Guide to fix error Outlook.pst is not compatible

Published by Jacob Martin on May 21, 2014

Many Outlook users just work with Outlook without its technical details, file format, structure or preventive measures. But it is important to know these details as sometimes major problem arises due to avoiding these small issues. Being an Outlook user, you must keep yourself updated about this e-mail application and so that you can fix small problem by yourself. Because Outlook application may get corrupt due to several reasons and it may throw various errors and thereafter you will not be able to access information, e-mails and other objects of Outlook, even you cannot open, send or receive emails.

Here is one kind of error message that Outlook users faces with the compatibility of Outlook versions. The error message is mentioned below

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

Outlook.pst is not compatible

On the whole, Outlook version is divided into two formats. Ones format is ANSI which consist Outlook 2002 and its earlier version and second format is Unicode which consists 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013. Undoubtedly, by now you must know that the above error message is related with the second format.

Causes

When you update or reinstall new Operating system to your computer and when you try to access Outlook application you may get such error message. Because it might be possible that your computer may have older format of Outlook in your computer and when you update the operating system or reinstall the newer version of Outlook application and hence the newer version does not allow you to aces the older version of Ms Outlook.

For example – if your computer has 2002 base ANSI format and the newer version which you have installed in your computer is of Outlook 2007 PST file which is Unicode based and therefore it cannot open ANSI based Outlook. Luckily there is solution that you can follow to fix this error. Follow them below.

How to fix Outlook.pst is not compatible

Here is the steps to fix the error outlook.pst is not compatible. First you need to copy the content of Outlook 2007 file to a non Unicode file that is to ANSI based format. To do this here is the steps:

• Open Outlook>Go to File>Data File Management and click Add.
• Select Outlook 97-2002 PST files and click OK for all three times. This will generate ANSI based file. Click Close.
• Click Folder List from the bottom of navigation pane. This will display new PST file.
• Now Import the 2007 data based PST file into this new PST file or drag the data into this new file.
• Now right click on navigation pane and click Close “file_name”.

As a new ANSI file has been created, you can successfully able to use Unicode based file in ANSI based version and hence you will not get such error.

However, sometimes it does not work for every version of Outlook such as if you use Outlook 2003, 2010 or 2010. Then you can opt for a PST repair tool. Such tool works remarkably because it automatically finds out the problem through deep scanning and then immediately repairs the corrupt PST file. Once the repair process completes, it can recover all PST file elements back to your mailbox.