VERY lost .pst file

[Andey]

Two days ago, Outlook 2000 (to which I had made no recent changes), couldn't
find or open its .pst file. I've found several .pst files on the computer,
and opened them all for inspection, but all of them are backups of various
vintages (none within the last year, alas). I've tried searching the C:\
drive for "*.pst", "outlook*", and "mailbox*", and also for any files
modified in the last month, and also for any files over 150,000 KB since that
was the size of the largest backup. No luck with any of these approaches.

I think it is showing me hidden files. Although the Find function doesn't
allow me to specify searching for hidden files, even under the Advanced tab
(this is Win98SE, if that is any explanation), it DOES seem to be finding
hidden files since some things I find are shaded, and since when I tried
setting a couple of documents as "hidden" and then searching for them and
they were found.

I am having a hard time just giving it up as lost, especially since there
was some recent info in it that I am not going to be able to replace.

Does anybody have any other ideas about where/how to look?

 

[K. Orland]

Hi Andy,

There are several ways to ensure you can see all your hidden files. First,
open up Windows Explorer and go into Tools, Folder Options, click on the View
Tab and make sure you have checked the radio button for Show hidden files and
folders.
Also in Windows Explorer, on your C drive open up Documents and Settings and
scroll to your profile (it might be Administrator, depends on how you log
into the PC). Under Application Data, there's a folder called Microsoft. In
the Microsoft folder there's a folder called Outlook which is where the
default PST location is.

You can also check the steps listed here, it's mostly for backing up your
PST but it is a good way to see the locations and steps to locating the PST
and restoring it:

http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

 

[Andey]

Thanks! Still can't find it ... the weird thing is that I have no
C:\Documents and Settings. I have:

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook (no .pst files, no large files)

C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\(user)\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook (ditto, in
fact, contents look basically like the first folder's contents)

C:\WINDOWS\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook, AND

C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\(user)\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
(this one is totally empty!)

The third of those had an extension-less file named Outlook ... did seem to
be a .pst file because when I copied it and put a .pst on it, Outlook could
open it ... but it had NO data.

The two .pst files I found before that were both called outlook.pst, one was
just in C:\, and one was in C:\WINDOWS\TEMP. Both with old data.

Another weird thing is that Outlook is currently pointing to: C:\PROGRAM
FILES\COMMON FILES\SYSTEM\MAPI\1033\95\outlook -- when I go look at this file
it has no extension. When I copy the file and put a .pst extension on it and
open it with Outlook, it has the same (old) data that Outlook is currently
accessing by default.

Sorry to muddy the waters with all this info ... but I thought it might jog
somebody's memory or idea-bank.

 

[coal_brona]

Hi,

Well, if the file was erased you can still bring it back using data
recovery tool such as Active@ undelete. It works really great and It's
algorithm is powerful indeed. That should really help you.

http://www.active-undelete.com/

 

[Andey]

Thank you. We're going to get some help trying it.

 

[lukeles]

Hello,

EASEUS DataRecoveryWizard utility can help. Speaking about me, it was
easily able to restore deleted, lost file and unformat drive,
so I think you will also find it quite useful. Really recommended
tool, give it a try.

http://www.easeus.com/