<\/span>Quick Precautions Before PST File Recovery<\/span><\/h2>\r\nBefore we move on, it\u2019s best to build a recovery strategy and go over some basic rules that can maximize the chances to recover a PST file.<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- 🛑 Stop<\/strong> using the drive and any app on your computer. Anything that writes data on the same drive where your PST file was stored diminishes the chances of getting it back. Even if you don\u2019t actively save anything to the drive yourself, an app you are using might do so in the background.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🚅 The above is especially crucial on SSD and NVMe drives, where a process called TRIM<\/a> runs automatically to optimize them and prolong their life expectancy. TRIM achieves this by, among other things, removing redundant data, and a deleted Outlook PST is considered part of that \u201credundant data\u201d.<\/li>\r\n\t
- 💾 In the case of data recovery, it\u2019s best to use a different destination<\/strong> than the device where your Outlook PST file was stored. You can use a secondary partition or drive, but for relatively small Outlook PST files, even a USB flash drive should be enough.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
You should also double-check where your personal information was actually stored:<\/p>\r\n
Was your mailbox server-based (Exchange\/Microsoft 365\/Outlook.com\/IMAP)?<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Then, the local file was only an OST cache (read more about that at Microsoft\u2019s learning hub<\/a>). Outlook can recreate it, but it\u2019s best to use server-based recovery solutions, since most attempts at local PST data recovery cannot help.<\/p>\r\nNote that deleted messages may still be available in the Recoverable Items view (\u201cRecover items deleted from this folder\u201d). The default retention duration for Exchange Online is 14 days, but it might be possible to recover even older items, since the server\u2019s admins can extend the retention period to 30 days.<\/div>\r\nWas your data stored on a POP server or a local archive?<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Then it \u201clived\u201d inside a local PST file and should be recoverable. New PST files are typically found in an \u201cOutlook Files\u201d folder within the \u201c%UserProfile%\\Documents<\/code>\u201d or \u201c%AppData%<\/code>\u201d directories.<\/p>\r\nIf your data loss extends beyond Outlook and PST files, our guides on finding disappeared files in Windows 10<\/a> and recovering deleted files in Windows 11<\/a> can help.<\/div>\r\nIf you\u2019d prefer to jump directly to the best way to recover deleted Outlook PST files, and don\u2019t mind using a third-party tool and investing some of your time in it, check out\u00a0our Disk Drill guide<\/a>. Otherwise, read on for some potentially quicker, more direct methods you can try immediately.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Try Built-In Solutions to Recover Deleted PST Files<\/span><\/h2>\r\nGetting your Outlook PST file back is almost a given when using a data recovery solution like Disk Drill. However, there are various reasons it might be worth starting with the solutions we will see here first:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- Your Outlook PST file was stored on an SSD or NVMe drive<\/strong>, and if its TRIM functionality runs automatically, it can \u201cnuke\u201d your deleted Outlook PST before you have a chance to recover it.<\/li>\r\n\t
- There\u2019s no need to download and install additional apps when the problem can be solved with tools already available in Windows or Outlook<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- You skip the wait for a time-consuming full scan of terabytes of data on your storage to locate a single Outlook PST file.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
However, the common caveat is that they all require a copy or backup of your Outlook PST file<\/strong>. If those exist, the following solutions can prove quicker and simpler than any data recovery app. If such copies or backups don\u2019t exist, though, the solutions in this section usually won\u2019t reap any useful results, and data recovery may be your last resort.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Method 1:<\/span> Check the Recycle Bin<\/span><\/h3>\r\nIf it was recently deleted, you can usually retrieve a PST file from the Recycle Bin. That is, as long as it didn\u2019t exceed the Recycle Bin\u2019s size limit and wasn\u2019t removed using Shift<\/kbd> + Delete<\/kbd> (which bypasses the Recycle Bin – if that\u2019s what happened, check our guide on recovering Shift-deleted files<\/a>).<\/p>\r\nTo recover a deleted PST file from the Recycle Bin:<\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Make sure Outlook isn\u2019t running<\/strong>, and if it is, close it<\/strong>. Double-click the Recycle Bin\u2019s icon<\/strong> on your desktop or visit its folder using Windows File Explorer<\/strong> (or another file manager) to access its contents. Hopefully, you will see your PST file among them.
