ScanPST.exe — How to Find It, Use It, and Fix Corrupted PST Files

Personal Storage Table (PST) is one of the Outlook data file formats that Microsoft Outlook uses to store mailbox data, such as emails, calendars, contacts, notes, attachments, etc. on the local machine. PST file is also used to backup Outlook mailbox data and to transfer the mailbox data from one Outlook profile to another on same or different PC.

However, PST files are vulnerable to corruption due to multiple reasons, such as large size, system crashes, etc. Over the time, errors and inconsistencies may also develop in the PST file due to various reasons that may lead to corruption in PST file.

To repair corrupt PST file, you can use Outlook's built-in Inbox Repair Tool – also called as ScanPST.exe. This PST repair tool is provided by Microsoft as a part of Outlook installation. You don’t need to download this tool separately. It can be found in the Office program directory on your system. It is designed to scan your corrupted PST file for internal errors, inconsistencies, and structural issues, and fix them.

In this article, we have discussed how to locate and use ScanPST.exe for repairing the PST file. Moreover, we have also explained the limitations of this tool due to which it sometimes fail to repair the data files.

When to Use ScanPST.exe?

According to Microsoft Support page, here are some scenarios where the ScanPST can help:

• Outlook fails to open and shows error messages, such as "The file [filename].pst cannot be opened".
• Outlook can’t open the set of folders.
• Outlook hangs or crashes at startup while loading a profile.
• Folders or emails that disappeared after Outlook crash or improper shutdown.
• Errors related to "personal folders" not being closed properly.
• Repeated prompts to repair the data file on launch.
• Synchronization errors with the PST file.

Where is ScanPST Located in Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Office 365?

ScanPST is – by default - located in the Outlook installation directory. But the actual location may vary, depending on the Outlook and Windows OS version (32-bit or 64-bit) you’re using. The below table shows the locations of this tool based on Outlook version and installation type:

ScanPST.exe not found? Here's What to Do

ScanPST.exe is bundled with Outlook, not downloadable separately. However, at times this tool is often missing because of incorrect Outlook installation, corrupted office setups, or other various factors. If you find it missing then you can check correct office installation folder depending on your program’s version (Office12, Office14, Office15, or Office16) folder, try to repair Office, or reinstall your Office installation.

Best Practices to follow before you Run ScanPST

There are some measures that you should take before you start repairing PST file using the ScanPST. You should know that this utility works directly on your Outlook data file – PST. If there is any interruption or other issues, then there are chances of further damage to the existing file. To protect your mailbox data, follow these practices before you run ScanPST:

1. Backup your PST File

It is highly suggested to take a backup of your PST file before starting the repair process using ScanPST. In case of failure of the repair process or any other issue, you can restore your original data using this backup.

2. Close Outlook and all the Related Processes

ScanPST requires exclusive access to your data file to work properly. So, ensure that Microsoft Outlook and any other related processes are completely closed. If any process is running in the background, this can cause file access conflict, which may lead to incomplete or failed repair process.

3. Check File Permissions and Disk Space

You must have read/write permissions on the PST file and the folder in which it is stored to properly access the file and repair it. Additionally, ensure that there is enough free space on the disk to perform the process smoothly.

How to Use ScanPST.exe to Repair Corrupted PST File?

You can follow the below stepwise instructions to repair corrupted PST file using the ScanPST:

• Close Outlook application.
• Go to the location of ScanPST.

• To launch SCANPST.exe double click on it.
• Click Browse
• Select the PST file you want to repair.

• Navigate to the location of your PST file and select it. The default PST location is: C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\Outlook Files\ or C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\
• Click Start to initiate the scanning process.

• After scan, the tool will display the errors found.

• If any errors are found, click Repair to fix those errors.  
• Before repairing, check the box "Make backup of scanned file before repairing."

Once the process has finished, you will see the message "Repair complete".

• Open your Outlook again and verify your mailbox items and other data to make sure that everything is restored properly.

As per Microsoft document, you may need to run ScanPST multiple times until no errors are found. If in case ScanPST.exe freezes or stops responding, then do not close it right away. This happens if the PST file is large or highly corrupted. Wait for the tool to respond.

What are the Limitations of ScanPST?

There are certain limitations of this tool that you should be aware of. These are:

• It may fail to repair large PST files.
• The Inbox Repair tool may need to run multiple times to fully repair the PST file.
• It cannot fix every error it detects.
• It may fail to repair the file if the corruption level is too severe.
• It removes corrupted data instead of repairing, which can lead to data loss.

What if ScanPST.exe Fails to Repair Corrupt PST File?

This utility may fail to fix a damaged PST due to its limitations and under the following circumstances:

• ScanPST.exe is missing or damaged due to unknown application bugs or virus infection. 
• Unexpected errors in MS Outlook that ScanPST is not programmed to fix.
• Severely damaged or corrupt PST file.
• The PST file is very large or oversized, which can cause ScanPST to freeze, stop responding, or fail to complete the repair process successfully.

In such situation, you can choose a professional PST repair tool instead of repair PST file corruption and error. You can easily fix PST files regardless of the extent of corruption or file size. It enables you to get all the mailbox items including emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes and journals from the file and save them into a new PST file. You can then import this file directly into MS Outlook to get full access to your data back. Here’s how:

• Visit official website page of  Stellar Repair for Outlook.
• Download and install the tool.
• Launch the software.
• Now you will see two options: List Profile and Choose Manually.

• Click on List Profile to choose .pst file from the default location.
• You can select Choose Profile if your PST file is located in another location.
• Choose your data file and click on Repair.

• You will see your repaired data in three-pane preview window.

• Then, click on Save Repaired File on the main menu and choose the PST format.

• Click on the Browse option to choose the folder/location to save the repaired file.

Now go to the location where the repaired PST is saved. You can then import it into your Outlook profile.  

If you’ve a small PST file of up to 500 MB, then you can repair it for free  using PST repair online by Stellar. Its premium version can repair PST file of up to 5 GB. It ensures complete data integrity and preserves original folder structure during the repair process. It directly works through the web browser, without the need to install any software. 

ScanPST vs Stellar Repair for Outlook — A Comparison

Below, we’ve summarized the differences between ScanPST and Stellar Repair for Outlook software.

Conclusion

ScanPST – the Outlook Inbox Repair tool - is suitable for fixing minor corruption issues in the data files. Moreover, it may remove corrupted or unreadable items, which can result in data loss. To avoid such limitations and repair the PST file without any data loss, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook – a PST repair tool that is specifically developed for repairing PST file without any file size limit or severity of corruption. You can even repair encrypted or password-protected PST files with this tool.