Simple Ways To Keep Outlook PST Corruption Aware

Published by Jacob Martin on December 3, 2014

MS outlook is very powerful email client application. Its advanced features like social connector, amazing interface (including themes), heavy data storage capability makes it perfect email client utility for smooth email communication and sharing data.

Outlook PST data file contains the entire database related to Outlook. All that you send and receive emails or also keep other data like calendars, notes, attachments, images in MS-Outlook, it gets saved in one single file called Outlook Data File (PST). You can call it as PST file, PST data file or Outlook PST file.

A single error can also corrupt the Outlook data file and increase the risk of data lost. It happens sometime that you are not aware about the reasons of corruption in PST files and it occurs as exceptional ways.

If you are an MS Outlook user, then you may be familiar with these error messages –

• ‘Unable to display the folder. The file xxx.pst could not be accessed’
•  ‘The file xxx.pst is not a personal folders file’
• ‘Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience’

These are the common error message that faced by most of the Outlook users. The corruption or damage of PST files makes its items such as emails, attachments, contacts, calendar, notes, journals etc. inaccessible to Outlook users.

Reasons of PST Files Corruption?

There can be so many reasons behind its corruption but some of the commonly observed reasons behind the corruption of Outlook PST files are:

Hardware or software issues, Hard disk damages, media corruption, file-header corruption, broken PST file, networking faults, power failures, improper Outlook exits, 2 GB limitation errors, and virus attack etc.

So what will you do to prevent Outlook Data File from the corruption and Errors, if you caught into such situation? Or is there any method to get overcome from this, if you suddenly faced one of them.

Six Simple Ways to Keep Outlook PST Corruption at Bay

PST file is store house of the Outlook data so it needs special care if you want to keep your email communication uninterrupted. Here some of the simple and easily implementable but very effective steps are discussed that help you in avoiding the risk of Outlook PST corruption.

1.  Always exit Outlook properly

Improper shutdown usually cause corruption issues and drags the Outlook PST file more close to damaged level because the improper shutdown sometime disturbs and corrupt the running Outlook interface and its database. So before shutting down your system always check once for your MS Outlook that is properly closed or not.

2. Do not save PST file on a server or in a network drive

Incorrect network connectivity or wrong server settings with ISP provider is may also be reason  behind the PST File error so never save them on a server or on a network drive. If corruption caused by wrong server settings, then user not able to send/receive emails in MS-Outlook

3.  Do not handle large volumes of emails in a single operation

Don’t send, copy, move or delete large numbers of emails and also don’t apply these email operations at one time. It will be more safe to do these operations in many repeated steps.

4.  Keep Checking for the PST file size:

Regularly check for the file size of the PST data file while working with Outlook. It is not necessary that corruption can only take place in 2GB PST data file. It can also occur in any Outlook data file while you are accessing a newer version like 2010, 2013 or older version like 2002. It is better to keep the PST file size well below what is permitted. If required, split PST files to keep its size in check.

5. Be alert against virus attacks

Be careful at the time of sharing PST files; use a correct ant-virus program in your system to ensure that it is not harmful to PST files. On one side these programs protects from the malware/virus attacks over the internet but on other side sometimes they pretend the incoming mails as malware without reading it completely and not allow to move them in Inbox. As this situation can make your, PST files become non-accessible so always be sure that only virus-free applications are there in your system.

6. Backup the PST file periodically

Always be prepared for such circumstances. So keep backups of PST files regularly, so that disaster doesn’t put any permanent damage to the email communication system.

How to Fix Outlook PST Corruption?

If your outlook file gets corrupted in spite of all precautions then the only option to access and restore the data stored in it. MS Outlook has some inbuilt Scanpst.exe Tool with it to fix minor corruption PST corruption issues. It has the ability to repair minor corruption issues of the PST file. With the help of third party repair tool like Outlook PST Repair software.

This is especially designed to repair and restore any kind of broken or damaged PST and OST files. It scans down your corrupt PST file thoroughly and repairs it to a new healthy PST file from which you can easily restore all your important items like mails, attachments, contact details, appointments, notes, calendar items etc. it has also the ability to repair highly encrypted and password protected PST files.

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