\r\n![\"Recycle](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Recycle-Bin-Folder-in-Windows-Explorer-With-Highlighted-Outlook-PST.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Right-click your PST file<\/strong> and select Restore<\/strong> from the menu that appears. After a second or two, your PST file should be back to the spot from where it was originally deleted. If you run Outlook now, it should be able to find and open it like before, and all your messages, contacts, notes, calendar entries, and tasks should be accessible.
\r\n![\"Recycle](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Recycle-Bin-Folder-in-Windows-Explorer-With-Restore-Highlighted-For-Selected-Outlook-PST.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/span>Method 2:<\/span> Utilize File History Backups<\/span><\/h3>\r\nWindows comes with various backup tools, with File History being the easiest way to recover a PST file. File History works in the background, creating copies of the most important files, including your account\u2019s Documents\/Outlook Files folder and the PST file within it, without requiring the user\u2019s intervention. There are two catches, though:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- File History isn\u2019t enabled by default.<\/li>\r\n\t
- It requires a secondary storage device, like a USB flash drive.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nNote that this approach won\u2019t work if you have configured OneDrive to synchronize your account\u2019s Documents folder. When that happens, OneDrive moves the whole Documents folder into its own cloud-based storage. However, sometimes files stored locally in the OneDrive folder may also end up in the File History backup, so it’s a good idea to always check File History.<\/div>\r\n
If File History was enabled, you can recover your Outlook PST file from it as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Use Windows File Explorer<\/strong> to navigate to the folder where your Outlook PST used to \u201clive\u201d (1). Depending on your Outlook version, this folder might be
C:\\Users\\USER_ACCOUNT\\Documents\\Outlook Files<\/code> (for newer versions of Outlook), or C:\\Users\\USER_ACCOUNT\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Outlook<\/code> (for legacy versions). If you are on Windows 11, right-click<\/strong> on the Outlook Files folder and select Show more options<\/strong>. For older versions of Windows, skip directly to the next step.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Windows-File-Explorer-Outlook-Files-Show-More-Options.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Choose Restore previous versions<\/strong> from the right-click menu.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Windows-File-Explorer-Restore-Previous-Version.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Choose a version<\/strong> of the Outlook Files folder from before your Outlook PST was deleted, and click Restore<\/b>.
\r\n![\"Windows](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Windows-File-Explorer-Outlook-Files-Properties-Older-Folder-Version-Restore.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAlternatively, to recover a whole backup, including your Outlook PST file, from within File History:<\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Search<\/strong> for \u201cfile history<\/kbd>\u201d using the Start menu<\/strong> and open it<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"Running](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Running-File-History-From-Windows-11-Start-Menu.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- If File History was enabled and has already captured one or more backups of your files (1), you can restore them, including your Outlook PST, with a click of Restore personal files<\/strong> (2).
\r\n![\"File](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/File-History-Restore-Personal-Files.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Use the left and right navigation buttons<\/strong> to select a backup from when your Outlook PST wasn\u2019t deleted, and click the center button<\/strong> with the green arrow to recover it.
\r\n![\"File](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/File-History-Restore-Selected-Backup.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAlthough File History can\u2019t help you get back a deleted PST file if it wasn\u2019t already enabled, it\u2019s worth turning it on as a safeguard for the future. To do that, a) search<\/strong> for “File History<\/kbd>” using the Start menu<\/strong>, b) select the drive<\/strong> where File History will keep its backups, and c) click Turn on<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"File](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/File-History-Disabled-Turn-On.jpg\")
<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 3:<\/span> Use OneDrive Version History<\/span><\/h3>\r\nAre you using OneDrive, and has it synchronized your user account\u2019s data with the cloud? At the same time, did your version of Outlook store its PST within your user account\u2019s Documents folder, or did you manually move the PST into one of the folders OneDrive monitors and synchronizes with its online servers? Then, it\u2019s highly probable you\u2019ll be able to download your Outlook PST file from there.<\/p>\r\n
OneDrive relies on a local client for file synchronization and is deeply integrated in the latest versions of Windows, but its web version is more versatile and exposes more functionality. Although we will tackle both approaches here, we suggest you first try OneDrive\u2019s web interface.<\/div>\r\nTo get back your deleted PST file from OneDrive using Windows File Explorer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Open Windows File Explorer<\/strong> and navigate to the path<\/strong> where your Outlook PST file used to \u201clive\u201d. If you ran Outlook after your PST file had been deleted, it should have created a new PST file in its place.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Local-Outlook-PST.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Right-click<\/strong> on the Outlook PST file and select OneDrive<\/strong> > Version history<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Local-Outlook-PST-Right-Click-OneDrive-Version-History-Option.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- In the Version history<\/strong> window that appears, select the correct version<\/strong> of your Outlook PST file from before it was deleted and replaced with a new file.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Local-Outlook-PST-Version-History-Window.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Click<\/strong> the More Options<\/strong> button (with the three dots) to the right of the correct file version, then choose Restore<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Local-Outlook-PST-Version-History-Window-More-Options-Restore.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nYou can use the very same method through OneDrive\u2019s web interface.<\/p>\r\n
To salvage your PST using OneDrive\u2019s web version:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Visit<\/strong> OneDrive\u2019s site<\/a> and navigate<\/strong> to the folder where your Outlook PST file was stored on your PC. Click<\/strong> the More Actions<\/strong> button (with the three dots – 1) on the right of the file and select Version History<\/strong> (2).
