Outlook.pst is not a personal folders file

[Kariann]

I am running a Windox XP computer. When I turned on the computer yesterday,
it ran through a scanning of the files before going to the login screen. I
don't know why - it happens every once in a while. That is the only odd
thing I can think of that has happened recently with my computer.

It is October 10th and I have 5 days to finish 9 tax returns. My DVR went
out sometime last night - 85% full of all the new shows that have come out in
the last month that I have been to busy to watch. One of my house gutters
fell off the house this afternoon while being cleaned. My waterbed sprang a
leak on Friday ....... I am afraid to touch the stove.

When I tried to open Outlook this evening, I got "Outlook.pst is not a
personal folders file" and the program didn't open. I looked up the file on
Windows Explorer and Outlook.pst's "size" is 0K. I renamed the file - added
a new one named outlook.pst and the program opened. But nothing is there.
No e-mails, no contacts NO APPOINTMENTS! I can't importmy outllookold.pst -
it gives me the same error message.

Yes, I back things up, but the backup outlook.pst is also 0K. The previous
backup is 2 weeks old.

Data for 4 of 9 returns are on e-mails that have vanished. I can't call
them because their information was in the contact which also are gone. I
don't know enough to know if everything is lost. The "scanpst.exe" says
there is nothing there. Where did it go?

I am going to go to bed early and have a nervous breakdown. Please help

 

[DL]

Search to include hidden for *.pst what files are found, and where?
How did you backup the data files? is any backup of a significant size?
PS Using Explorer to rename pst files and create a new file named
something.pst is a very good way to corrupt the outlook Profile and the data
files.

 

[Kariann]

I back up everything in the "Documents & Settings" files because I really
don't know where all the important stuff is held. I used Outlook Express for
years and that had a different folder for each.... ah... "box" - inbox,
outbox, sent, etc. I have never really looked into how Outlook stored stuff.
Was everything stored in a singl pst file and now that it has been destroyed
(zero K size), I have now lost everything?

 

[DL]

Outlook stores all data in a *.pst file
So if you backed up all data you would have a pst file of a significant
size, but there again you dont actually mention how or with what you backed
up.
You cannot backup an outlook data file whilst Outlook is open, any backup
created this way will be corrupt, if it actually backs up.
So if you have searched to include hidden for *.pst and only 0kb files are
returned you have lost your data. You can only lose outlook data by user
action

 

[wangdong]

To fix your pst file, you can try a tool called Advanced Outlook
Repair. You can download a free demo version at http://www.datanumen.com/aor/aor.exe
.. I think it is a useful repair tool for you. It is easy to recover
your PST file by using its wizard. It is a powerful tool to recover
messages, folders and other objects from corrupt or damaged Microsoft
Outlook PST files.

Detailed information about Advanced Outlook Repair can be found at
http://www.datanumen.com/aor/

Wangdong

 

[JNPT]

"DL" is right, you can loss outlook data mainly by user action and whil
outlook express have seperate .dbx file for each item, outlook store
all data in a single .pst file. If that get corrupt you los
everything.

You can refer following article for better management of .pst file i
future and locating pst file. For your current problem you may also tr
a third party 'pst repair' (http://www.repair-outlook-pst.com/
software.
visit: 'Outlook PST Repair | PST Repair Software to repair pst file o
Microsoft outlook' (http://www.repair-outlook-pst.com

 

[wangdong]

To fix your pst file, you can try a tool called Advanced Outlook
Repair. You can download a free demo version at http://www.datanumen.com/aor/aor.exe
.. I think it is a useful repair tool for you. It is easy to recover
your PST file by using its wizard. It is a powerful tool to recover
messages, folders and other objects from corrupt or damaged Microsoft
Outlook PST files.

Detailed information about Advanced Outlook Repair can be found at
http://www.datanumen.com/aor/

 

[nancy_johnson]

Hey folks,
Actually MS Outlook uses PST file to store all of your data, such a
email messages, contact records, calendar events, notes, etc. Anythin
that you save in Outlook ends up getting stored in a single PST fil
which is also known as a personal folders file. But if this PST fil
ever gets damaged some how, then Outlook may no longer recognize it as
valid file and you'll get the error message as you encountered before.

This error is simply a hidden way of Outlook telling you that there i
a problem with the PST file and Outlook will no longer be able to use i
unless it gets fixed. So, just fix it either by using 'Scanpst.exe
(http://www.scan-pst.com) tool or by using any third party PST Repai
tool and your problem will be resolved.

All the best