How to Fix ‘PST File is not an Outlook Data File’ Error?

The error “PST is not an Outlook data file” occurs when your email client fails to recognize or access the data (.pst) file. The error may also appear with a message such as:

“Cannot display the folder. Microsoft Outlook cannot access the specified folder location. The operation failed. An object cannot be found.”

Below, we will look into the reasons that may trigger this Outlook data file error and provide the solutions to fix it.

Why does the 'PST File is not an Outlook Data File' Error Occur?

This error may occur due to various internal and external factors. Some common ones are given below:

Corruption in PST File

A damaged or inconsistent PST file is one of the common causes of this error. Corruption can occur due to an interrupted Outlook operation, improper system shutdown, disk errors, or other reasons.

PST File is in Read-Only Mode

If the PST file is marked as read-only, Outlook may be unable to access or write to it, thus triggering the error.

Incorrect File Location or Permission Issues

Outlook may fail to access the PST file, if it is located at another location or user account doesn’t have the required permissions on the file or the folder where it is stored.

Damaged Outlook/MS Office Program Files

If your Outlook or MS Office program files are damaged, then you may encounter various errors, including this Outlook data file error.

Faulty or Incompatible Add-ins

If you’ve installed any incompatible add-ins in Outlook or some add-ins become faulty, then they can interfere with the application’s functionality, causing such errors.

PST is Stored on Network Share or Drive

If you’ve stored the PST file on a network drive, then Outlook may fail to access the file if there are any connectivity issues.

Bad Sectors or Issues on the Disk

If there are bad sectors or any other issues on the disk where the PST file is stored, then Outlook may fail to read or access the file and trigger the error.

Oversized PST File

When PST becomes very large, Outlook may fail to read or write the data on it, causing this error.

Corrupt Outlook Profile

Corrupt or damaged profile can also prevent Outlook from properly accessing the PST file.

Quick Fixes to Resolve the “PST is not an Outlook Data File” Error

Here are some troubleshooting steps you can perform to quickly resolve the error:

Check and Change PST File Attributes

If the PST file is set to read-only, Outlook may be unable to write data to it, resulting in the error. To fix this, locate the PST file, right-click on it, and select Properties. Under Attributes, check that Read-only and Hidden are not selected. If any of the options are selected, uncheck it and select Apply > OK.

Copy the PST File to Another Location

If the PST file is stored on a network drive, connectivity or network issues can prevent Outlook from accessing the file. In this case, you can copy the file to the local hard drive and set the new file location as default in Outlook.

Check and Reduce the PST File Size

When the PST file becomes very large or oversized, Outlook may fail to read or write the data properly. To check its size, right-click on the file and select Properties. If the size of the PST file is large, then you can reduce its size.

Methods to Fix 'PST File is not an Outlook Data File' Error 

If the above quick fixes didn’t work for you, follow the below-given methods to troubleshoot and resolve the error.

1. Update Outlook/MS Office

An outdated version of Outlook may have bugs or compatibility issues that can affect access to the data file. If you’re not able to access the Outlook options, you can check and install the updates through another Office application, such as Word or Excel. For this, open the application and go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. After installing the available updates, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

2. Check for Disk Errors

Bad sectors or other errors on the drive, where your PST file is stored, can prevent Outlook from accessing or reading the file. Therefore, you can check for any disk errors and resolve them to fix the issue. The steps are as follows:

• Type Command Promptin the start menu and select Run as administrator.
• Type chkdsk C: /f /r and press the Enter key.

In the above command,

• C: specifies the drive letter where the PST file is stored. Make sure to replace it with the drive letter where your PST file is stored.
• /f fixes any errors found on the disk.
• /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

After this, restart the system, launch Outlook, and then check if the error is resolved.

3. Disable Problematic Add-ins

Faulty or incompatible add-ins can interfere with Outlook’s functionality and may cause issues and errors. To check whether an add-in is causing this error, start the application in Safe Mode. If the error does not appear in this mode, this confirms that an add-in is causing the problem. You can disable the add-ins in Outlook. Then, enable the add-ins one at a time to identify the problematic one.

4. Create a New Profile

Incorrect configuration settings or a corrupted profile can prevent Outlook from accessing the PST file, causing the PST file is not an Outlook data file error. Creating a new Outlook profile resets all configuration settings and can resolve the profile-related issues.

5. Repair or Reinstall MS Outlook

Damaged or corrupted Outlook program files can prevent the application from accessing the PST file. You can use the Repair option in Microsoft Office to fix the problem. Here’s how to do so:

• Go to the Start menu and select the Settingsicon or type Settings in the search bar.
• Choose Apps & features.It will display a list of all the installed apps on your system.

• Locate the Microsoft application and right-click on it. This will display two options – Modify and Uninstall. Select the Modify option.

• When the Account Control Prompt appears, click Yes. This will open the repair dialog box.

• Use the Quick Repair option first. It is fast and doesn’t require an internet connection. After selecting this option, click on Repair. When the process is complete, it will display a notification on the screen.

• If you face problems after Quick Repair, you can choose the Online Repair option.

• It will be like a fresh installation and may take some time, depending on your internet connection speed and the severity of the issue.

• When the process is complete, restart your system.

If repairing the program does not resolve the issue, you can reinstall Microsoft Office.

6. Repair PST File

Corruption in the PST file is one of the common reasons for the “PST is not an Outlook data file” error. The application may fail to recognize or access the PST file when its internal data structure is damaged. You can use the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) to repair the file.

Though Scanpst.exe can repair corrupt PST file, it has certain downsides, such as:

• It may not be able to repair severely corrupted PST file or fix every detected error.

• It may need to be run multiple times to fix all the errors in the PST file.
• It can handle and fix only minor corruption and integrity issues.
• It does not support encrypted PST file.
• It cannot fix structural damage in the file.
• It may fail to detect and resolve all errors and the file may remain partially corrupt even after the repair.
• It does not help recover deleted mail items.

If ScanPST fails to repair the PST file, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook - a more powerful PST repair tool. The ScanPST alternative can efficiently repair the PST files regardless of the size and the level of corruption. It can recover emails and other mailbox items while preserving the original folder structure and hierarchy. It also allows you to preview the recoverable data before saving it to a new PST file. This tool also supports recovery of deleted mailbox items from the file. It is compatible with Outlook versions 2024, 2021, 2019, 2016, and earlier.

Conclusion

The “PST is not an Outlook data file” error occurs when opening, importing or attaching a PST file in Outlook. You can resolve the error by following the troubleshooting methods discussed in this guide. If the PST file is corrupted, use the Outlook ScanPST.exe tool to repair it. If it fails to repair the file, use Stellar Repair for Outlook. It can repair severely corrupted PST files and restore the mailbox items to a new PST file, helping you regain access to your Outlook data.