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Online-Outlook-PST-More-Actions-Version-History.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- As with the desktop-based approach, click the correct version<\/strong> of the file from before it was deleted, then choose Restore<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Online-Outlook-PST-Version-History-Restore.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIf you can\u2019t find your Outlook PST where it used to be, don\u2019t panic: maybe OneDrive moved the deleted file to its Recycle Bin. In that case, you can still get it back from there.<\/p>\r\n
OneDrive keeps deleted items for 30 days for personal accounts. That duration can differ for professional accounts. Also note that OneDrive\u2019s own Recycle Bin is only accessible through its web interface, as it relies on the OS\u2019s own Recycle Bin for its \u201clocal\u201d version.<\/div>\r\nTo<\/strong> recover PST files<\/strong> from OneDrive\u2019s web version\u2019s Recycle Bin:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Visit<\/strong> OneDrive\u2019s site<\/a> with your browser and click<\/strong> the Recycle Bin<\/strong> icon on the navigation bar on the left.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Web-Highlighted-Recycle-Bin.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Locate<\/strong> your Outlook PST<\/strong> among the other deleted files.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Web-Highlighted-Outlook-PST.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Either click the file<\/strong>, then click the Restore<\/strong> option above the file list, or right-click<\/strong> it and select the same option<\/strong> from the menu that pops up.
\r\n![\"OneDrive](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OneDrive-Web-Highlighted-Outlook-PST-Restore-Options.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Recover Permanently Deleted Outlook PST Files Using Data Recovery Software<\/span><\/h2>\r\nYou weren\u2019t using a cloud synchronization solution, nor had you grabbed backups of your files? Then, the only way to find out if an Outlook PST file is recoverable is to download a data recovery app and scan your drive for deleted files. Fortunately, as we will see here, this process is quick and easy, especially when using a modern, user-friendly data recovery solution that excels at Outlook PST file recovery, like Disk Drill<\/a>.<\/p>\r\nTo recover an Outlook PST file using Disk Drill:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Download<\/strong><\/a> our recommended file recovery software, Disk Drill, install<\/strong> it, and run<\/strong> it. While on its Storage Devices<\/strong> page (1), select the drive<\/strong> where your deleted Outlook PST was stored from the Device\/Disk<\/strong> list (2), and click Search for lost data<\/strong> (3). Disk Drill will immediately start scanning your disk for any files it can find.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Select-Device-To-Scan-And-Search-For-Lost-Data.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- You can interrupt Disk Drill\u2019s scanning process at any time to check the results up to that point. However, it\u2019s best to allow Disk Drill to complete its scan of your disk, to maximize the chances it finds your Outlook PST file. The required time depends mostly on the disk\u2019s status, speed, and the number of files stored in it. The process may take just a few minutes with a modern NVMe drive and a relatively modest capacity, and up to hours with an old, \u201ctired\u201d HDD overfilled with multiple terabytes of files.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Scanning-Selected-Drive.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t - When Disk Drill completes scanning your disk, it will notify you that \u201cAll recovery methods (are) complete<\/strong>\u201d (1). You can safely close this message pop-up. If you chose to scan a partition rather than the entire disk, Disk Drill will inform you that \u201cthere\u2019s a chance to find more data<\/strong>\u201d if you perform a second, more extensive scan of the entire disk (2). In such a case, instead of immediately starting a new disk scan, we suggest that you first check the results of the current scan with a click on Review found items<\/strong> (3). You can perform a more thorough whole-disk scan later if your Outlook PST file wasn\u2019t among the files Disk Drill found.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Scan-Complete-Chance-For-More-Data-And-Review-Found-Items.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Disk Drill organizes its results into three groups based on status: Deleted or lost<\/strong> contains files that have been deleted or cannot be accessed normally using a file manager or any other app. Existing<\/strong> contains all the files that are still viewable and accessible. Finally, Reconstructed<\/strong> contains all the fragmented files that Disk Drill assembled from scattered bits and pieces on the disk. Since your Outlook PST was deleted and is currently inaccessible, you will probably find it in the Deleted or lost<\/strong> or Reconstructed<\/strong> groups.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Deleted-Or-Lost-Existing-and-Reconstructed.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- The Categories<\/strong> on the left (1) and the Filters<\/strong> above the results list (2) allow Disk Drill to present only a subset of the files it located based on characteristics like their type, size, last date modified, and more. Thanks to that functionality, you don\u2019t have to scroll through endless lists of files; you can ask the app to show only what you’re looking for: PST files.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Categories-and-Filters.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Click<\/strong> on the File Type filter<\/strong> (1) and type “PST<\/kbd>“<\/strong> in the text box that shows up (2). Disk Drill will immediately filter its results and present those related to your query (3). Click on the recognized file type<\/strong> under the text box to select it (4).
