Tips to open PST file

Can't open the PST file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open PST files as well as a list of programs that support PST files.

PST file extension

File Name Outlook Personal Information Store Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category Data Files

The PST file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the PST files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the PST file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 8
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is PST file?

The file with the extension PST is the Data Files file type. It was designed by Microsoft. Data Files consists of 1326 similar files. Outlook Personal Information Store Format is supported by 2 operating systems. These systems consist of Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. The Microsoft Outlook application is recommended to open the file. It was released by Microsoft Corporation. There are also 13 alternative programs to handle the PST file. The Microsoft Exchange Server, Repair Outlook, Email Open View Pro, Microsoft Outlook Express programs will also handle the file when the Microsoft Outlook program does not fulfill its role.

How to open PST file?

The main problem with Outlook Personal Information Store Format is that the PST file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file PST to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the PST file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Microsoft Outlook

The first step is to check if the computer has the Microsoft Outlook program installed. To do this, enter the name Microsoft Outlook into the system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below is a list of programs that support the file PST.

Step 2. Create association of Microsoft Outlook with PST files

If, despite the installed application, the PST file does not start in the Microsoft Outlook application, you must create a file association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. If there is no software on the list, simply select "Browse" and manually select the directory where the application is installed. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Microsoft Outlook application as the default for handling the PST file.

Step 3. Update Microsoft Outlook to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Microsoft Outlook program with the Outlook Personal Information Store Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Microsoft Corporation website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the PST file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This suggests truncating the PST file contents when downloading or copying. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file PST or the program directory. However, remember that not every infected PST file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
Older version of PST file may not always be supported by the latest software version. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for the failure. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair PST file corruption. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting Microsoft, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted PST files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. Copying the PST file to another location will fix the problem.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file PST to close. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If this does not work either, restart the device.