.pst files

[kelly]

I cannot open Outlook. An error keeps popping up that says "unable to open
your default email folders . pst is not a personal folders file". I have
used the inbox repair tool to try and fix it and also the repair tool in the
help menu and nothing. I have googled this issue for hours and have had no
luck...can someone PLEASE point me in some sort of direction, I'm lost.

 

[DL]

Did OL ever work?
Did the inbox repair tool fix any errors?
What version of Outlook?
What repair tool in what help menu?

 

[kelly]

I am using Outlook XP and it has always worked up until last week. I think
that the hard drive was on it's last leg so I am now using a different
computer, but need to import my contacts, etc...from the old computer and I
cannot open Outlook. The inbox repair tool did not fix the error as it still
won't open. It keeps saying "unable to open your default email folders . pst
is not a personal folders file".
If this was my home computer it wouldn't be that bad, but it's my work
computer and I have tons of work info on it. If you can think of anything
for me to try I would greatly appreciate it as I don't know where else to
go/look (I have spent days googling the error message with no luck).

 

[Steve Naylor]

It sounds like the default location to deliver messages to is not set right.

Try this:

Click on Start and then go to the Control Panel. (You may need to go to
Settings>Control Panel).

Find the Mail icon (If your Control Panel is set to Category View then it is
located in the Users category).

Click on the E-mail Accounts button and then select View/Change Existing
accounts and click Next.

Near the bottom there is a section that says "Deliver new e-mail to the
following location:". What is listed in there?

 

[DL]

If your old PC is operational, search to include hidden for *.pst - you
should find one or more files, typically outlook.pst being one.
What size is shown for these file(s)
Copy these to a flash drive
From Flash drive copy to Documents Folder of new PC
Within Outlook, File>Open>Personal Folders......browse to and select the
outlook.pst you just copied, does it open?
If not what is the size of the file?

 

[JNPT]

This is a common error message which you can faced when your pst file get
corrupted besides various others.

You have already tried inbox repair tool which does not help always and even
sometime may further corrupt your pst file because of its repair process
(Mainly helpful in pst file header corruption situation). You may try third
party pst repair software which could repair your corrupt pst file .

Visit for more information about one such software:
http://www.repair-outlook-pst.com/