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Filtering-Results-For-A-Specific-File-Format.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Disk Drill will update its results list to display only PST files<\/strong> (and the folder hierarchies \u201cabove them\u201d).
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Located-PST-Files.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Choose<\/strong> the Outlook PST file that you want to recover by placing a check mark<\/strong> on the left side of its entry. Then, click Recover<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Select-PST-File-To-Recover-And-Click-Recover.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Pick<\/strong> the recovery destination folder<\/strong> where you\u2019d like Disk Drill to store the recovered Outlook PST file. The app presents a list of default directories and folders from past recoveries (1). If the one you want isn\u2019t among them, select it by clicking Choose Destination<\/strong> (2). When ready, click Next<\/strong> (3).
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Select-Destination.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- The free version of Disk Drill can recover up to 100 MB, which should be more than enough for an average-sized Outlook PST file. Still, even if your Outlook PST is larger, a scan with Disk Drill can confirm that it\u2019s present, intact, and recoverable. Since it only involves a single Outlook PST file, the recovery process shouldn\u2019t take more than a few minutes. When it\u2019s done, Disk Drill will inform you that “data recovery (is) complete<\/strong>” and show a brief report. You will find your recovered Outlook PST file in the destination folder you selected. To check it out with the default file manager, click on Show recovered data in Explorer<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Data-Recovery-Complete.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAlthough Disk Drill has dozens of peers, we believe it\u2019s the best fit for what we are tackling in this article because:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- 🗃️ It natively supports all of Microsoft\u2019s file systems used by default in Windows (NTFS\/FAT\/ExFAT).<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🖋️ It gracefully falls back to signature-based recovery when a filesystem is unavailable, reconstructing files based on their file types rather than relying on information \u201cpulled\u201d from the filesystem.<\/li>\r\n\t
- ✉️ It has tested and verifiable results specifically for recovering PST files (Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders).<\/li>\r\n\t
- 🏊 Its user-friendly interface allows you to easily locate the Outlook PST file you are seeking using the app\u2019s filtering capabilities, instead of having to wade through thousands of irrelevant files manually.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>What to Do with a Recovered PST File?<\/span><\/h2>\r\nRecovering a deleted PST file is the most significant win, but still not enough, since the file is useless on its own. After a successful recovery, another step is needed to regain access to the contents of your Outlook PST: loading it back into Outlook.<\/p>\r\n
The following steps apply to the latest versions of Outlook and Windows 11, but should be relatively similar on older versions.<\/div>\r\nTo load your recovered Outlook PST file back into Outlook:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Use Windows File Explorer<\/strong> or another file manager to visit the folder where your Outlook PST file was recovered (1). Notice the complete path to that folder (2), and to make the next steps easier, select it<\/strong> and copy it<\/strong> (CTRL<\/kbd> + C<\/kbd>) to the clipboard.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Recovered-PST-In-Windows-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Run Outlook<\/strong> and click File<\/strong> to access the app\u2019s storage-related panel.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Outlook-File-Menu-Entry-1.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select<\/strong> the Open & Export<\/strong> entry from the panel on the left.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Outlook-Open-And-Export-Menu-Entry-1.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Click<\/strong> on the second option on that page, Open Outlook Data File<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Outlook-Open-Outlook-Data-File-Option-1.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Point<\/strong> the file requester to the path of your recovered Outlook PST file<\/strong>. If you copied it to the Clipboard as we suggested earlier, you can paste it<\/strong> (CTRL<\/kbd> + V<\/kbd>) into either the path field<\/strong> at the top or the File name field<\/strong> at the bottom of the window. Then, press Enter<\/kbd> to move directly to that folder.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Outlook-Open-Requester-Changed-To-Recovered-PST-Location.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select your recovered Outlook PST file<\/strong> and click OK<\/strong> to load it back into Outlook.
