A PST file stands for Personal Storage Table in Microsoft Outlook. It is a file format used to store emails, contacts, calendar events, and other data locally on a user's computer. The maximum storage limit for a single user's PST file in Outlook is generally 2GB. When serving as a cache for Outlook's Cached Exchange Mode feature, which allows users to work with email data offline, the file is referred to as an Offline Storage Table (.ost) or an Offline Folder File. This feature enables faster access to email data by storing a local copy of the user's mailbox, synchronizing with the Exchange server when connected.

With the increasing popularity of Microsoft Outlook, instances of PST file data loss can occasionally occur in our lives. If you have lost PST files, please follow Part 1. If your PST file has become corrupted, proceed to Part 2.

Part 1. Recover Lost PST File for Free (Recommended)

To efficiently recover your deleted Outlook PST files, you require an email recovery tool equipped with robust data retrieval capabilities. The Tools Data Recovery program is the ideal choice for Outlook users to perform PST file recovery. It is versatile and can handle various scenarios of PST data loss. This software is compatible with all Windows systems, including Windows 10/8/7, and beyond. Furthermore, if you accidentally lose critical office files like documents or Excel spreadsheets, you can also utilize this software to carry out office file recovery.

Step 1. Select the drive or partition where you lost email files, and click "Scan".

Select a location and click Scan

Step 2. The software will immediately start a scanning process. Wait patiently until the scanning is complete. To swiftly find the email files, click "Others" in the left panel. Next, search for PST files or Outlook files in the file type list.

scan lost emails

Step 3. Next, select the desired email files and click "Recover". Save the files to a different location rather than the original one.

recover lost emails

Part 2. Repair Corrupted/Damaged PST Files

If you're unable to open your Personal Folders file (.pst) or believe that your .pst data file is corrupted, follow the procedure outlined in this section. Corrupted PST files can be completely restored using professional PST repair tools. Corruption or damage to the Outlook PST file leads to the unavailability of all your precious Outlook emails. The Email Recovery Wizard can repair your corrupted, damaged, or inaccessible PST files. Let's explore how it functions:

Step 1. Download the tool Email Recovery Wizard, install it, and then launch it. Select the "Recover Deleted Email/Repair PST File" option and click the "Next" button.

Recover Outlook PST File

Step 2. Click on "Select source file" to choose the corrupted PST file. Alternatively, you can use the "Search PST file" button to locate the damaged file. Ensure that you have selected the correct PST file before proceeding with the repair process.

Select source PST files to repair This is an image caption: "Select source PST files to repair"

Step 3. Select a suitable destination location to save the new, healthy PST file. Make sure there is sufficient free disk space available to save your repaired PST file. Once you have configured your recovery options, click the "Next" button.

Note: If you don't get the desired results, select Intensive Scan.

Step 4. While the process is ongoing, the recovered Outlook items will be visible in the list. You can preview the emails right here.

  • Save the mail recovery results, including messages, contacts, and attachments, in a new PST file with a complete folder structure, free from any errors.

Preview deleted emails