Strange Error

[GJ]

Hello,

After having spent 5 hours continously on trying to find a solution, I am
submitting my problem over here hoping to get some help.

OS: Vista Home Edition
Outlook: 2007 version

My .pst file is stored on a Maxtor detachable drive and Outlook opens it
from there. I have been doing this for a year now. Today when Outlook opened
this .pst file, it showed all the emails (and folder structure) correctly
"for a few seconds" only. But right after that, it started showing the above
error message when clicking on any folder or individual email. Its
nightmarish for me since all my very very important emails are in there
without any recent backup.

When I try to copy this file in Windows Explorer (with Outlook being
closed), I get the following error: "Cannot read from source file or disk."

After having read on some forums, I got the impression that this .pst file
is (or getting) locked by some other process. In other words, this problem
could have something to do with lock on the .pst file. So I tried all listed
solutions but without any success. There was a suggestion to use "Unlocker"
for seeing if some other process might have locked it. I tried Unlocker but
it says this file is not locked by any process.

I do not want to use scanpst tool since it throws away (based on my previous
experience) a lot of emails from the .pst file. Plus my .pst does not seem to
be corrupt at all since it is showing all the emails for the first few
seconds and then starts displaying the above error message.

There was also a suggestion to copy this file in safe mode, get rid of the
current version and start with the copied version. But that also is not
possible since in Safe Mode the notebook is not recognizing the maxtor
detachable drive and as explained above, I am not able to copy this file to
local hard disk.

Can someone please help me?

Thanks a ton in advance. Hope to solve this without loosing any emails.

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

Hello,

After having spent 5 hours continously on trying to find a solution, I am
submitting my problem over here hoping to get some help.

OS: Vista Home Edition
Outlook: 2007 version

My .pst file is stored on a Maxtor detachable drive and Outlook opens it
from there. I have been doing this for a year now. Today when Outlook opened
this .pst file, it showed all the emails (and folder structure) correctly
"for a few seconds" only. But right after that, it started showing the above
error message when clicking on any folder or individual email. Its
nightmarish for me since all my very very important emails are in there
without any recent backup.

When I try to copy this file in Windows Explorer (with Outlook being
closed), I get the following error: "Cannot read from source file or disk."

After having read on some forums, I got the impression that this .pst file
is (or getting) locked by some other process. In other words, this problem
could have something to do with lock on the .pst file. So I tried all listed
solutions but without any success. There was a suggestion to use "Unlocker"
for seeing if some other process might have locked it. I tried Unlocker but
it says this file is not locked by any process.

I do not want to use scanpst tool since it throws away (based on my previous
experience) a lot of emails from the .pst file. Plus my .pst does not seem to
be corrupt at all since it is showing all the emails for the first few
seconds and then starts displaying the above error message.

There was also a suggestion to copy this file in safe mode, get rid of the
current version and start with the copied version. But that also is not
possible since in Safe Mode the notebook is not recognizing the maxtor
detachable drive and as explained above, I am not able to copy this file to
local hard disk.

Can someone please help me?

Thanks a ton in advance. Hope to solve this without loosing any emails.

Your external drive may be in the process of failing.

Your immediate solution is this:

Do not disconnect the USB drive, do not reboot.

1. Download Unlocker http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
2. Navigate to the location of your PST file on the external drive
3. Right-click it and choose to "unlock" it. That will release it from
any processes
4. Immediately copy it to a location with sufficient disk space.
5. Let us know when this is complete, and we'll go from here.

I run a data recovery company. Believe me when I tell you that time is
very much of the essence now.

If Unlocker does not work, you probably need more specific help. I can
run some tools, but you'll need an empty disk the size of your current
USB drive before I can even touch this.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

 

[GJ]

Hi,

Thanks for trying to help.

Unlocker says that the file is not locked at all. And I am not able to copy
it and instead get the error msg "Cannot read from source file or disk".

USB Drive is working perfectly fine since this problem started (1 day back).
All other files, including other .pst, are working just fine.

Is there anything else I could try?

Thanks once again.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Did you try a new profile ?

 

[GJ]

Hi Peter,

Just create a new profile, allocate the same .pst file ( on the external
drive), then deleted the previous profile, then started Outlook and the same
problem: All emails/folders visible for the first few seconds and then the
above error msg starts appearing.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for trying to help.

 

[Orland, Kathleen]

Was this PST created in an older version of Outlook and brought over to your
new version?

Hi Peter,

Just create a new profile, allocate the same .pst file ( on the external
drive), then deleted the previous profile, then started Outlook and the same
problem: All emails/folders visible for the first few seconds and then the
above error msg starts appearing.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for trying to help.

 

[GJ]

No. It has been running like this for over a year now.

Thanks.

 

[Orland, Kathleen]

So the PST was created using your version of Outlook 2007, not backed up
from an older version and brought in.

Have you scanned the PST for errors?

 

[GJ]

Just did that and got the following error msg: "An unexpected error prevented
access to this file. Use a disk error checking program to check the disk, and
then try using the MS Office Outlook 2007 Inbox Repair Tool again."

Any suggestions on this "disk error checking program".

Thanks.

 

[Orland, Kathleen]

Looks like you may have some bad sectors on the drive your PST is on.

from a command prompt: chkdsk -r

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

Looks like you may have some bad sectors on the drive your PST is on.

from a command prompt: chkdsk -r

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

Ignore this suggestion.

Running CHKDSK -r on a failing drive is an irreversible process that you
can't control. It can result in a permanent data loss.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

Hi,

Thanks for trying to help.

Unlocker says that the file is not locked at all. And I am not able to copy
it and instead get the error msg "Cannot read from source file or disk".

USB Drive is working perfectly fine since this problem started (1 day back).
All other files, including other .pst, are working just fine.

Is there anything else I could try?

Thanks once again.

More likely than not, the issue is in fact with your drive.

At this stage, you need to clone the drive while the files are in use. I
can assist you with correcting this problem safely.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

Running CHKDSK -r on a failing drive is an irreversible process that you
can't control. It can result in a permanent data loss.

If the disk is developing bad sectors, this is no more dangerous and won't
lead to any more data loss than the failing disk itself. In cases like this,
SpinRite from http://www.grc.com/ might be handy. I have no ties to that
company or product, but I've seen plenty of evidence that it can really save a
failing disk.

 

[Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert]

If the disk is developing bad sectors, this is no more dangerous and
won't lead to any more data loss than the failing disk itself. In cases
like this, SpinRite from http://www.grc.com/ might be handy. I have no
ties to that company or product, but I've seen plenty of evidence that
it can really save a failing disk.

Please don't use the SpinRite product. It has been analyzed by experts
in data recovery industry. It does nothing useful and subjects drive to
extreme stress.

Brian, no offense but I run a data recovery company. I've seen damage
caused by both products.

There is still an opportunity to get a copy of this data safely. CHKDSK
is irreversible, uncontrollable, and is designed to throw away data it
does not understand.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

Please don't use the SpinRite product. It has been analyzed by experts in
data recovery industry. It does nothing useful and subjects drive to extreme
stress.

Brian, no offense but I run a data recovery company. I've seen damage caused
by both products.

Nonsense. It's not the product that causes the damage. Please post your
findings to the forums at grc.com and tell the thousands of people whose data
has been saved by SpinRite that they shouldn't have used it. See what they
say.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

Brian, no offense but I run a data recovery company. I've seen damage caused
by both products.

And hence, your advice is suspect (in this instance) since you have a vested
interest in selling your service instead of helping people use tools that will
allow them to avoid using your services.