Outlook PST cannot be opened? Here’s What You Can Do

Software like Microsoft Outlook is reliable. however, Outlook occasionally shows some error warnings. For example, when attempting to access a corrupted PST file, Microsoft Outlook frequently displays the error message “Outlook PST cannot be opened.” Outlook is unable to open the PST file, according to this notice, since some of its components are corrupted and the file is no longer stable. You will continue to receive the error warning that an Outlook data file cannot be accessed if you do not attempt to fix the faulty PST file as soon as you see this message.

What are The causes of the error ” Outlook PST cannot be opened “?

while it can seem like another program is also using the PST file, Closing all the opened programs and restarting the computer can fix this error. This mistake could occur for several reasons.

• Outlook.exe running in the background due to improper termination of the Outlook program.
• A backup PST file is operating in the background, or the PST file has lost, corrupted, or damaged.
• incompatible software with Outlook or defective Cracked or incompatible add-ins and applications with Outlook Added.
• Occasionally, files without headers are remove by anti-virus and anti-spyware software, rendering the PST inaccessible.

Quick Steps to Solve the Outlook PST cannot be opened Error

• To fix the PST file, use Microsoft’s ScanPST tool (Inbox Repair Tool).
• Make sure you have the authorizations required to open the PST file.
• Attempt to open the PST file on a separate computer or with an alternate version of Outlook.
• Verify if any software conflicts are preventing access to the PST file, such as firewall or anti-virus software.
• If all else fails, you might have to use specialized PST repair software or restore the PST file from a backup to retrieve the data.

Methods to Repair ‘Outlook PST cannot be opened’ Error

Method 1: Use the Inbox Repair Tool to Fix PST File Errors

There might be an issue with the PST file itself. As discussed earlier a PST file may corrupt or be destroyed for several reasons.
MS Outlook comes with SCANPST.EXE an MS Outlook inbuilt Repair Tool which is located in the MS Office installation directory. When a PST file is corrupt and cannot be open in Outlook, this program can help. You can fix the Outlook PST file error by fixing the PST file.
The steps are as follows.

1. Close Microsoft Outlook and go to the Office installation directory.
2. Now Locate and open the SCANPST.EXE program, Go to “Browse” and choose the PST file.
3. Tap the “Start” button This will do an error check and scan of the PST file.
4. if errors are detected The program will display the “Repair” button. click it and wait for the repair to be complete.
5. The Inbox Repair Tool could appear to be “Not responding” while being repaired. But do not close it; that is just how the utility works.

Read more: How to find a PST file.

Method 2: Close Every Program and Process

You must locate and terminate any open applications that are using your PST files. If any Outlook-related background processes exist and to terminate use the following steps given below.

1. To choose the Task Manager, use a right-click on the Taskbar area.
2. Select the “More Details” button and now go to the “Processes” tab.
3. Locate the processes named “outlook,” “communicator,” “Lync,” and “UCMAPI” and terminate them all. Just select the process and then select “End task” to put an end to it.
4. Lastly, Exit the Task Manager and restart your Outlook application.

Method 3: Run MS Outlook in Safe Mode

You can determine whether malfunctioning add-ins are the source of the issue by starting Outlook in safe mode. If Outlook launches without any issues in safe mode, you need to remove the third-party add-ins from Outlook.

1. Firstly, To launch MS Outlook in safe mode first close MS Outlook and then press the Windows + R button.
2. Now Type outlook.exe / safe and press the ‘Enter ’ button.
3. Go to File>Options>Add-ins and disable every add-in.
4. Next, open Outlook. One by one, enable the add-ins until you find the problematic one.

Method 4: Fix Outlook PST cannot be opened Error By Using An Expert Repair Tool

SysTools PST Repair tool is the most effective way to resolve every problem with the Outlook Data file (.pst). The software enables users to recover all mailbox contents, including emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, journals, and other data, from corrupted or damaged PST files. Large and severely corrupted PST files are simply scanned to resolve opening and accessing problems.

Follow the steps to repair your PST file using professional software

1. Firstly, Get the PST Repair Software and open it in your system.
2. Add a PST file and preview the attachments of the email.
3. Repair damaged PST files and restore a healthy PST file.
4. lastly, Store repaired PST files using the export option.

Wrapping up

Encountering the error “Outlook PST cannot be opened” can be frustrating, but there are several effective solutions available to resolve this issue. The causes of this error range from background processes running in Outlook to corrupted or damaged PST files. And we have discussed about three manual methods to solve the error. If these methods fail, utilizing specialized PST repair software can efficiently recover and restore data from corrupted or damaged PST files.