not a pst file!

[Wayne]

Hi guys

So glad i found this grooup. I have a problem thats been driving me crazy. I
have a new computer that had Vista OS on it and i chnaged back to XP cause i
disliked Vista.

I had Outllok 2007 on the Vista and i burnt the pst file to a cd before i
deleted Vista and installed XP.

Then i re installed XP on the XP OS and am trying to re import/install the
pst file from cd and Outlook keeps telling me its not a valid pst file.

I have copied the file to the desktop, changed the attributes from read
only, importing it, opening it, ran scanpst.exe (and it tells me its not a
valid pst file). I'm now at my wits end.

I even tried a program called Stellar Pheonix mailbox Pro and it says its
not a pst file.

I think it might be corrupted or something in the burning process and it
contains some very important business emails etc.

HELP!!!

Thanks

Wayne

 

[Diane Poremsky]

you can try using scanpst on it - run it 3 or 4 times.

 

[Brian Tillman]

So glad i found this grooup. I have a problem thats been driving me
crazy. I have a new computer that had Vista OS on it and i chnaged
back to XP cause i disliked Vista.

I had Outllok 2007 on the Vista and i burnt the pst file to a cd
before i deleted Vista and installed XP.

Then i re installed XP on the XP OS and am trying to re
import/install the pst file from cd and Outlook keeps telling me its
not a valid pst file.

Chances are, then, that the PST is toast. While Diane's idea is worth
trying, I suspect it won't work. In the majority of cases I've seen, if
Outlook says the file is not a PST, then so will SCANPST. The most common
cause is that Outlook was open when the copy of the PST was made. There is
substantial anecdotal evidence, as well, that some CD burning software
doesn't handle PSTs well and corrupts them when they're burned.

 

[DL]

Then i re installed XP on the XP OS and am trying to re import/install the

Is this a typo or are you saying you installed office/OL xp?
If that is the case OL xp cannot read an OL2007 unicode pst

PS No backup generally means the data isnt important

 

[Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]]

I just replied to you in the Outlook General Questions newsgroup. Please
avoid multiposting (posting the same message separately to different
newsgroups) -- instead, post the message to multiple groups at once. That
way all messages in the thread can be seen in all the groups.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please reply
only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***

 

[AndyH]

Chances are, then, that the PST is toast. While Diane's idea is worth
trying, I suspect it won't work. In the majority of cases I've seen, if
Outlook says the file is not a PST, then so will SCANPST. The most common
cause is that Outlook was open when the copy of the PST was made. There is
substantial anecdotal evidence, as well, that some CD burning software
doesn't handle PSTs well and corrupts them when they're burned.

I would really like to know how to manage these vagaries of PSTs
better. The problem of the CD burner being implicated is a bit scary,
particularly as I use PSTs as part of my archive strategy.

What I have noticed is that Outlook will lock a recently created PST,
thereby preventing copying. After saving a few more PSTs the earlier
PSTs seem to become unlocked and then appear available to be copied.

To maximize my chance of success though, I always close Outlook before
copying a PST.


Andyh

 

[Brian Tillman]

To maximize my chance of success though, I always close Outlook before
copying a PST.

That's the only way to guarantee the copy will succeed.