I have three different PST file, in order to keep the size of my main
PST file under 1.5 GB. I often have errors and I need to run SCANPST
a lot. Obviously scan and repair time is proportional to PST file
size.

I tried to run SCANPST from a cmd-box by providing the full path of
the target PST file as a parameter, but all I got was the standard
SCANPST initial window.

Is there any tool or script that will allow me to automate this entire
process? I am running Office 2003 under Windows XP SP 3 will all
Microsoft patches applied.

Thanks in advance

-AH

No one here has an idea? Or even an uninformed opinion????

-AH

"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have three different PST file, in order to keep the size of my main
> PST file under 1.5 GB. I often have errors and I need to run SCANPST
> a lot. Obviously scan and repair time is proportional to PST file
> size.
>
> I tried to run SCANPST from a cmd-box by providing the full path of
> the target PST file as a parameter, but all I got was the standard
> SCANPST initial window.
>
> Is there any tool or script that will allow me to automate this entire
> process? I am running Office 2003 under Windows XP SP 3 will all
> Microsoft patches applied.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> -AH


My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to a
pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)

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On Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:32:31 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>
>My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
>file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to a
>pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
>1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)

Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
PST file size dramatically.

"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:32:31 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
>>file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to
>>a
>>pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
>>1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)
>
> Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
> try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
> longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
> of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
> PST file size dramatically.
>
>


I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
larger.)
Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?

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On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:35:58 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:32:31 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
>>>file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to
>>>a
>>>pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
>>>1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)
>>
>> Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
>> try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
>> longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
>> of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
>> PST file size dramatically.
>>
>>
>
>
>I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
>Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
>larger.)
>Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?

On my local hard disk, but not in the default folder. I always keep
all my data in a separate partition, so when (not IF) Windows gets
hosed, I don't lose any of my data.

"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:35:58 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>>"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> On Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:32:31 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
>>>>file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change
>>>>to
>>>>a
>>>>pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file
>>>>under
>>>>1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)
>>>
>>> Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
>>> try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
>>> longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
>>> of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
>>> PST file size dramatically.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
>>Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
>>larger.)
>>Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?
>
> On my local hard disk, but not in the default folder. I always keep
> all my data in a separate partition, so when (not IF) Windows gets
> hosed, I don't lose any of my data.


So what makes you think that you need to run scanpst at all?

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On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:19:43 -0000, "Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:


>>>I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
>>>Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
>>>larger.)
>>>Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?
>>
>> On my local hard disk, but not in the default folder. I always keep
>> all my data in a separate partition, so when (not IF) Windows gets
>> hosed, I don't lose any of my data.
>
>
>So what makes you think that you need to run scanpst at all?

Well, sometimes Outlook just shuts down with an "unexpected error" and
I can choose to report or not to report the problem to MS. Then when
I restart, Outlook sometimes scans the PST file because it was "shut
down improperly." Yeah.

Other times, I can't seem to send or receive email, when my wife's
system, in the same room as mine, has no problems with email. Once I
do a SCANPST, and fix the errors, then I can do email with no
problems.

It seems that every time I run a SCANPST, I get errors. Is there some
other tool which can cure this problem?

I appreciate the help, I really do.

-AH

"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...

> Well, sometimes Outlook just shuts down with an "unexpected error" and
> I can choose to report or not to report the problem to MS. Then when
> I restart, Outlook sometimes scans the PST file because it was "shut
> down improperly." Yeah.
>
> Other times, I can't seem to send or receive email, when my wife's
> system, in the same room as mine, has no problems with email. Once I
> do a SCANPST, and fix the errors, then I can do email with no
> problems.
>
> It seems that every time I run a SCANPST, I get errors. Is there some
> other tool which can cure this problem?

Sounds like you have other issues if every time you run SCANPST you see
errors. Do you have any add-ins for Outlook? Any antivirus or -spam
programs integrated into Outlook? Any PDAs? Any third-party search engines
(e.g., Google Desktop Search)? ITunes? Skype? Plaxo?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

On Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:48:51 -0500, "Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"Andrew Hamilton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> Well, sometimes Outlook just shuts down with an "unexpected error" and
>> I can choose to report or not to report the problem to MS. Then when
>> I restart, Outlook sometimes scans the PST file because it was "shut
>> down improperly." Yeah.
>>
>> Other times, I can't seem to send or receive email, when my wife's
>> system, in the same room as mine, has no problems with email. Once I
>> do a SCANPST, and fix the errors, then I can do email with no
>> problems.
>>
>> It seems that every time I run a SCANPST, I get errors. Is there some
>> other tool which can cure this problem?
>
>Sounds like you have other issues if every time you run SCANPST you see
>errors. Do you have any add-ins for Outlook? Any antivirus or -spam
>programs integrated into Outlook? Any PDAs? Any third-party search engines
>(e.g., Google Desktop Search)? ITunes? Skype? Plaxo?

I recently installed Google Desktop search but the problems were
occurring well before that.

I have Norton Internet Security 2008 on my system. I use Skype and
Plaxo but do not have add-ins for either application installed into
Outlook.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.