{"id":4318,"date":"2016-11-11T10:08:38","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T10:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=4318"},"modified":"2025-06-24T10:40:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:40:16","slug":"fix-outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fix-outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix \u201cOutlook .PST cannot be Opened\u201d Error?"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p>When added with a POP3 account, Microsoft Outlook creates an Outlook data file (PST) on your local storage to download and store mailbox data from the mail server. This PST file stores all the mailbox items, such as emails, attachments, contacts, calendar, notes, journals, etc. However, sometimes, this PST file becomes inaccessible and throws an error when you try to open Outlook. The complete error may look like this:<\/p><p><strong><em>&ldquo;The file C:\\Users\\username\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\user name\\username.pst is in use and cannot be accessed. Close any application that is using this file, and then try again. You might need to restart your computer.&rdquo;<\/em><\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"821\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture1.png\" alt=\"Outlook Data File Error \" class=\"wp-image-177485 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture1.png 821w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture1-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture1-768x335.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture1-150x65.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 821px) 100vw, 821px\" \/><\/figure><p>While it may appear that the PST file is being used by some other application, the error can also occur due to various other reasons. Below, we will discuss the reasons behind this error and see how to fix it.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reasons-for-&lsquo;outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened&rsquo;-error\"><a><\/a><strong>Reasons for &lsquo;Outlook PST cannot be Opened&rsquo; Error<\/strong><\/h2><p>There could be several reasons that can&nbsp;trigger&nbsp;this&nbsp;error in Outlook, such as:<\/p><ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Outlook.exe is running in the background.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PST file backup is running in the background.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An application conflicting with Outlook.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outlook data file is locked by OneDrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faulty or incompatible third-party add-ins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Damaged or corrupt PST file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insufficient file permissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outdated Outlook application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Corrupt Outlook Profile.<\/li>\n<\/ol><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"methods-to-fix-&lsquo;outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened&rsquo;-error\"><a><\/a><strong>Methods to Fix &lsquo;Outlook PST cannot be opened&rsquo; Error<\/strong><\/h2><p>Follow these methods in the given order to resolve this Outlook PST file error.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 1: Check File Permissions<\/strong><\/h3><p>If you don&rsquo;t have sufficient permissions to access, read, or modify the PST file, then you may encounter the PST cannot be opened error. To overcome this, you need to ensure that you have correct and sufficient permissions to access the PST file. Follow these steps:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to the folder where the PST file is stored. Usually, it is located at:&nbsp;<em>C:\\Users\\&lt;Your Username&gt;\\Documents\\Outlook Files.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now, right-click on the PST file and choose&nbsp;<strong>Properties<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure<strong>&nbsp;Read-Only<\/strong>&nbsp;is not checked. If checked, uncheck it and click&nbsp;<strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"418\" height=\"596\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture2.png\" alt=\"Check File Permissions in Outlook \" class=\"wp-image-177486 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture2.png 418w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture2-210x300.png 210w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture2-150x214.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px\" \/><\/figure><p>Alternatively, you can run Outlook as administrator to overcome permission-related issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 2: Close All Outlook-related Processes and Programs<\/strong><\/h3><p>As the error suggests, you must find and close all the programs that might have access to the PST file. To find and close Outlook-related processes that are running in the background, follow these steps:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Right-click<\/strong>&nbsp;on the Taskbar area and choose&nbsp;<strong>Task Manager<\/strong><em>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"417\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture3.png\" alt=\"Task Manager window option \" class=\"wp-image-177487 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:677px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture3.png 417w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture3-241x300.png 241w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture3-150x187.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click on <strong>More Details<\/strong> and then go to the&nbsp;<strong>Processes<\/strong>&nbsp;tab.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"718\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture4.png\" alt=\"choose Processes&nbsp;tab\" class=\"wp-image-177488 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture4.png 580w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture4-242x300.png 242w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture4-150x186.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now, find the processes by the name &lsquo;<strong>outlook&rsquo;<\/strong>, &lsquo;<strong>communicator&rsquo;<\/strong>, &lsquo;<strong>Lync&rsquo;<\/strong>, &lsquo;<strong>UCMAPI&rsquo;,<\/strong>&nbsp;and end them all. To end them, simply click on the process and then click the &lsquo;<strong>End task<\/strong>&rsquo; button.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exit&nbsp;<strong>Task Manager<\/strong>&nbsp;and restart Outlook.