The error message – “Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair tool does not recognize the file” or “ScanPST.exe does not recognize the file” usually occurs when the corruption or damage in the Outlook PST file is too severe for the ScanPST tool to fix. There are various other reasons or factors that can result in this error. This blog post explains the reasons for this error and how to resolve it efficiently and repair the PST file.
Causes of “Outlook ScanPST.exe does not Recognize the File” Error
Following are the common causes behind the “Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair tool does not recognize the file” error:
- Severe Corruption in PST File: ScanPST is suitable for fixing mild to moderate corruption issues in the PST file. If you are trying to repair a severely corrupted PST file, then the tool may freeze or throws the error.
- Unsupported PST File Format: Older Outlook versions support ANSI-encoded PST files. So, if you are using an older version of Outlook (2002 or earlier) and trying to repair a Unicode PST file, the ScanPST may fail to recognize the file format, resulting in the error.
- Large PST File Size: PST file has a defined size limit in each Outlook version. For example, 2 GB (Outlook 2002 and earlier), 20 GB (Outlook 2003–2007), and 50 GB (Outlook 2010 and above). If the pst file is large or exceeds this limit, then the ScanPST tool may fail to repair the file or throws the error.
To resolve this error, you can follow the below given solutions.
1 – Convert the UNICODE PST File to ANSI-based File
Outlook 2002 and earlier versions support ANSI-based PST files. However, Outlook 2003 and later versions are compatible with UNICODE-based PST files. If you are encountering the error while repairing a UNICODE PST file using ScanPST in Outlook 2002 or a previous version, then you can convert the UNICODE-based file into an ANSI-based file. Here’s how to do so:
- Open Outlook and then click File.
- Click on Account Settings > Data Files and then click on Add.
- Go to the PST file location and select the PST File.
- Select Outlook 97-2002 Data File as Save as Type and click OK. This will create an ANSI-based PST file.
- You can view your newly created PST file in the Folder List. Drag the data from the existing folders of the default PST to the new PST file. You can alternately use the Import/Export wizard from the File menu.
- Now, choose the newly created PST file and close the previous PST by selecting and clicking on Close.
2 – Reduce the PST File Size
The error “Microsoft Outlook ScanPST.exe tool does not recognize the file” can occur if the PST file you’re trying to repair is large-sized. In such a case, you can use the Compact Now feature in Outlook to compress the PST file and reduce its size. To compact the PST file, follow the steps below:
- In Outlook, navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- In the Account Settings window, click the Data Files tab and then select the .pst file that you want to compact.
- Next, click Settings.
- In the Outlook Data File box, click Compact Now, and then click OK.
This will help you to remove the white space left by deleted items in the PST file.
You can also split the PST file using Outlook or Stellar Toolkit for Outlook. This tool will help you split the PST file based on size, date, folder, or sender.
An Alternative Solution to Repair PST File
If the above methods fail to resolve the error or the PST file is severely corrupted, then you can use a professional PST repair tool. Stellar Repair for Outlook is one such tool that can effectively repair severely corrupted PST file without any file size limitations. It can recover all the mailbox items and save them to new PST file. It is an ultimate solution for fixing PST-related errors in MS Outlook. To repair the PST file using Stellar Repair for Outlook, follow the steps outlined below:
- Download Stellar Repair for Outlook and open it.
- Select the List Profiles option. This will list all the PST files from the default location. If the PST file is saved at a different location, click the Choose Manually option.
- After selecting the file, click Repair to commence the repair process.
- When the process is finished, preview the scanned PST mailbox data.
- Go to the Home menu and click on Save Repaired File.
- Select the PST file format in the Save as window. Click OK.
- Click the Browse button and select a destination for the repaired file. Click OK.
Now, import the repaired PST file into your Microsoft Outlook profile using the Import/Export wizard.
Conclusion
The “Microsoft Outlook ScanPST.exe tool does not recognize the file” error usually indicates severe PST file corruption or damage. While you can use the ScanPST tool for minor issues in PST files, it may not help in resolving complex or severe corruption issues. In such scenarios, the ultimate solution is to use Stellar Repair for Outlook that can repair highly corrupted PST files quickly.
