How to Fix CRC Error in Outlook PST: 2 Working Methods

Summary:

If Outlook gets interrupted while you’re using it, your data file can end up with a CRC error, and once that happens, you won’t be able to use that data anymore. Check out the sections below to find the easiest way to fix the data cyclic redundancy check (CRC) error in Outlook. But first, let’s look at what actually causes a cyclic redundancy check error.

MS Outlook is a widely-used email client built by Microsoft. It’s not just an email app, either. It also works as a contact manager, note-taking tool, journal, calendar, and more.

With all those features comes a catch: Outlook is prone to corruption for several reasons, and that’s what triggers the “Data Error (CRC)” message.

Causes of cyclic redundancy check error in Outlook PST:

• Outlook getting shut down abruptly
• An incomplete download of your MS Outlook emails
• A PST file that’s grown too large, which can trigger a cyclic redundancy check error in Outlook
• A malware infection

Outlook throws plenty of errors at you on a regular basis, and any one of them can throw off your whole workday. So let’s start by walking through a few simple ways to fix the data CRC error, covered in the sections below.

What is Data Cyclic Redundancy Check Error?

In short, CRC is an error-detecting code used to catch accidental changes to raw data on digital networks and storage devices. It’s called “cyclic redundancy check” because the algorithm behind it relies on cyclic codes. Its main job is flagging errors in the PST file while it’s being read from or written to.

You’ve got two manual ways to fix a CRC error in Outlook: running the chkdsk command in the command prompt, or using scanpst.exe (the inbox repair tool). The inbox repair tool is a built-in Microsoft service made for repairing OST and PST files.

Is it possible to fix data cyclic redundancy check error in Outlook?

Yes, you’ve got two ways to go about it. You can run the CHKDSK command in the command prompt, or use scanpst.exe (the Inbox repair tool), which is a built-in Microsoft service for repairing OST and PST files.

Both of these methods work fine for minor corruption. But if your data file is severely corrupted, you’ll likely need a professional Outlook Repair tool to fix the CRC error.

Method 1: Fixing data CRC error in Outlook with chkdsk command

A command prompt (cmd) is a command-line interpreter built into most Windows operating systems. It can go a long way toward fixing the CRC error if you run through the following commands.

• Step 1: Head to the search bar and type “cmd”. Run the application.
• Step 2: Type “chkdsk disk name: /f” and press enter. “Disk name” is whichever disk you’ve chosen to scan. If you see the error “Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges. You have to invoke the utility running in an elevated mode,” move on to the next step.
• Step 3: Go back to the first step, but this time click “Run as Administrator”.
• Step 4: Type “chkdsk disk name: /f” and press enter.
• Step 5: Once it’s done, close chkdsk and restart your computer.

Keep in mind, these steps often won’t resolve the error completely. Command-line execution takes some real know-how, and a single mistyped line can turn things messy fast.

If the problem’s still there after that, you’ll need to format the storage drive, and that means wiping out all the data on it. If you’d rather not lose anything, your safer bet is SFWare PST Repair tool, which does a more effective and reliable job of repairing PST files.

Method 2: Fixing data CRC error in Outlook with scanpst.exe tool

This is a built-in Microsoft utility for fixing the data cyclic redundancy check error in Outlook PST and repairing files, the Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair tool. It works its way through each folder, checking for data integrity issues along the way. Below, you’ll find where to locate scanpst and how it helps fix the data CRC error.

Where is scanpst.exe located?, simple steps to locate the inbox repair utility

• Open Task Manager on your Windows PC
• Head over to the Processes tab
• Right-click on Outlook and select “Open File Location”.
• You’ll have the option to convert data without an Outlook installation.
• You’ll find the Inbox repair tool in this folder, under the name “scanpst.exe”.

Or you can locate scanPST.exe manually.

Following are the instructions for using the Microsoft Inbox utility to fix OST and PST files:

• Step 1: If Outlook’s open, close it first. Then double-click on the application to launch it.
  
