Outlook PST Problems
I just reinstalled my computer the other day. I’ve been running without a reinstall for the past 2 years now on Windows XP Pro. I really didn’t need to reload Windows. I did have a few small glitches every once and a while that were caused from different things that I had installed in the past and have since removed. I figured it’s been long enough, might as well make a fresh install. So, I used that new DVD burner and backed up everything. MP3’s, configuration files, email, favorites, downloads, you name it. 17 DVD’s later, I was done. The installation of Windows was fine, I did the updates, and then started loading the apps. Once I had everything back, I started configuring the look and restoring data I had backed up. Everything was fine till I hit Outlook. I have backed up and restored my PST file many times in the past. I have important email from 1998 to present, all my work information and tons of contacts in my Outlook. As soon as I tried to import I received this lovely message, “The file Outlook.pst is not a personal folders file.” I decided to check the obvious since it was on a CD. No, its not set to read only. Ok, I try using the Inbox Repair Tool. It scans and finds some errors. After repairing the errors, it opens and shows me my 200+MB PST file with absolutely nothing in it. Great. I did some searching on the net for info. I tried the other things it listed such as verifying file ownership, permissions, importing to Outlook Express first, etc. etc. Nothing is working. Anyone who has some ideas or knows of any tools I might be able to use, I would greatly appreciate it. I did find a backup I had made last May that I could import and it worked. I do desperately need to get the information from the last year though so I need to find a way to get the information out of this PST.
May 18th, 2004 at 11:37:46 PM
I’m having the same problem with an old .pst backup i need. I hope your find a solution.
June 30th, 2004 at 09:19:38 PM
Same problem – did you ever find a resolution?
August 18th, 2004 at 06:10:39 AM
Same Problem!! Help me
Did tou have find a solution???
Tanks
August 18th, 2004 at 06:33:46 AM
Unfortunately, I never did get my Outlook.pst file back. The backup must have been corrupted. I tried programs to find deleted files, but I couldn’t find anything that would see the information before I formatted and reinstalled. Since all that I did get all but 3 months of that mail back. I came across a backup of my pst file from 3 months prior that was created by an Outlook backup program I had installed. I remember messing with a bunch of different email utilities then, but I didn’t remember making a backup with one of them and keeping it. So, I luckly had that happen. I can deal with losing 3 months more so then a year’s worth. Most of the data I needed was in the prior 9 months. Sorry to you guys that hoped I had found the answer for you. I just never got past that issue. I’m sure there is some company that could recover the corrupted data, but I wouldn’t want to know the cost of doing such.
August 18th, 2004 at 06:40:25 AM
Tanks, i hope to find a solution, and I written to.