How to use Scanpst.exe to repair Outlook data files

Scanpst (aka the Inbox Repair tool) is found in your Office installation folders, usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX, where XX is your version of Office. In Vista and Windows 7 64-bit, the folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX.

Note: The scanpst icon is a broken envelope. This is supposed to indicate that it works with broken messages. It does not mean the application is broken.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\scanpst.exe

Replace XX in the following to match your version (the textboxes below are editable), then copy and paste it into the Address bar of Windows Explorer and press enter to open ScanPST.

Open Scanpst.exe

On 32-bit Windows or with 64-bit Outlook, using the default installation locations, scanpst.exe is located at:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX\scanpst.exe

On 64-bit Windows with 32-bit Outlook, scanpst.exe is at:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX\scanpst.exe

You can either use Windows search to find scanpst.exe or browse to it using Windows Explorer. We also offer the following shortcuts you can type or paste into into Start menu's search field or into the Run command (press Windows key + R to open the Run command).

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\scanpst.exe

%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\Office15\scanpst.exe

%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office15\scanpst.exe

%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\Office14\scanpst.exe

%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office14\scanpst.exe

%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\Office12\scanpst.exe

%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office12\scanpst.exe

%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Office\Office11\scanpst.exe

%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office11\scanpst.exe

Using Scanpst.exe

After scanpst opens, click Browse and browse to the location of the PST. Or paste the following line in the File name field and click Open. This will open the default PST location in the file browser.

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

This path works in all versions of Windows if Outlook created the pst in the local application data path. If you moved the pst or Outlook 2010 created the pst file in My Documents, you'll need to click Browse.

Select your PST from the list (most people will have just one) click Open, then Start to begin testing the PST

When ScanPST is finished running the tests, a dialog reports the errors found. If you need to repair the PST, always make a backup.

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This article is filed under Beginner.
Last reviewed on Apr 14, 2013