Recovering data from a corrupted .pst file (OS reports 0 Bytes size)

[edam]

My computer has apparently decided to become instable the big way (I
am suspecting faulty DRAM) - and saturday evening it crashed,
subsequently corrupting my .pst file. I cannot recall how big it had
become - probably some 400-500 MB in size - but when I rebooted outlook
reported that it was corrupt - and using windows explorer I can see
that windows reports it as being 0 Bytes in size.

As soon as I realised that this had happened I ceased writing to the
disc (fortunately my data do not reside on the C-drive - I know better
than that!). I made maybe 2 writes prior to detecting the error, both
file
sizes in the order of 1-4 MBytes. The disc is a 250MB Seagate disc with
app. 18 GB free space.

My first reaction was to try generic recovery tools. I tried with both
PC Inspector and DIY Datarecovery IRecover - but none of these tools
are able to find my data :-(

I have tried downloading a number of pst recovery tools from the web
(e-recovery for outlook, stellar phoenix mailbox professional,
PSTstation etc.) as well as trying on the tool microsoft provides under
the common files/system folder - to no avail. Is there really nothing I
can do to recover my mails?

All my emails from the past 3-4 years are in this folder - and it's
been way too long since I backed it up (yes I know - I should know
better than foregoing regular backups) :-(

My setup: Win2k, office XP, NTFS.

Any help will be appreciated.

BR

Erik.

 

[Odie]

My computer has apparently decided to become instable the big way (I
am suspecting faulty DRAM) - and saturday evening it crashed,
subsequently corrupting my .pst file. I cannot recall how big it had
become - probably some 400-500 MB in size - but when I rebooted outlook
reported that it was corrupt - and using windows explorer I can see
that windows reports it as being 0 Bytes in size.

As soon as I realised that this had happened I ceased writing to the
disc (fortunately my data do not reside on the C-drive - I know better
than that!). I made maybe 2 writes prior to detecting the error, both
file
sizes in the order of 1-4 MBytes. The disc is a 250MB Seagate disc with
app. 18 GB free space.

My first reaction was to try generic recovery tools. I tried with both
PC Inspector and DIY Datarecovery IRecover - but none of these tools
are able to find my data :-(

I have tried downloading a number of pst recovery tools from the web
(e-recovery for outlook, stellar phoenix mailbox professional,
PSTstation etc.) as well as trying on the tool microsoft provides under
the common files/system folder - to no avail. Is there really nothing I
can do to recover my mails?

All my emails from the past 3-4 years are in this folder - and it's
been way too long since I backed it up (yes I know - I should know
better than foregoing regular backups) :-(

My setup: Win2k, office XP, NTFS.

Any help will be appreciated.

BR

Erik.

There is a method that sometimes works.

First, you have to manually corrupt the .pst file.

Using a hex editor, you erase the 7 bytes from position 07 in the .pst
file. (Actually, use the space bar to erase the contents.)

You then run scanpst.exe - freely available on the net.

This sometimes helps. There are better, more concise explanations on
the net.

I have to add, if this doesn't help, in my experience, the file has
travelled west.


OD

 

[anno_triangle]

Hi,

Not all the recovery tools are same in power. Some tools are unable to
bring data, as I've came alon it myself. In a simmilar situation only
one data recovery tools were able to locate lost files and bring them
back without corrupting them. That was Undelete utility, and you can
try it too, as it is imho the most powerful one.
http://www.active-undelete.com/

 

[timeOday]

I'm sorry I can't help, but I just have to rant because the same thing
happened to me with a .pst file just last week.

..pst files seem to be horribly unstable. They're a filesystem on top of
a filesystem, something that should not be attempted lightly, and .pst
files don't live up to the challenge. I've had them go to 0 size, and
I've had them become "corrupt" and scanpst recovered only a fraction of
the messages. I've never had this problem with Unix-style MBOX files.

If nothing else, Microsoft should have an option to store one message
per file.

 

[Odie]

I'm sorry I can't help, but I just have to rant because the same thing
happened to me with a .pst file just last week.

.pst files seem to be horribly unstable. They're a filesystem on top of
a filesystem, something that should not be attempted lightly, and .pst
files don't live up to the challenge. I've had them go to 0 size, and
I've had them become "corrupt" and scanpst recovered only a fraction of
the messages. I've never had this problem with Unix-style MBOX files.

If nothing else, Microsoft should have an option to store one message
per file.

Did you "corrupt" the file before running scanpst? It *does* make a
world of a difference.

And can you imagine storing one email per file on a system that has a
million emails? How would that impact on system resources?


Odie

 

[timeOday]

Did you "corrupt" the file before running scanpst?

Yes, why else would I run scanpst?

It *does* make a
world of a difference.

And can you imagine storing one email per file on a system that has a
million emails? How would that impact on system resources?

Depends on the filesystem; reiserfs would handle it fine. I don't know
about NTFS. Regardless, offering it as an option wouldn't hurt anything.

As things stand, keeping .pst files on network drives is a risky
proposition. Forget to close Outlook before disconnecting, and you can
lose *everything* in the .pst file - not just messages moved there
during the most recent session.

 

[Al Dykes]

I'm sorry I can't help, but I just have to rant because the same thing
happened to me with a .pst file just last week.

.pst files seem to be horribly unstable. They're a filesystem on top of
a filesystem, something that should not be attempted lightly, and .pst
files don't live up to the challenge. I've had them go to 0 size, and
I've had them become "corrupt" and scanpst recovered only a fraction of
the messages. I've never had this problem with Unix-style MBOX files.

If nothing else, Microsoft should have an option to store one message
per file.

Or backup you files.

 

[Odie]

Yes, why else would I run scanpst?

What I meant was did you *physically and intentionally* corrupt the pst
file (using a hex editor) before running scanpst?

Odie

 

[timeOday]

What I meant was did you *physically and intentionally* corrupt the pst
file (using a hex editor) before running scanpst?

No, I think think it happened when Outlook crashed while it was
synchronizing with my PocketPC.

 

[timeOday]

Or backup you files.

That's what I ended up doing. But I don't think my backups provide
Outlook with an excuse for an unstable storage scheme.

 

[Odie]

No, I think think it happened when Outlook crashed while it was
synchronizing with my PocketPC.

Get a hex editor (google hackman) and "erase" (just using the space bar)
the 7th through to (and including) the 13th byte in the file.

*Then* try and run scanpst.

It "generally" works extremely well.


Odie

 

[Andy Lee]

That's what I ended up doing. But I don't think my backups provide
Outlook with an excuse for an unstable storage scheme.

You did know you can D&D your messages directly into the OS
Filesystem. I have a user who does just this after having a bad
experience with PST files in the past.

 

[edam]

I tried getting hold of a hex editor to edit the file. But - a it is
now 0 Bytes in size I cannot just erase the 7th through the 13th byte
in the file......... What else needs to be written in the file
otherwise?

Any suggestions as to how I can get around this problem?

BR

Erik.

 

[Mike Redrobe]

I tried getting hold of a hex editor to edit the file. But - a it is
now 0 Bytes in size I cannot just erase the 7th through the 13th byte
in the file......... What else needs to be written in the file
otherwise?

Any suggestions as to how I can get around this problem?

Undelete/ file recovery software to find the original file.

 

[edam]

Mike,

If you read my first post you will see I already tried 2 different
brands of undelete/file recovery software to try and find my data.....
Hence my latest post.... :-(

BR

Erik