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 3: Remove Faulty Add-ins<\/strong><\/h3><p>To check whether the error is being caused by a problematic add-in, you can start Outlook in safe mode. You can follow the below steps to do it:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Close Outlook and then open the <strong>Run<\/strong> dialog box (press <strong>Windows + R keys<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type <em>outlook.exe \/safe<\/em> and press the <strong>Enter <\/strong>key.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture5.png\" alt=\" outlook.exe \/safe in Run window \" class=\"wp-image-177489 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture5.png 426w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture5-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture5-150x82.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/figure><p>If the error disappears, it means that some faulty add-ins were causing the error. You can disable the add-ins by following these steps:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to&nbsp;<strong>File &gt; Options. <\/strong>In the Outlook Options window that opens, click<strong> Add-ins<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Manage<\/strong> option at the bottom, select <strong>COM Add-ins<\/strong> from the dropdown menu and click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"888\" height=\"887\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6.png\" alt=\"select COM Add-ins from the dropdown menu\" class=\"wp-image-177490 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6.png 888w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6-768x767.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture6-96x96.png 96w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Uncheck all add-ins and click <strong>OK<\/strong>. Now, restart <strong>Outlook <\/strong>normally.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"904\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture7.png\" alt=\"Uncheck all add-ins\" class=\"wp-image-177491 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture7.png 904w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture7-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture7-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture7-150x63.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" \/><\/figure><p>To find the incompatible or problematic add-in, enable one add-in at a time and restart Outlook. This way, you&rsquo;ll be able to find the add-in that is causing the error. After identifying, disable the add-in and remove it permanently.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 4: Disable Compatibility Mode<\/strong><\/h3><p>If Outlook is running in compatibility mode, it can prevent you from opening or accessing the PST file. To check and disable the compatibility mode, follow these steps:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find Outlook.exe file, right-click on it, and choose&nbsp;<strong>Properties<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under the&nbsp;<strong>Compatibility<\/strong>&nbsp;tab, make sure &lsquo;<strong>Run this program in compatibility mode<\/strong>&rsquo; is unchecked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>OK<\/strong>&nbsp;and restart Outlook.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 5: Move PST file from OneDrive to Local Folder<\/strong><\/h3><p>When you back up your data on OneDrive, it automatically backs up several folders, including Documents and Pictures. It might happen that your Outlook data file is in one of these folders. Microsoft doesn&rsquo;t recommend placing your Outlook data file on OneDrive as it might cause Outlook errors. In this situation, you can move your PST file from the OneDrive folder to another folder and point Outlook to the file&rsquo;s location. Follow the instructions below to do it:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Close <strong>Outlook<\/strong> and wait for <strong>OneDrive<\/strong> sync to complete.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the OneDrive folder containing the PST file. If the PST file is in <strong>Documents<\/strong> folder, the path would be<\/li>\n<\/ul><pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\"><strong>C:\\Users\\[your username]\\OneDrive\\Documents\\Outlook Files<\/strong><\/pre><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Copy the PST file to a new location on your local storage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rename the PST file (<a href=\"mailto:yourname@domain.pst\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">yourname@domain.pst<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now, open Outlook and navigate to <strong>File &gt; Account Settings &gt; Account Settings &gt; Email<\/strong>. In this window, select your account name and click <strong>Change Folder<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture8.png\" alt=\"select your account name and click Change Folder\" class=\"wp-image-177492 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture8.png 912w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture8-300x257.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture8-768x657.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture8-150x128.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select your account and click the <strong>New Outlook Data<\/strong> File option. Now, go to the new location of PST file, select it, and click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Data Files<\/strong> tab, select the Outlook data file in OneDrive and click <strong>Remove<\/strong>. This will disconnect the file from Outlook.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture9.png\" alt=\"In Data Files tab, select the Outlook data file in OneDrive and Remove \" class=\"wp-image-177493 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture9.png 912w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture9-300x257.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture9-768x657.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture9-150x128.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Close Outlook and delete the file from OneDrive, if required. This should resolve the error.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 6: Create a New Profile<\/strong><\/h3><p>Corrupt or damaged profile may also prevent Outlook from accessing the associated PST file. To resolve this, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/article\/create-a-new-profile-on-outlook.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">create a new Outlook profile<\/a> and remove the corrupt one by following these steps:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Close Outlook and open&nbsp;<strong>Control Panel.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click&nbsp;<strong>Mail&nbsp;<\/strong>&gt;&nbsp;<strong>Show Profiles&nbsp;<\/strong>and then click&nbsp;<strong>Add.