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Thread ID: 96117 2008-12-29 20:08:00 Outlook PST file problem Tony (4941) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
733450 2008-12-29 20:08:00 I thought I posted this yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared...

My brother-in-law had a system meltdown and is having to reinstall/recover everything. That's just background. When he tried to re-use his latest Outlook PST file backup, Outlook refused to recognise it as a PST, and Vista seems to think it is a Windows media file! So, questions:


Has anyone encountered this/got any suggestions?
Has anyone got recommendations for PST repair tools? A search revealed several candidates, but some looked a bit suspicious - a definite possibility of adware/malware infection, I thought.


The OS is Vista (Business, I think), and I'm fairly sure it is Outlook 2007.
Tony (4941)
733451 2008-12-29 22:29:00 Are you just double-clicking on the PST file to try and open it?
This won't work.
You need to go into Outlook and import the PST file.
CYaBro (73)
733452 2008-12-30 01:51:00 If he tries to import the file or use it as the prime data source, Outlook doesn't recognise it as a valid PST. If he looks at the file in Windows Explorer, it shows the Windows media icon, and double-clicking tries to open it as a Windows media file. I don't think Outlook is giving "damaged PST file" type messages - it just doesn't think it is a PST at all.

I've pointed him at the MS inbox repair tool, which may or may not help. I haven't heard back.
Tony (4941)
733453 2009-01-02 23:59:00 Also there should be two PST files
One is the current one and the other is the archived version.
What I did when setting my latest computer was to start a new pst file in outlook and then
I found where they were stored, deletd them and copied the current and archived versions
It worked fine

regards,

Ojos
ojos (3168)
733454 2009-01-03 01:17:00 The problem is that neither Windows nor Outlook recognize it as a PST, either from inside Outlook via import, or externally via double-click. Tony (4941)
733455 2009-01-03 02:06:00 run scanpst.exe to check and repair the file. gcarmich (10068)
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