How can I recover emails from a corrupted Outlook PST file when Outlook cannot open it?

To recover data as safely as possible, work from copies and use Outlook’s built-in recovery path instead of repeatedly modifying the original file.

1. Make a copy of the corrupted .pst file before doing anything else.
   • This preserves the original in case later recovery attempts remove damaged items.
2. Run the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE) against the copy.
   • The tool is designed to repair problems associated with personal folder (.pst) files.
   • During repair, it creates a backup file with the same name as the original but with a .bak extension.
   • It may need to be run multiple times.
   • Important: some items may not be recovered if they were permanently deleted or are corrupted beyond repair.
3. After repair, check for recovered content in Outlook.
   • Outlook may show Recovered Personal Folders or a Lost and Found folder.
   • These can contain folders and items the repair tool recovered but could not return to the original structure.
4. Create a new Outlook Data File and move recovered items into it.
   • Create a new Personal Folders (.pst) file.
   • Drag the recovered items from Lost and Found into the new .pst.
   • After everything is moved, the recovered .pst can be removed from the profile.
5. If items are still missing, try recovering from the .bak backup created by the repair tool.
   • Locate the .bak file in the same folder as the original .pst.
   • Make a copy of the .bak file.
   • Rename the copy so it has a .pst extension.
   • In Outlook, use Import and Export / Import:
     1. Select Import from another program or file.
     2. Select Personal Folder File (.pst).
     3. Browse to the renamed file.
     4. Select Do not import duplicates.
     5. Select the Personal Folders file and Include subfolders.
     6. Import into the new Personal Folders (.pst).
6. Understand the recovery limits.
   • If the original .pst could not be opened before running Inbox Repair Tool, the backup import procedure may not work.
   • If the renamed backup .pst cannot be imported, the information not present in Lost and Found is lost.
   • ScanPST can remove unreadable or corrupted structures and may delete items that fail validation.
7. If SCANPST.EXE cannot be found or will not start, repair the Office application first.
   • The documented next step is to repair Office: repair your Office application.

If the goal is to minimize risk, the safest available path is:

• preserve the original .pst untouched,
• repair only a copy,
• move anything recovered from Lost and Found into a brand-new .pst,
• then try importing a renamed copy of the .bak backup for any additional items.

References:

• How to repair your Outlook personal folder file (.pst)
• Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost)