At times the Outlook PST file you are trying to open may not work and its file size may just be shown as 0KB. In this article, we offer you five useful ways that you can try to recover data from such an Outlook PST file.
When it comes to desktop-based email clients in vogue today, there is hardly any application that can even come near to the sheer popularity of MS Outlook. Not only does this class-leading software from Microsoft simply dominate its market, but it has also over the years integrated into the core working process of many businesses. Companies rely on this tool for managing interactions with their consumers, setting meetings, book resources, and even in some cases, with the right add-ins utilize it as a mini CRM tool. While the Outlook application is quite exceptional in its expanse of features; it scores slightly low on robustness. Often users complain of encountering inane errors and the size of the PST data file being shown as 0KB is one classic example of such erratic behavior.
Key Causes Behind a PST Data File Size Shown as OKB
If the PST data file you were working on before is suddenly not opening up and its size is being shown as 0KB, there is a huge possibility that it has been corrupted. Now there can be several reasons behind this ranging from header corruption to a conflict error arising out of running the Check disk utility. In some cases, if the file size of the PST file crosses the specified limit, like say 2GB for an older Outlook version, this issue can crop up. At times the issue can also occur from bad sectors developing in the data drive where the Outlook PST file has been stored. Now if you are looking to get back your data from the corrupted file, try out the five ways listed below.
#1. Run a Top of the Line Outlook Data Recovery Tool
If you have encountered a 0KB PST file, the best approach for you would involve trying to recover the data with the help of a specialized tool like the DataNumen Outlook Repair application. This sophisticated software can carefully scan through the corrupted data file and extract all its contents, including images and attachments and save the same in the output file. The application can deal with different media types and offers the best recovery rate in its class.
#2. Try Extracting the Outlook PST Data Directly From the Storage Drive
There may be cases where you simply cannot directly dig up the contents from a corrupted PST data file. An alternate approach involves attempting to recover the data from the storage drive by running the remarkable DataNumen Outlook Drive Recovery tool. Just follow the steps below to attempt a recovery directly of the disk drive.
- Open the DataNumen Outlook Drive Recovery software
- You would be greeted with a neat minimalist interface. Just go to the Recovery screen tab and select the drive/media where Outlook was storing its email data
- Choose an output filename and then click on the Start Recovery button to initiate the recovery scan and the software will minutely search through the drive to extract any Outlook data elements that are available.
#3. Create an Image of the Data Drive to Attempt a Recovery
One of the most effective workaround to deal with this situation involves making an image of the disk drive where Outlook was saving the email data by using the DataNumen Disk Image tool. It will essentially attempt to clone the data present on the source drive. Once this has been done, run the DataNumen Outlook Repair tool to repair the corrupted PST file in a jiffy.
#4. Try Running the ScanPST Application Available in MS Office
The propensity of the MS Outlook application to throw up errors has been noticed for decades and Microsoft has packed a repair tool within the MS Office package to deal with such situations. While the jury is still out on how effective the tool really is in dealing with intricate incidents of data corruption; it still remains an easy option to attempt a recovery. However, you need to first figure out where the tool is located in your system as it varies depending on the Outlook version you are running. Just visit Microsoft’s Support site to find its exact location on your machine and then try out the steps listed below.
- Open the ScanPST application
- Using the Browse button, you need to load up the PST file you wish to repair
- Once there, just click on the Start button to initiate the repair process
#5. Replace the Current PST File with a Previously Backed-up Copy of the Outlook Data File
Most regular users of Outlook tend to keep a backup of their data files. In some cases, especially in small businesses, the IT support team also tends to keep a backup of the PST data files. Now in case, you do have a previously backed-up PST file; all you need to do is to find the path of the current file and replace it with the backup by following the steps listed below.
- Open the MS Outlook email client and just click on the File tab
- Next head to the Info tab scroll to Account Settings and just click on the Account Settings from the provided drop-down options
- Further, head to the Data Files tab and trace out the existing location of the current PST file
- Once there, you just need to swap the current PST file with the previously saved copy and restart MS Outlook in a normal fashion.
Final Thoughts
While using the Outlook application, it is but natural to come across errors occasionally. However one can get over such errors by attempting to identify the cause of the error and trying out different solutions to resolve the issue as shown above. Further, if you are a regular of the Outlook application, you should consider investing in an Outlook repair tool like DataNumen Outlook Repair to deal with contingencies.