Outlook 2003: an empty PST file of 121Mb?

[martin.thornhill]

A user has two PST files, one of which is 121Mb and the other is 78Mb,

Up until two weeks ago, the user was able to use these PST files
normally without incident. The files were opened correctly, i.e. File
| Open | Personal Folders File..

But then, one day, Outlook decides not to show any content in these
files.

There have been no changes to the underlying Exchange server, or
changes to the user's permissions on the user's own data. The PST
files are not password protected.

What is the problem? And - more importantly - what is the solution?

 

[dlw]

a utility called scanpst.exe

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287497

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

I'd start outlook using the /cleanviews switch.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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[Pat Willener]

or restore from backup?

 

[martin.thornhill]

Many thanks for your suggestions. The results & queries are as
follows:

Use of /cleanviews switch: how does the user pass this switch to the
program? The user has is an icon on the desktop, for which the
properties are seemingly irrelevant or indistinct (and there is
nothing else on the r/c menu that pertains to enabling parameters to
be passed). The r/c menu does not appear to offer the option to pass
parameters to the underlying OUTLOOK.EXE file. The user is a local
administrator on the machine.

Scanpst found and fixed 2 errors on one PST file, but nothing on the
other PST file. The other PST remains unchanged.

Restore from backup: not quite sure what this would accomplish. The
problem is Outlook failing to read its own datafile, so going to an
old version of a datafile would either prove that Outlook can't read
its own data, or that Outlook is discriminatory between its data that
it likes to read. There is no evidence of data loss.

Diane: I'll try the /cleanviews switch first... if you would advise me
to use it!

Kind regards
Martin

I'd start outlook using the /cleanviews switch.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center:http://www.slipstick.com

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visitinghttp://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspxor point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

A user has two PST files, one of which is 121Mb and the other is 78Mb,

Up until two weeks ago, the user was able to use these PST files
normally without incident.  The files were opened correctly, i.e. File
| Open | Personal Folders File..

But then, one day, Outlook decides not to show any content in these
files.

There have been no changes to the underlying Exchange server, or
changes to the user's permissions on the user's own data.  The PST
files are not password protected.

What is the problem?  And - more importantly - what is the solution?-Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -