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Outlook PST File 5 minute read

Recover 0kb PST File in Outlook With Easy Methods

Updated on April 12th, 2022
Eric Simson
Written By
Eric Simson
Kuljeet Singh
Approved By
Kuljeet Singh

Summary: Sometimes, Outlook PST file becomes inaccessible and shows 0 KB file size. In this post, we have discussed the reasons that may cause the 0 KB Outlook PST file problem. In addition, we have shared some methods to recover Outlook data when PST file shows 0 KB. Also, you’ll find about a professional Outlook repair tool that can repair PST file and recover all its data.

Recover 0kb PST File in Outlook With Easy Methods

Outlook users often complain about facing different errors and problems. One such problem faced by the users is the error message “0KB Outlook PST file”. The primary cause of this issue is the corruption in PST file. However, there are some other factors that can also cause this issue, such as:

  • When a PST file becomes oversized, its header may get damaged and make it appear as if the PST file is empty.

 Note: The recommended maximum PST file size is 2 GB in Outlook         2002/XP and older versions, 20 GB in Outlook 2007, and 50 GB in Outlook 2010 and later editions.

  • Errors that occur while compacting PST files can lead to 0KB Outlook PST file.
  • A system crash can damage PST file and make it look empty.
  • The Check Disk tool (chkdsk) is used to check the integrity of file system on a hard drive and fix logical errors. However, running this utility can sometimes cause 0KB PST file issue.
  • Bad sectors on the hard drive where the PST file is stored can also damage the file and make PST file empty.

How to Perform Outlook Data Recovery from a 0KB Outlook PST File?

You can follow the given methods to recover PST when it is showing ‘0KB Outlook PST file’.

1. Recover PST File from Backups

Manual Backup

If you have been creating regular backups of your Outlook data, you can use the most recent backup file to recover the PST file. For this, follow these steps:

  • Launch Outlook.
  • Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Opening Import/Export wizard

Import and Export Wizard will open.

  • Select Import from another program or file and click Next.
  • Select Outlook data file (.pst) and continue.
  • Browse to the location where the backup PST file is saved, select the file, and click Next.
Import and Export wizard
  • Click Finish.

Outlook Auto-Archived PST File

You can also restore the PST file and perform Outlook data recovery if you have enabled Outlook Auto-Archive earlier. For this, follow these steps:

  • Launch Outlook.
  • Select File > Options> Advanced.
  • In AutoArchive section, click AutoArchive Settings.
AutoArchive Window

AutoArchive window will open.

  • Click Browse to locate the archived PST file.
  • Import the archived PST file into Outlook using the Manual Backup File method shared above.

Previous Versions in Windows

In case you don’t have backups and the Outlook Auto-Archive was not enabled, you can use the Windows Previous Versions feature to recover data from a 0kb PST file. For this, follow these steps:

  1. Locate the folder in which the Outlook file is saved. Following are the default locations of Outlook file folder in different Windows versions:
  • Windows 10: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook OR C:\Users\<username>\Roaming\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
  • Windows 8/7/Vista: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
  • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\
  1. Right-click the Outlook folder to open a pop-up menu.
  2. Select Restore Previous Versions in the menu to open Outlook Files Properties
Restoring previous version of Outlook data
  1. Click Previous Versions
Outlook file properties

You can see multiple previous versions of the selected folder.

  1. Select the most recent version of Outlook data folder and click Copy button to recover the version and save it to a location.

2. Recover PST File by Using ScanPST.exe

You can also use Outlook built-in Inbox Repair tool, also called ScanPST.exe, to recover the 0KB PST file. Follow these steps:

  1. Exit Outlook.
  2. Find and run Inbox Repair tool.

Note: The location of Scanpst.exe file varies depending on the Outlook version you are using. You can find Scanpst.exe in these locations:

Outlook 2019 (Office 365)

  • 32-bit Version: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office19
  • 64-bit Version: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office19

Outlook 2016/Windows 10

  • C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Outlook 2013

  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15
  • C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15

Outlook 2010

  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14
  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office(x86)\Office14

Outlook 2007

  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office(x86)\Office12
  1. In the Inbox Repair tool, enter the path and PST file name or click Browse to locate the file, and then click Start.
Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair tool

Notes:

  • You may need to run Inbox Repair tool multiple times to fully repair your 0 KB PST file.
  • The Inbox Repair tool doesn’t guarantee recovery success. It may fail to recover certain items if they were permanently deleted or corrupted beyond repair.

3. Repair PST File by using Stellar Repair for Outlook

If the above methods don’t work for recovering data from a 0KB Outlook PST file, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook software. The software can easily repair corrupt PST files and restores all the mailbox content such as journals, tasks, rules, contacts, emails, and attachments. This software efficiently scans the damaged PST file, extracts its data, performs repairs, and saves the data into a new PST file.