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"433\" height=\"279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture10.png\" alt=\"Create a New Profile\" class=\"wp-image-177494 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture10.png 433w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture10-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture10-150x97.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Type new profile name and click&nbsp;<strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"296\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture11.png\" alt=\"Create New Profile name \" class=\"wp-image-177495 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture11.png 296w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture11-150x61.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add your email account by entering the credentials and follow the setup wizard to configure the profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outlook will connect to the server and start the synchronization. After the sync, check if all the mail folders are updated and you are able to access all the mail items.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 7: Update Outlook<\/strong><\/h3><p>To fix any compatibility issues with Outlook and the mail server, you must check and update Outlook and Windows. This will bring patches and features that may resolve this issue in Outlook. The steps to update Outlook are as follows:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Outlook and go to&nbsp;<strong>File &gt; Office Account &gt; Update Options.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From the available options, choose&nbsp;<strong>Update Now<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"618\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture12.png\" alt=\"Update Outlook and choose update now \" class=\"wp-image-177496 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture12.png 618w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture12-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture12-150x112.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If new updates are available, Outlook will start a wizard and download the latest updates. You need to complete the update wizard.<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><strong>To check and install Windows Updates, follow these steps:<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Settings on your system, go to&nbsp;<strong>Windows<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>Update<\/strong>&nbsp;and click&nbsp;<strong>Check for Updates.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"501\" height=\"118\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture13.png\" alt=\"Windows&nbsp;Update&nbsp;and click&nbsp;Check for Updates\" class=\"wp-image-177497 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture13.png 501w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture13-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Picture13-150x35.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/figure><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If available, install the updates and restart the system.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Method 8: Repair PST File<\/strong><\/h3><p>Corruption in the PST file could also be the reason behind this error. You can repair corrupt PST file using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/article\/download-free-scanpst-exe.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SCANPST.exe<\/a>, also known as the Inbox Repair Tool, which comes pre-installed with Outlook and is located in the Microsoft Office installation directory.<\/p><p>Although Inbox Repair Tool can fix corruption issues in Outlook data file (PST), it might freeze or crash while fixing a PST file with severe corruption issues. Further, while repairing, the utility tool might also delete parts of the file which it deems unreadable. In such a scenario, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook. This reliable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/outlook-pst-repair.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Outlook PST repair tool<\/a> can efficiently repair PST file with severe corruption and without any file size limitations. It maintains the structural integrity of the data and shows a preview of your mailbox data. After repairing, you can import the repaired PST file into your Outlook profile.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2><p>While launching Microsoft Outlook, you might encounter an error that says, &ldquo;Outlook PST cannot be opened.&rdquo; Although this error is usually caused when another application uses the Outlook data file, the factors\/reasons listed in this post can also cause this error. By following the troubleshooting methods in this guide, you can fix this error. If a corrupt PST file is the cause behind the issue, you can repair it using the Inbox Repair Tool or SCANPST. However, if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/article\/scanpst-freezes-fails-not-responding-to-repair-pst.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SCANPST fails to repair the file or freezes <\/a>while repairing it, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook. This advanced tool can fix corruption issues in PST file with precision and integrity.<\/p><p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When added with a POP3 account, Microsoft Outlook creates an Outlook data&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fix-outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to Fix \u201cOutlook .PST cannot be Opened\u201d Error?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":169230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[825],"tags":[407,4329,408],"class_list":["post-4318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outlook-pst-file","tag-error-outlook-pst-in-use-and-cannot-be-accessed","tag-outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened","tag-solve-outlook-pst-file-error","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Fix \u201cOutlook .PST cannot be Opened\u201d Error?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Quickly resolve the &#039;Outlook .PST cannot be opened&#039; error with our easy-to-follow guide &amp; tips. Get your Outlook running smoothly again!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fix-outlook-pst-cannot-be-opened\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Fix \u201cOutlook .PST cannot be Opened\u201d Error?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Quickly resolve the &#039;Outlook .PST cannot be opened&#039; error with our easy-to-follow guide &amp; tips. 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