Know How to Fix Error "Outlook PST Could Not Be Found"

Outlook PST file is a data file storage area where all the data of synchronized email address such as emails, contacts, calendars, etc. stored. Because it is user-friendly and reliable, most of the Outlook users deem it is as a right choice for their email communication or management.

But, you should wary from glitches as Outlook is not analogous as much as deemed for performing email management. It has also a lot of errors which can make you Outlook Data File inaccessible and pop-up error like: "Outlook PST could not be found". This error occurs when a user hits on the Microsoft Outlook icon to initiate it. But, despite of manifesting emails and synchronizing them from the server, it states that "Outlook data file could not be found".

Below is a sample screenshot of the error message:

The error: Outlook PST cannot be found is one of the common error messages and it means Outlook cannot find the PST file which was previously used. This might be caused by some common reasons that will be explained later.

Precise Explanation For “Outlook PST Not Found” Error

The above mentioned error occurs if Outlook delivers email messages directly to personal folder (PST) and if one of following mentioned condition is true:

• Outlook PST file is corrupted or invalid.
• Outlook PST file is located on a network server that is unavailable.
• Location of Outlook PST file has been changed and was not relocated.

Troubleshooting In-accessibility Of Outlook PST File

As the cause of inaccessibility of PST file is anonymous, it is necessary to resolve the issue by trying several methods available (And also stated below):

Using Inbox Repair Tool - If you cannot open Outlook Data File and suspect that the data file cannot be accessed due to corruption or damage; it is recommended to use the Outlook inbuilt utility: Inbox Repair tool as a first step to diagnose and repair the errors in the file. The Inbox Repair tool scans the PST file with (scanpst.exe) on the computer and analyzes the file structure integrity. This utility can be availed free of cost as it gets automatically installed on the computer when MS Outlook is installed. The Inbox Repair tool tries to correct issues by resetting the structure of the data file and rebuilding the headers in Outlook items.

Note: Exit Outlook before using the Inbox Repair tool as it is not possible to run both simultaneously.

Re-location Of Outlook PST File - If the above discussed error "Outlook PST could not be found" is suspected to occur because of an alteration in the location of Outlook PST file from default to another one, then PST file should be placed on their right location in order to make it accessible.

• Step 1: To open Outlook PST file, follow the procedure: File » Open » Outlook Data File
• Step 2: After clicking on "Outlook Data File", select PST file.
• Step 3: To finish the process click on "OK".

The above mentioned solutions are available that can be tried to overcome the error "Outlook PST could not be found". But many a times they fail to repair the PST files that bring the need of an external application to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently without losing data integrity. One such result oriented tool is Outlook Recovery that recovers corrupt PST file, even if it is deleted or password-protected with no size limitation.