The following are some salient features of Stellar Repair for Outlook:

  • Recovers files larger than 2 GB
  • Supports selective mail recovery
  • Recovers accidentally deleted emails
  • User-friendly GUI
  • Recovers both encrypted and password protected PST files
  • Compatible with MS Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000
  • Includes Find PST option to automatically search for local PST files

To recover data from 0KB PST file by using the PST Repair software, follow these steps:

  1. Install Stellar Repair for Outlook.
Stellar
  1. Authenticate the software by entering the activation key and launch it to start the Repair process.

The Select PST File for Repair dialog box will open.

  1. Click Browse to locate the PST file you want to repair.

Note: If you don’t know the location of the PST file, click Find. 

select PST file for repair
  1. Once you select the PST file, click Repair to start the scanning process.

After scanning is completed, a new window highlighting the list of all recoverable files and folders will open.

  1. Preview and select the files you want to repair, and click Save Repaired File.
Stellar
  1. Select PST file format for saving the data.
selecting file format for recovered PST file
  1. Specify the location where you want to save the recovered file.
  2. Click Ok to complete the process.

Note: The software can repair the PST file and restore the data if it is still reside in the file. You can download and run the free demo version of the software to check and repair the file.

Conclusion

When using Outlook, you can sometimes face issues such as 0 KB Outlook PST file. If you’re facing such an issue, you can try recovering the PST file from backups, auto-achieved PST files, or Windows previous versions option. You can also try using Inbox Repair Tool to repair the PST file. But if the PST file is severely corrupted, the Inbox Repair tool may fail to repair the file. In such a scenario, you can use a specialized software such as Stellar Repair for Outlook that can easily repair severely corrupt PST files of any size and restore all the data.  

About The Author

Eric Simson

Eric Simson is an Email Platform Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 6 years. He writes about the latest technology tips and provides custom solutions related to MS Outlook, MS Exchange Server, Office 365, and many other Email Clients & Servers.

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13 comments

  1. George says:
    June 30, 2019 at 5:33 pm

    my .pst file was corrupted and it shows 0 bytes. I am trying the software but it does not work – a soon as it starts scanning is gives an error message “Invalid File. Please select a valid PST” even though the file is a .pst file.

    Please help! not sure what else I can do – it seems that the data cannot be recovered…

    Reply
  2. Charlene K. Broom says:
    January 28, 2019 at 10:15 am

    When I inspect that Outlook PST file is not valid. After analyzing the PST file, I got that the size is 0 KB which is stored in drive. I’m getting frustrated after wasting couple of hours with the use of Scanpst.exe but can’t access data from PST file. Please guide.

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      January 28, 2019 at 10:23 am

      In some cases, Scanpst.exe unable to recover the data and results permanent data loss. Thus, we recommend using Outlook recovery software like Stellar Repair for Outlook tool. This tool effectively scans the PST file and fix the issues.

      Reply
  3. Racheal J. Barnes says:
    January 17, 2019 at 10:14 am

    I have run CHKDSK utility to fix Windows hard disk errors. Through this Outlook PST file damaged and PST file appears 0 KB size. Then I get below error:
    “Unable to open your default e-mail folders”

    Please provide solution.

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      January 17, 2019 at 10:24 am

      You can repair a corrupt PST file by inbox repair tool which is freeware tool provided by Microsoft.

      Reply
  4. Richard A. Watson says:
    January 9, 2019 at 10:13 am

    When I try to access my PST file suddenly got the following message:
    “The file is not an Outlook data file (.pst)”
    Then I noticed that my PST file size is 0 KB. What should I do to recover my data?

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      January 9, 2019 at 10:25 am

      It seems your PST file is corrupted. You can recover PST file data by using a backup.

      Reply
  5. Kateri Wotson says:
    September 25, 2018 at 6:48 am

    Yesterday, my Outlook file turned into a 0 KB file. When I tried to access this file, I received an error. After checking the file size I found it was 0 KB. But the actual size of file is nearly 17.2 GB. I don’t have any idea what happened with my PST file. To fix this issue I already tried SCANPST.exe but it’s not working. Please help.

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      September 26, 2018 at 8:32 am

      Don’t Panic!

      An alternative solution is the Stellar Outlook PST Repair.

      Reply
  6. Cora Todd says:
    March 21, 2018 at 11:09 am

    ScanPST.exe had recovered 40% emails but unfortunately, the recovered items were related to the previous date. So most of the emails which I needed were not recovered.

    Thankfully with the help of Stellar PST Repair software, I was able to recover each and every mail in my mailbox.

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      March 23, 2018 at 2:22 am

      Hi Cora,

      You can share feedback on social channels & forums. This practice will help to build awareness among Outlook community users.

      Reply
  7. Naitik Semwaal says:
    March 5, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    There’s no way to restore anything from a PST file if its size is 0 kb. If you’ve backed it up earlier, then only you can restore it back. The Inbox Repair tool is not capable to fix it.

    Reply
    1. Eric Simson says:
      March 6, 2018 at 3:28 am

      Simple!

      You can judge the performance of Stellar Repair for OutlookSoftware using its free demo.

      Reply

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