The ScanPST is located in the Outlook installation directory but the exact location varies based on your Windows edition and Outlook version, its installation type (click-to-run or MSI), or whether you are using 32-bit or 64-bit version. In this post, we will list the exact locations of ScanPST based on different Outlook and Windows versions to help you easily find this tool.
Where is ScanPST.exe Located in Outlook2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 & 2007?
The ScanPST location is fixed by default. It can be found in the Outlook installation directory. However, the location of the installation directory may vary based on the Outlook and Windows version you’ve installed on your computer.
For instance, 32-bit Outlook is installed in the Program Files (x86) directory while 64-bit Outlook client is installed in the Program Files directory on your Windows PC. This may further vary if you use 32-bit or 64-bit Windows OS.
Below are the paths where you can find ScanPST.exe:
| Outlook Version | ScanPST Location (32-bit Windows) | ScanPST Location (64-bit Windows) |
| 2021/2019/2016 (Click-to-Run) | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 |
| 2013 | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15 | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15 |
| 2010 | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14 | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14 |
| 2007 | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12 | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12 |
Note: Here, ‘C:’ is the disk drive where Program Filesand Program Files(x86) folders reside.
How to Repair Corrupt PST File using Outlook ScanPST?
Once you have located the ScanPST, follow these steps to repair the corrupt Personal Folders file (PST) with ScanPST.exe:
Note: Before using this tool, close Microsoft Outlook and other applications. Also, take a backup of your PST file.
Step 1: Double-click on SCANPST.exe.
Step 2: In the Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool window, click Browse to select the PST file you want to repair.
Step 3: Once the file is selected, click Start to initiate the scanning process.
Step 4: If any errors are found, click Repair to fix those errors.
The repair process may take a while to complete. Wait for the tool to finish the repair. ScanPST.exe may freeze or stop responding. You must wait for the tool to respond. However, if it does not respond after a while or crashes, it indicates that the tool can’t repair the PST or the PST is either large or severely damaged.
What are the Limitations of ScanPST?
Although ScanPST can fix corruption issues in PST file, it has some limitations, such as:
- It only works in cases of minor corruption and integrity issues.
- It may fail to repair a large PST file.
- It may delete or remove mail items that it deems corrupt or bad.
- It cannot fix structural damage in PST files.
- It cannot recover lost or deleted emails.
- It requires to be run several times to fix the errors completely.
What if ScanPST.exe is Missing or doesn’t Work?
If the ScanPST tool doesn’t work or fails to repair the PST file, you can use a PST repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. It can repair severely corrupted PST files without any file size limitations. This software can also repair encrypted PST files.
This PST repair software enables you to save the repaired mail items in PST and other file formats, such as EML, MSG, RTF, HTML PDF, etc. Plus, it can recover permanently deleted emails from the PST file. The software also provides an option to export the repaired mailbox items to Microsoft 365 directly.
The PST file repair software also offers ‘Find’ functionality to search PST files in the selected volume. The free version of the software provides a preview of emails, calendars, attachments, folders, etc. This feature-rich PST repair tool supports all MS Outlook versions.
Conclusion
ScanPST.exe is a useful tool provided by Microsoft to help you address minor issues with Outlook data files, such as PST. To use this tool, you need to first locate it on your system. Above, we have mentioned the locations of ScanPST.exe based on the Outlook and Windows versions. However, it has several limitations that may impact its effectiveness and lead to further damage or data loss. To repair the corrupt PST file safely without the risk of data loss, you can use an Outlook PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook.
