Can't remember password on .PST file

[Buzz]

Can't remember password on .PST file. Anyway to get around
that?
Thanks

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

You can try the PST19UPG utility which is capable of stripping passwords,
provided the PST hasn't had large table support enabled. You can download a
copy here: http://www.computerhope.org/download/updates/pst19upg.zip

When you run it, copy the PST and the tool to a folder directly off your C:
drive (such as C:\Test). It usually doesn't run correctly from paths
containing folders with more than 8 characters in their names.

Otherwise, you can purchase a tool such as those available from:

http://www.lostpassword.com/.

 

[*Vanguard*]

in news:[email protected]:

Can't remember password on .PST file. Anyway to get around
that?
Thanks

I've heard that you can deliberately corrupt the .pst file and then use
scanpst.exe to fix the file with the consequence that the password is
not retained. You use a hex editor to alter the .pst file. However, I
don't know where you can alter the file to corrupt it so that you don't
lose data. Presumably the best place to corrupt the file, and since you
don't remember it anyway, would be wherever the password gets stored (if
it is in a fixed byte position within the .pst file).

There are probably tools for removing the password but you can do a
Google search as well as I. You don't mention if you've first done a
search for such tools before asking here. I would suspect that
Locksmith, which can recover the Administrator password for NT-based
Windows, would also be able to recover passwords on .pst files, but then
Locksmith (from WinInternals' and which is now integrated in their other
products and no longer available stand-alone) is designed for OS
maintenance and administration and might not cover specific
applications, like Outlook. But then Locksmith costs money.

Don't use passwords if you're going to forget them. Use a password from
a source that you can lookup but doesn't reveal itself to others, like
some portion of your driver's license number (which doesn't use the
start or end of the number sequence), a combination of your hair and eye
colors, your car license number reversed, or whatever so you can simply
recall from what your built your password to then look it up. However,
these usually don't constitute strong passwords, although you can start
with those sources and then add special characters to separate words or
as post- or prefixes. If you're going to forget passwords, don't use
them within the .pst files and instead move away from insecure 95-based
Windows to the more secure NT-based Windows where you only have to
remember your login password. Your .pst file will then be under your
profile path to which only you (and administrators) have privileges.

However, be warned that using privileges to secure files under Windows
is not really that secure. You can move the drive to another Windows
host and access all those files because privileges assigned by SIDs
under one instance of Windows are not enforced under another instance of
Windows. That second instance of Windows doesn't know anything about
the SIDs defined under the first instance of Windows, so it doesn't know
how to enforce privileges for them. You need to use EFS (encrypted file
system), which is available only when using NTFS, to secure your files.
Just be sure when using EFS to export your security certificate(s) onto
floppy or CD and lock it up so you can reinstall Windows but still
access those EFS-protected files (by importing your security
certificate).

 

[*Vanguard*]

in news:[email protected]:

You can try the PST19UPG utility which is capable of stripping
passwords, provided the PST hasn't had large table support enabled.

<snip>

Large table support became automatically enabled after some version of
Outlook. In OL2002, you don't get a choice and large table support is
automatic. Wasn't that the same in OL2000? Do you remember at what
version of Outlook did the large table support option disappear and the
support become automatic?

 

[Patrick Reed [MVP - Outlook]]

Outlook 2000 was the last version to give you that option.

--
PATRICK REED [Outlook - MVP]~~~~~~
-Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
-Have you checked http://www.slipstick.com?
-Please post your Outlook version!

 

[buzz]

Thanks for the info. It worked well on a test file, but on
the users file it gives an error. He doesn't know if it
had the large table enabled. Thanks anyway it's nice to
have the utility.

-----Original Message-----
Outlook 2000 was the last version to give you that option.

--
PATRICK REED [Outlook - MVP]~~~~~~
-Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
-Have you checked http://www.slipstick.com?
-Please post your Outlook version!

in news:[email protected]: support enabled.
<snip>

Large table support became automatically enabled after some version of
Outlook. In OL2002, you don't get a choice and large table support is
automatic. Wasn't that the same in OL2000? Do you remember at what
version of Outlook did the large table support option disappear and the
support become automatic?

.

 

[Alert]

Thanks for the info. It worked well on a test file, but on
the users file it gives an error. He doesn't know if it
had the large table enabled. Thanks anyway it's nice to
have the utility.

I've used this method to find the password of lost/forgoten Outlook
PST files on many occasions:

http://www.intertek.org.uk/services/

N.B. Please do not attempt to access any file unless you are
authorised to do so.