Repair

Outlook PST Cannot Be Found – Top Ways to Fix It

Jack

By Jack Lin

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Outlook PST Cannot Be Found

What can I do if Outlook PST cannot be found? Is there a specific way to find it? Or, does anyone know another way to fix it? I am confused. Please help me.

Outlook PST cannot be found

As per the above question, the respective user has noticed an error message on her PC. It says, ‘outlook.pst cannot be found.’ Consequently, she isn’t able to access her account.

If you have come across such a situation, what should you do? Or are you reading this article with the intention of finding a solution to the very issue? We composed this article with the good news.

In other words, we explain what you can do when Outlook PST cannot be found. So, keep reading and learn the fixes.

What Does It Mean if Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found?

As you may already know, MS Outlook is a very stable software tool, and it works perfectly in general. The amount of complaints it gets is very low. That said, Outlook is not invincible.

Just like any program, even Outlook tends to face some issues at least ‘once in a blue moon.’ An error message such as “outlook.pst cannot be found” emerges when the application faces such issues.

This message’s meaning is that Outlook cannot find a PST, and therefore, it cannot function. There can be several reasons for this. As mentioned before, the purpose of this post is to explain the possible solutions to address this issue.

The term PST is the abbreviation for ‘Personal Storage Table.’ So, PST is necessarily a data file in Outlook. It comprises the messages, contacts, and events related to your Outlook account. So, it is always better to have an idea about the causes behind this issue.

PS: if you are facing the issue of Outlook disconnected, click to fix them now.

As We Mentioned Before, the “outlook-pst Cannot Be Found” Error Can Emerge Due to Several Reasons (Listed Below).

  1. The PST file in your system is corrupted.
  2. Outlook Mailbox doesn’t have any more space, so it clashes with the Office application.
  3. MS Outlook experiences a conflict with another application that is recently installed in your system.
  4. The respective PST file is stored in a server, and your computer doesn’t have access to it.

When it comes to a corrupted PST file, there can be plenty of reasons for it. Sometimes, malware can corrupt the file. If not, a sudden, unexpected shutdown of the PC or the Outlook application can make the PST corrupted. Moreover, the respective file can corrupt due to bad sectors or oversized Outlook data files as well.


Solutions to Use if Outlook PST Cannot Be Found

Here are the solutions you should try if you notice the “Outlook PST cannot be found” error.

If you are experiencing the 0x8004060c error, click to fix them now.

Solution 1: Check the Outlook Application

If you experience an “outlook.pst cannot be found” error, the most basic solution is to check the Outlook application itself. Although this is the “basic” solution, it can work for many users.

As per this solution, you are supposed to check the Outlook application and the other applications that are installed.

In this case, you should pay special attention to the applications that have been installed recently. If Outlook has exceeded the allocated space, that can be identified through this method. Also, you can check if there’s any conflict between Outlook and other applications in your system.

If the Outlook mailbox exceeds the 15GB limit, that could be the reason for missing PST. In that case, you can resolve it by deleting some files in the mailbox.

Here are the steps you should take to get it done.

  • Option #01: Click on the File menu and then choose the option called ‘Mail Cleanup.’ Then, go to ‘View Mailbox Size.’
Check outlook mailbox size to fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found
  • Option #02: Click on the account located under the tab called “Folder” and go to “Folder Properties.” Then, choose “Folder Size.”

No matter how you access the properties, you will see the size of the mailbox. It is displayed in the popup window. So, if it has exceeded the limit, just delete the files that are no longer required.

For instance, you can get rid of the content in the Junk folder. Also, get rid of “Deleted Items” and other unnecessary emails saved in your inbox.  If you have unnecessary attachments, get rid of them as well.

Solution 2: Create a Fresh PST

If the above solution doesn’t work, you can opt to create a new PST file. To do that, you should use the option called Mail Setup Wizard.

Well, to create a new PST file, follow the steps that are mentioned below.

01. First, you should find the location of the existing PST file. This is important to save the newly created file in the same location.

To go to the location of the PST, you can simply right-click on the option called “Archives.” Then, click on the option called “Open File Location.”

Open File Location

If not, you should go to Control Panel and choose Mail. Then, go to Mail Setup-Outlook. Choose the option called “Show Profiles” and then click on Properties. After that, choose “Data Files.”

When you are in the dialog box called “Account Settings,” it is easier to locate the file locations. You can either click on “Open File Location” or copy the location directly.

Create a Fresh PST

02. Now that the location is identified, it is time to create your new PST file. In the dialog box labeled “Account Settings,” select the option called “Add.” You can find it under the “Data Files” tab. Then, you should click OK on the popup window.

Create a new fresh PST to fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found

After that, you should make the new PST file the default with the following steps.

  • First, you should select the new file.
  • Then, you should click on the option “Set as Default.”
  • Then, you should close your Mail Setup Wizard.
  • That’s it. Just restart your MS Outlook application and see if the problem is resolved.