\r\n![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Disk-Drill-Outlook-Selected-Recovered-PST-To-Open.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIf Outlook cannot open your recovered PST file or reports it as corrupted, you can try repairing it using the ScanPST tool that accompanies the desktop versions of Outlook. However, ScanPST isn\u2019t usually \u201cexposed\u201d in the Start menu or via an easily accessible shortcut, so you will have to find it first.<\/p>\r\n
To repair your Outlook PST file with ScanPST:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t- Outlook is considered an integral part of Microsoft Office<\/strong>, and even when you are only using that app, it\u2019s still installed in a subfolder under a related parent folder<\/strong>. That\u2019s also the spot where you will find the ScanPST tool. For example, for the latest versions of Windows 11 and Outlook, the path is “
C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office16<\/code>“.
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-In-Windows-File-Explorer.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Since the installation path can vary across Windows and Office versions, it\u2019s probably easier to install a global file search app like voidtool\u2019s Everything<\/a> and use it to find the \u201cscanpst<\/kbd>\u201d executable<\/strong>. Then, run it<\/strong>.
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-In-Everything.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Click the Browse<\/strong> button and point the ScanPST\u2019s file requester to the Outlook PST file that you want to repair.
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-Browse-For-File.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- ScanPST will display the complete path to your selected Outlook PST file before the Browse button (1). Click Start<\/strong> to have the app analyze the file (2).
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-Start-Scanning-Selected-File.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Next, ScanPST will inform you about its findings (1). The app will also offer the option to make a backup of the scanned file before repairing<\/strong> (2), which we suggest you enable and point to a different storage location. Finally, click Repair<\/strong> (3) to have ScanPST try to fix your Outlook PST file.
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-Report-Backup-And-Repair.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- When done, ScanPST will report that the \u201crepair (is) complete\u201d. You can close that window by clicking OK<\/b>, and then retry importing the now hopefully unproblematic Outlook PST file into Outlook.
