client. When you try to do so, you get to face the following error message:

“The file file_name.pst is not compatible with this version of the Personal Folders information service.
Contact your Administrator.”

Now let’s try to understand the root cause behind the occurrence of the above-mentioned error.

The primary cause behind the occurrence of the aforementioned error message is that Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 use Unicode file format to store data items in PST file. On the other hand, earlier versions of Outlook use the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) file format to store the data items in the PST file.

Therefore, there is a file format mismatch and the earlier versions of Outlook are unable to open or import the Unicode formatted PST files.

In order to resolve this issue, you can copy the data saved in a Unicode-formatted PST file to an ANSI-formatted PST file in Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007. By doing so, the incompatibility issue is resolved.

However, sometimes the issue is still not resolved. In such a scenario, you must use a professional and efficient restore Outlook tool to repair the damaged and corrupt Outlook PST files.

Numerous restore Outlook tools are available in the market. Cautiously choose the restore Outlook tool that is as per your requirements.
Kernel for Outlook PST Repair is a comprehensive, eminent, and impeccable PST repair program that is completely capable of repairing the damaged and corrupt Outlook PST files and that too in an easy and efficient manner.

Here, we are not only describing the process to backup Outlook profile, but will also tell you the process to restore Outlook profile to achieve the old Outlook settings. The process we are going to describe here involves making some changes in Windows registry, so you have to be very careful while playing with Windows Registry. A little mistake in Windows registry may cause severe damage. Anyways, let us execute the below given steps to backup Outlook profile:

1. Start Computer.
2. Click Start > Run.
3. Type Regedit in the edit box and click the open button.
4. Now, locate the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

1. Once you have located the above key, right-click the key and select the Export option.
2. Save the key at desired location from where you can easily access it.

This is how you to backup the Outlook profile. When you save the key, then you are promoted to give it name, so do this and click the Save button. The file will be saved as .reg file. You are suggested to copy this file to other storage media like pen drive, zip drive, etc.

Restore Outlook profile

After you have known the process of creating backup of the current Outlook profile, you should also know the process to restore Outlook. Listed below are the steps that will help restoring Outlook profile after the damage of MS Outlook:

1. Reinstall MS Outlook.
2. Now, navigate to the location where the backup copy of the Outlook profile is stored.
3. Run the file.
4. When you execute the file, a confirmation message will appear. Click the Yes button to move ahead.

As soon as you click the Yes button, the old Outlook profile will be restored offering you the old settings and rules. This is how to restore Outlook.

A useful tip for Outlook users

The above article has described the process to backup and restore Outlook profile. If in case, you ever come across the situation of PST damage then do not feel hopeless. Instead of feeling hopeless, you should use the Kernel for Outlook Repair software. The software helps repairing the corrupt PST file and recovering the lost emails, contacts, notes, tasks, calendars, etc.

Outlook users most often delete unimportant emails so that the size of PST file can be kept as less as possible. This is because if the size of PST file reaches around 1GB or more, Outlook starts performing slow. Moreover, if the PST crosses its maximum size limit then it may get corrupt. Damage of the PST simply means the loss of important emails, notes, contacts, etc. Therefore, to keep them away from data loss, Outlook users delete unimportant emails on regular basis.
Sometimes, while cleaning the mailbox, the users also delete important emails that they need to restore. There can be following ways to restore deleted emails in an impeccable manner:

Restore from Deleted Items folder: The very first place where you should search for the deleted emails is the “Deleted Items” folder. When you delete the email by pressing DELETE key or by selecting the DELETE option, they get transfer into the “Deleted Items” folder from where you can restore them.

Use the Outlook built-in Restore Deleted Items option: If you do not see the deleted emails in the “Deleted Items” folder then you can recover them using the Restore Deleted Items option. In Outlook 2007, you can access this option by clicking Tools > Restore Deleted Items. Once you have selected this option, a dialog box appears allowing you to restore deleted emails of the folder selected in the left panel. The emails recovered using this option will be displayed in the Deleted Items folder from where you can restore them at their original location. However, using this option you can restore recently deleted emails only.

