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SCANPST utility

	Scanpst - Inbox Repair Tool
	Microsoft provides MS Outlook with a tool named ScanPst which is capable of repairing somewhat damaged .PST files. ScanPst, as its name implies, scans and attempts to repair a specified .PST file; it analyzes a .PST file directory structure and checks mail item references and headers. After completing the scan, ScanPst will display information on errors detected and offer you to repair the .PST file.

	When ScanPst does not help
	Sometimes, ScanPst is not able to correct the problem with the PST file. ScanPst is not capable of recovering messages you have deleted yourself. Obviously, because this is not an error as far as the system is concerned. ScanPst may sometimes report no errors in the file, but Outlook still complains. ScanPst may sometimes loose too much data during the recovery. Try Zmeil email recovery software to extract the email messages from the damaged PST file if ScanPst hasn't repaired the message database.

	Where to find Scanpst?
	ScanPst is the part of the Microsoft Office and installed along with the Microsoft Outlook. Depending on the combination of Windows and MS Office versions you have installed, ScanPst is in one of the following folders C:\Program Files\Common Files\System; in there, there is a folder named either "MSMAPI" or "MAPI". Under this folder you'll see a folder with a numerical name such as 1033. So, the complete path for ScanPst looks like "C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033\". C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\ or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\ Notice, however, there will be two files with similar names - ScanPst.exe and ScanOst.exe. At the moment we only deal with the ScanPst.exe.

	Using ScanPst
	ScanPst is the second thing to try if Outlook fails to open its email file (first thing to try is to reboot the machine). Start ScanPst Specify a .pst file to repair, then click "Start" button Check "Make backup of scanned file before repairing". ScanPst will create a copy of the .PST file with the same name and a .BAK file type (extension).  This copy will be located in the same folder as your original Outlook mail file. Later you can attempt to repair this file using different Outlook recovery tools. Click "Repair" When you have accomplished the recovery of the .pst file using ScanPst, Start MS Outlook by using a profile which you tried to repair. Under menu Go select Folder List In there you may see a folder called Recovered Personal Folders containing a set of basic folders such as "Inbox", "Sent", "Drafts" (if these ones really exist in the original profile) or a folder called "Lost and Found". It is assumed that the items missed from the "Lost and Found" folder cannot be repaired and thus are actually lost. In fact, such is not the case. If there is any necessary email data in the "Lost and Found" under the "Recovered Personal Folders", then you can create a new .pst file and just drag the recovered messages into this newly created folder. When you have finished copying all recovered email items, you can safely delete the "Recovered Personal Folders" from your current profile. Notice: In some cases ScanPst performs repair procedures in a little different way; the tool creates neither folder called "Recovered Personal Folders" nor "Lost and Found" in Outlook. Instead of this, all the recovered messages and folders are merely displayed in a normal manner as they were in the original profile. So, you just need to check and search all the existing folders to evaluate the quality of the repair.

	The 2GB problem
	Earlier versions of Outlook (up to 2002) are unable to handle PST files larger than 2GB correctly. ScanPst is not capable of recovering PST files which run over the 2 gigabyte size limit existing in Outlook 2002 and earlier. Microsoft suggests that you use PST2GB tool to truncate the excess of the data. Refer here for more details and description of the PST2GB tool. Note, however, that some data will be lost because of the truncation.

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