\r\n![\"ScanPST](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ScanPST-Repair-Complete.jpg\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWe should clarify that ScanPST\u2019s name is apt: it specializes explicitly in PST files. If you want to recover other work-related files, it would be best to check our step-by-step guides on recovering deleted Word documents<\/a>, Excel files<\/a>, and PDFs<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>FAQ
You should also double-check where your personal information was actually stored:<\/p>\r\n
Was your mailbox server-based (Exchange\/Microsoft 365\/Outlook.com\/IMAP)?<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Then, the local file was only an OST cache (read more about that at Microsoft\u2019s learning hub<\/a>). Outlook can recreate it, but it\u2019s best to use server-based recovery solutions, since most attempts at local PST data recovery cannot help.<\/p>\r\n Was your data stored on a POP server or a local archive?<\/b><\/p>\r\n Then it \u201clived\u201d inside a local PST file and should be recoverable. New PST files are typically found in an \u201cOutlook Files\u201d folder within the \u201c If you\u2019d prefer to jump directly to the best way to recover deleted Outlook PST files, and don\u2019t mind using a third-party tool and investing some of your time in it, check out\u00a0our Disk Drill guide<\/a>. Otherwise, read on for some potentially quicker, more direct methods you can try immediately.<\/p>\r\n Getting your Outlook PST file back is almost a given when using a data recovery solution like Disk Drill. However, there are various reasons it might be worth starting with the solutions we will see here first:<\/p>\r\n However, the common caveat is that they all require a copy or backup of your Outlook PST file<\/strong>. If those exist, the following solutions can prove quicker and simpler than any data recovery app. If such copies or backups don\u2019t exist, though, the solutions in this section usually won\u2019t reap any useful results, and data recovery may be your last resort.<\/p>\r\n If it was recently deleted, you can usually retrieve a PST file from the Recycle Bin. That is, as long as it didn\u2019t exceed the Recycle Bin\u2019s size limit and wasn\u2019t removed using Shift<\/kbd> + Delete<\/kbd> (which bypasses the Recycle Bin – if that\u2019s what happened, check our guide on recovering Shift-deleted files<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n To recover a deleted PST file from the Recycle Bin:<\/b><\/p>\r\n Windows comes with various backup tools, with File History being the easiest way to recover a PST file. File History works in the background, creating copies of the most important files, including your account\u2019s Documents\/Outlook Files folder and the PST file within it, without requiring the user\u2019s intervention. There are two catches, though:<\/p>\r\n If File History was enabled, you can recover your Outlook PST file from it as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Alternatively, to recover a whole backup, including your Outlook PST file, from within File History:<\/b><\/p>\r\n Are you using OneDrive, and has it synchronized your user account\u2019s data with the cloud? At the same time, did your version of Outlook store its PST within your user account\u2019s Documents folder, or did you manually move the PST into one of the folders OneDrive monitors and synchronizes with its online servers? Then, it\u2019s highly probable you\u2019ll be able to download your Outlook PST file from there.<\/p>\r\n To get back your deleted PST file from OneDrive using Windows File Explorer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n You can use the very same method through OneDrive\u2019s web interface.<\/p>\r\n To salvage your PST using OneDrive\u2019s web version:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n If you can\u2019t find your Outlook PST where it used to be, don\u2019t panic: maybe OneDrive moved the deleted file to its Recycle Bin. In that case, you can still get it back from there.<\/p>\r\n To<\/strong> recover PST files<\/strong> from OneDrive\u2019s web version\u2019s Recycle Bin:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n You weren\u2019t using a cloud synchronization solution, nor had you grabbed backups of your files? Then, the only way to find out if an Outlook PST file is recoverable is to download a data recovery app and scan your drive for deleted files. Fortunately, as we will see here, this process is quick and easy, especially when using a modern, user-friendly data recovery solution that excels at Outlook PST file recovery, like Disk Drill<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n To recover an Outlook PST file using Disk Drill:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Although Disk Drill has dozens of peers, we believe it\u2019s the best fit for what we are tackling in this article because:<\/p>\r\n Recovering a deleted PST file is the most significant win, but still not enough, since the file is useless on its own. After a successful recovery, another step is needed to regain access to the contents of your Outlook PST: loading it back into Outlook.<\/p>\r\n To load your recovered Outlook PST file back into Outlook:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n If Outlook cannot open your recovered PST file or reports it as corrupted, you can try repairing it using the ScanPST tool that accompanies the desktop versions of Outlook. However, ScanPST isn\u2019t usually \u201cexposed\u201d in the Start menu or via an easily accessible shortcut, so you will have to find it first.<\/p>\r\n To repair your Outlook PST file with ScanPST:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n We should clarify that ScanPST\u2019s name is apt: it specializes explicitly in PST files. If you want to recover other work-related files, it would be best to check our step-by-step guides on recovering deleted Word documents<\/a>, Excel files<\/a>, and PDFs<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n%UserProfile%\\Documents<\/code>\u201d or \u201c%AppData%<\/code>\u201d directories.<\/p>\r\n<\/span>Try Built-In Solutions to Recover Deleted PST Files<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
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C:\\Users\\USER_ACCOUNT\\Documents\\Outlook Files<\/code> (for newer versions of Outlook), or C:\\Users\\USER_ACCOUNT\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Outlook<\/code> (for legacy versions). If you are on Windows 11, right-click<\/strong> on the Outlook Files folder and select Show more options<\/strong>. For older versions of Windows, skip directly to the next step.
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<\/span>What to Do with a Recovered PST File?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
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