• Step 2: Click Browse and navigate to the folder where your PST file is saved.
• Step 4: Click Start to kick off the scan and repair your Outlook data files (.PST and .OST).
• Step 5: The tool will search through every file and folder looking for errors, then report what it finds once it’s done.
• Step 6: Finally, click the Repair button to recover your Microsoft Outlook data file.

Scanpst.exe is handy and free, but it may not be up to the job if your PST file is badly damaged. That’s because Scanpst.exe works directly on your original file and changes its contents, while the SFWare utility works on a copy instead, leaving the original untouched. That means SFWare PST Repair tool helps keep your data intact while scanning for and minimizing corruption, without any extra hassle.

How to repair PST file without ScanPST

Scanpst.exe is not the only route, and for some damage it is not even a good one. It works directly on the file, overwriting sections of it, so a scan that is interrupted or that hits a part of the file it cannot parse can leave you worse off than when you started.

Looking for how to repair PST file without scanpst usually means one of two things: scanpst will not open the file at all, or it finished and reported no errors while Outlook still will not load the mailbox. Both point to damage sitting outside what the built-in tool checks, typically in the folder index rather than the message content itself.

A Free PST Repair tool aimed at exactly this gap reads the file without modifying the original, then rebuilds a new, clean PST from whatever it can recover. That matters because it leaves your source file untouched if the recovery pass does not get everything on the first try. Worth noting: free tools in this category often cap how much data they will recover or export in the unregistered version, so check the limit before you rely on one for a 10 GB mailbox.

How to fix data cyclic redundancy check error in Outlook?

The SFWare Repair Outlook (PST) tool follows a structured process to repair and fix PST files.

Download the SFWare Repair PST tool and install it on your system, then launch the software.

• • Step 1: On the main screen, you’ll see three options, pick whichever one fits your situation:
    • Open Default PST File
    • Select PST File Manually
    • Find All your PST Files
  • Step 2: On the next screen, you’ll see two scanning options. Normal Scan and Smart Scan. Which one you pick depends on what you need. Then set the destination path where you want the repaired PST file saved.
  • Step 3: Click Repair to kick off the repair process.
  • Step 4: Once it’s finished, preview all your recovered Outlook items to see how well it fixed the data error CRC in your PST files.

  Conclusion:

  There are a handful of reasons your Outlook PST file might become inaccessible, and a data cyclic redundancy check error is one of the biggest culprits. Still, now that you’ve gone through this article, you should be able to fix the error pretty easily using the SFWare repair tool.

  What can I do to fix the “Outlook PST could not be found” error?

  Nine times out of ten, Outlook is pointing at a file path that no longer exists. This happens after you move a PST to a new drive letter, rename a folder in the path, or restore a backup to a different location than the original.

  Open Control Panel, go to Mail, then Data Files, and check the path listed against where the file actually sits on disk. If they do not match, remove the old entry and add the file back from its real location using Open & Export, then Open Outlook Data File.

  If the path is correct and the error still shows, the file itself may be the problem, not the pointer to it. A PST that was mid-write when Outlook closed can leave a header that looks valid to Windows but reads as missing to Outlook. Running a repair pass against it, or opening it with a tool built to read damaged PST headers, will tell you which case you are in.

  Frequently Askes Question

What is Data Cyclic Redundancy Check Error in outlook?

A Cyclic Redundancy Check error shows up when you’re trying to download new email to your computer. It sometimes comes down to corrupt Outlook data files, or a change in where your PST file is stored.

Can Data Cyclic Redundancy Check Error in outlook using CHKDSK?

Yes. You can run the CHKDSK command in the command prompt to fix the CRC error in Outlook. You’ll find the detailed steps for using CHKDSK earlier in this article. The other option is ScanPST, also known as the inbox repair tool, which can likewise fix the CRC error in Outlook.