How to Fix the “Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found” Error? Know Here!
Overview: Are you also facing the Outlook.pst cannot be found error? If yes, this is the major issue which needs to be solved immediately. It is an error which indicated that Outlook cannot locate the PST file which is connected with your profile. It is usually happens if your PST file is moved, deleted, renamed, located in a different location where Outlook cannot reach or affected by OneDrive folder syncing issue. You can fix it by relocating .pst file, restoring it or try to reconnect with PST file.
This guide explains how to find the missing PST file, restore it from different location, provide multiple troubleshoot ways and some repair solutions if the file actually exist but is damaged.
Table of Contents
- What Does the Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found Error Mean?
- What Causes the Outlook Data File Cannot Be Found Error?
- How to Fix Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found
- Restore the PST from the Recycle Bin
- Search Your Computer for the PST File
- Check the PST File Location
- Reconnect Outlook to the Correct PST
- Fix OneDrive-Related PST Problems
- Check File Permissions and Read-Only Status
- Check Add-ins and Security Software
- Repair a Damaged PST with ScanPST.exe
- Fixing Archive.pst Cannot Be Found
- Advanced PST Recovery Solution
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Words
So, let’s start this article by first understanding the meaning of this error.
What Does the “Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found” Error Mean?
The Outlook.pst cannot be found error means that Outlook is unable to locate your PST file which is associated with your Outlook profile. As, PST is a file that consists your Outlook account data such as emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes and all the things which are stored in your email account synced with Outlook.
The error does not automatically mean that your PST file is corrupted or damaged. Outlook may show this message because the file was moved to another folder, renamed, deleted or disconnected from the Outlook profile.
For example, Outlook may still be trying to access the following:
C:\Users\Username\Documents\Outlook Files\Outlook.pst
while the actual file has been moved somewhere else.
What Causes the Outlook Data File Cannot Be Found Error?
Before knowing and implementing the solution, it is important to know the root cause of any problem and error. So, before going ahead with the methods, let’s know the possible reasons due to which Outlook data file cannot be found. Once you understand these reasons, it will be easy for you to resolve it.
- PST File was moved: You may have manually transferred your PST file to another folder or drive.
- PST File was renamed: If the file name changed then Outlook may still be looking for the original file.
- PST File was deleted: If your PST file is accidentally deleted and moved to Recycle Bin.
- Outlook is using an incorrect file path: Your Outlook profile may still targeting to previous location which is not detecting by Outlook.
- Folder location changed by OneDrive: Sometimes, synchronization or a backup process may also affect the location of files stored in it.
- File Permissions: If permission is not given to Outlook then it can prevent from accessing the file correctly.
- PST File is damaged: If your PST file is at correct location and Outlook can locate it but cannot open it correctly then the issue can be with the file structure, such as it can be corrupted or damaged.
How to Fix Outlook.pst Cannot Be Found Issue?
There are many possible solutions to fix the Microsoft Outlook PST cannot be opened error. We have listed some proven ways to resolve and fix outlook.pst cannot be found. Go through each method separately and choose the one that suits best your needs.
Method 1. Restart Outlook
Sometimes, the error is temporary and can be resolved with a simple restart. Try to restart both Outlook and your Windows system to operate it properly. If the error persists, proceed to the next methods.
Method 2. Check Outlook Data File Location
Ensure that Outlook is fetching your data file from the correct location.
Method 3. Repair Outlook Data File
If the Outlook data file is corrupted, you’ll need to repair PST file. Here’s how:
- Firstly, in the Windows Search bar type “Control Panel” and open it.
- In the Control Panel, search for the Mail and click on it.
- Tap on the Data Files button select your Outlook data file and click on Settings.
- Go to the General tab and click the “Compact Now” button to start the repair process.
Once the repair is complete, restart Outlook to check whether the issue is resolved or not.
Method 4. Create New Outlook Profile
If the issue persists try to create a new Outlook profile that might solve the problem;
- Press Windows + S to open the Windows Search bar and type “Control Panel.” Open the Control Panel.
- In the Control Panel, search for “Mail” and open the “Mail (Microsoft Outlook)” option.
- Click on the “Show Profiles” button.
- Select “Add” to create a new profile.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your email account.
- Set the new profile as the default.
Open Outlook with the new profile and see if the error is resolved.
Method 5. Use the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe)
If none of the above methods work, you can use the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) provided by Microsoft to repair the Outlook data file:
- First of all, close Outlook if you are using it.
- Then, search “scanpst.exe” and Open the Inbox Repair Tool.
- Click “Browse” and locate your Outlook data file (.pst).
- Click “Start” to begin the scanning and repair process.
After the repair is complete, open Outlook and check if the error is resolved.
After performing the above method, if the error is still not resolved then give a try to scanpst.exe alternative. It is an all-in-one solution for Outlook data file issue queries.
Method 6. Using Third-Pary Software
First of all, download and install Advik PST Repair Tool in your Windows PC. This software will repair your existing Outlook data and will create a new healthy PST file. Then, outlook.pst cannot be found error will be solved automatically. The software will maintain and preserve email attributes so that no data modification will take place.
You can even repair Outlook PST file without scanpst.exe which is needed if you will try to repair it with Outlook.
Steps to Fix Archive.pst Cannot Be Found Issue
- Install and Run software on your PC.
- Once Outlook detects your account profile, select “Use Recovery Mode” and click Next.
- Choose the required email folders of your choice.
- Select PST as a saving option from the list.
- Browse the destination path and press the Convert button.
Done!! Now, after converting this PST file you can easily access it in Outlook.
Watch How to Fix Outlook.pst Cannot Found in Windows 11
Highlights of Automatic Solution
There are innumerable features of choosing this solution and some of them are explained below;
- This software supports more than 15+ saving options such as that you can convert PST files into MBOX, EML, PDF, MSG, DOC, etc.
- Offers a self-intuitive and user-friendly GUI that can be easily accessed by a technical and non-technical person.
- You can also reduce PST file size without Outlook with this handy application.
- Also, the tool offers dual ways to upload PST file for batch conversion.
- If you cannot export Outlook PST file due to this issue, all of it’s errors will be resolved.
- Maintains complete folder hierarchy of PST file throughout the conversion process.
- Also, convert old PST file into new format
Final Words
In the above write-up, we have discussed the best-proven ways to fix outlook.pst cannot be found Windows 11/10 error. All the different techniques are explained and users can choose any of them to resolve that error. But sometimes, if the cause of the error isn’t found then there might be chances that the Outlook profile may be damaged or corrupted.