By the way, let’s figure out how to fix the 0x80042109 Outlook Error with ease.

Solution 3: Use MS Inbox Repair Utility to repair PST 

Thankfully, MS Outlook comes with a default Inbox Repair Utility as well. This utility becomes exceptionally handy when fixing errors like “Outlook PST cannot be found.” This handy tool works based on the “scanpst.exe.”

To use it, you should locate it in the Office folders first. Once the utility is run, it will scan the system for the faulty PST file. If the utility finds any errors, a repair process will be initiated.

At the completion of the finishing process, you will be able to start the Outlook application once again. When you restart the application, it should work fine. The issue is resolved if you don’t see the “outlook.pst cannot be found” error message.

Using Inbox Repair Utility to repair Outlook PST file repair is indeed a pretty handy approach. However, you might find it somewhat difficult to locate the aforementioned “scanpst.exe.” It is generally possible to find the file using one of the following methods.

Those methods are performed through the “Run Command.” If not, you can use the search box on the Start Menu.

  • Option 01: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office(version)
  • Option 02: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office(version)
Fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found Using MS Inbox Repair Utility

Please note that the above paths might vary depending on your Outlook version. The text “version” in brackets should be replaced with the MS Outlook version you are using.  

For instance, if you use Outlook 2016 version, it should appear as “……..Microsoft Office\Office16“.

If you are not 100% clear about this method, you can even go for the step-by-step method. Mentioned below is how to do it.

  • First, open the File Explorer and locate your “Local Disk (C).”
  • After that, you should go to “Program Files (x86)” and choose “Microsoft Office.”
  • You should now find Office16 or any other version here.
  • Open the folder and locate the file called “scanpst.exe.”
  • Double-click the respective file to execute it.

Solution 4: Use a Professional Third-party Tool and Fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found

If you have tried all of the above steps and have yet to succeed, here’s a professional solution for you. In this case, you are supposed to seek the assistance of a professional application.

If you are experiencing an “Outlook PST cannot be found” error, you can fix it immediately using this application.

Without further ado, the name of this tool is Stellar Outlook PST Repair. As you can see, the name itself says that this tool is dedicated to fixing PST files.

If the “outlook.pst cannot be found” error is caused due to a corrupted PST, this tool can fix it. In fact, there are plenty of tools to repair PST files, but only a few do as they say. Some of those tools may even contain malware and do more harm than good.

However, Stellar Outlook PST Repair is one of those rare tools that does what it says. We ended up using this tool after extensive research as well. It is a safe, reliable, and very efficient application that can get your Outlook up and running once again.

This special application can even recover and repair emails. Also, it can repair emails, contact notes, and other items together with email attachments. You’ll be able to save the recovered emails in various formats such s PDF, RTF, EML, HTML, or MSG.

More importantly, once the PST repair is done, this tool lets you encrypt them. That means you can apply a password for additional protection.

How to Repair MS Outlook Using Stellar Outlook PST Repair

Here, we offer you step-by-step guidance for those who want to know how to use this software.

  • First, you should download and install Stellar Outlook PST Repair. After that, you should launch it to see the main screen. Then, go to the option labeled “Find Outlook File.” After that, you should choose the drive where the respective PST file is saved.  Then, you should hit the button labeled “Look In.”
Stellar Outlook PST Repair
  • You can now finish the repairing process of the faulty PST file simply by clicking on “Scan Now“.
Find Mailbox using Stellar Outlook PST Repair
  • You can preview the file that is repaired just before. Also, you can save the respective file.
Fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found Using Stellar Repair for Outlook

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  1. What is a PST file in Outlook? A PST file or Personal Storage Table file is a Microsoft Outlook data file that stores a user’s email messages, contacts, appointments, and other data.
  2. What causes the ‘Outlook PST Cannot Be Found’ error? The error can occur due to several reasons, including corrupt PST files, server issues, or incorrect account settings.
  3. Can I prevent ‘Outlook PST Cannot Be Found’ error? Regularly backing up your PST files and closing Outlook properly can help prevent this error.
  4. What is the Inbox Repair Tool in Outlook? The Inbox Repair Tool, also known as ScanPST.exe, is a built-in tool in Outlook designed to diagnose and repair errors in your PST file.
  5. What are some professional PST repair tools? There are several professional tools available, like Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair, Kernel for Outlook PST Repair, and DataNumen Outlook Repair.

Conclusion

It is true that any user can get frustrated whenever they see an “Outlook PST cannot be found” message. Once that message appears, Outlook becomes inaccessible as well.

So, users tend to think that they have lost all the data on the Outlook application. In many cases, the “outlook.pst cannot be found” error appears due to a corrupted PST file.

However, thanks to Stellar Repair for Outlook, you can easily repair the respective PST file. It is a very friendly tool that does the job as promised.

Do you have any other issues related to Outlook? Please let us know so that we will help you out.

Jack
Jack

10 years of experience in information and computer technology. Passionate about electronic devices, smartphones, computers, and modern technology.

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