Fix an Outlook pst file for free?

September 11, 2009 2:31 PM

Corrupt PST file. How can I fix it for free?

Microsoft's SCANPST.EXE recovers an empty file (which is still at 1GB, interestingly enough). I can find recovery programs online that have a free demo and will show me that they can recover the emails, but won't unless I shell out cash (Recovery Toolbox for Outlook, Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair, etc).

Are there free options that I'm failing to find? My Google searches are pretty useless for turning up anything of value lately.

posted by ODiV to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Maybe there is something here at Slipstick - weird, I've never had a corrupt PST in many many many years of using Outlook - how big is yours?
posted by jkaczor at 9:40 AM on September 12, 2009

It's just over a gig, same as when SCANPST.EXE is done with it.

I agreed to clean up a co-worker's computer because it was full of spyware and junk so it could have been a malicious program that caused the corruption. I'll take a look at that site, thanks.

The "Free Download!" sites are just annoying though. Sure, free to download, but not to use. Aside from that, all I seem to be getting on my searches are sites that are gaming Google for page hits.
posted by ODiV at 4:31 PM on September 12, 2009

Slipstick recommends Microsoft's SCANPST.EXE and says it should fix most problems. Then it has advertisements to the other tools that work, but cost money. It also recommends a HEX editor, but reading around some more, I think that's only to fix the 2GB Problem on older PST files.

Thanks for your help anyway. I guess I'll tell this guy he'll need to bring it in to an actual shop or pony up for one of these PST repair programs.
posted by ODiV at 7:43 AM on September 14, 2009