Use some email recovery tool: If both of these above given methods failed to retrieve deleted emails then the last and final solution to recover deleted emails is a third party email recovery software.

Restore Outlook is a sophisticated, prolific, and tremendous deleted email recovery program, which enables you to restore deleted emails in just few minutes. While recovering the deleted emails, the software maintains their properties and formatting; therefore, you can use the recovered emails as is. Moreover, the recovered emails are displayed in RED color so that you can easily identify them. The software supports MS Outlook 97, 2000, xp, 2003, 2007 and 2010.

If you are using Windows XP or Windows 2000 or Windows 2003, then you can find PST file at:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
If you are using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you PST file will be located at:
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
If you are using Windows 98 or Windows Me, then PST file location will be:
C:\Windows\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Still unable to find PST file, as the default location has been changed? Try out these steps:
For finding PST location, simply click Start, select Search and then Files or Folders. Now type *.pst, and then press ENTER or click Find Now. All PST files available on your system will get listed. Just note down the location of PST file and browse the location to access the PST file.
If you are using Corporate or Workgroup configuration of Outlook, then the PST file will be stored on your mail server which is maintained by the administrator. Following are the steps for locating PST file stored on your email server in case of Corporate or Workgroup configuration of Outlook:
1.Start Outlook.
2.If you are using Outlook 2007, click Account Settings from the Tools menu. Account Settings window will appear.
3.In this window, click the Data Files tab to see your Outlook data files, including PST and OST files. If you have multiple accounts in Outlook, you may notice several data files listed.
4.Click Open Folder to open the Outlook data folder.
5.Navigate to the location of the desired .PST.
So isn’t it simple to find PST location. However, this issue is simple but there are many other complicated issues that you may unexpectedly encounter. One of them is PST file corruption; a corrupt PST file not only affects your work flow but also causes unmanageable email data loss situations.
But need not to worry, as using an effective tool like Restore Outlook, all lost emails and other email items can be easily recovered. This tool makes it possible to restore Outlook data including emails, contacts, journals, contacts without facing any complexity.

MS Outlook 2002 and its earlier versions had a file size of Personal Folders (PST) file to be 2 GB. Now, whenever the PST file crosses the threshold of 2 GB, a data in the file becomes inaccessible. Even if you try deleting items manually once the folder size goes beyond the threshold file size, the file doesn’t remain in usable condition.

Whilst you try to resolve large PST file corruption, you might come across the following typical corrupt PST file error messages:

• “Outlook.pst cannot be accessed – 0×80040116″
• “An unknown error has occurred. 0×80040119″
• “pst has reached maximum size limit”
• “OL2000: Unable to Use Your Personal Folder File if it Exceeds the 2 GB Size Limit”
• “The file could not be added to the folder. The action could not be completed”

The above-mentioned error messages are a result of large PST file corruption. Microsoft suggests you to try using the Microsoft Inbox Repair Tool to deal with large PST file corruption. But since, these inbuilt utilities are not able to deal with major corruptions, chances of getting disappointing results are high.
For a person in a corporate environment, reaching the maximum size limit in MS Outlook is quite common and once you reach the 2 GB limit, you could not send or receive emails, make notes, access my contacts, manage appointments etc.

The preventive step you can take to avoid such situation is regularly removing the unimportant data eating up space on your PST file. Microsoft also offers 2 GB Truncation utility that compresses the PST file but what if this all prove futile, as PST has crossed the 2 GB size and got corrupt.

Have tried so many solutions and still not able to get rid of large PST file corruption?

You need some professional help. You might be asking yourself- “How can I repair large PST file?” Well, switch to repair Outlook PST tool and repair and restore your PST file without losing important data.