Summary:
It becomes annoying and you cannot ignore when Outlook Inbox Repair tool keeps popping up on the screen. In this article you will be able to understand why Outlook inbox repair tool shows up continuously and the reasons behind it. Also, if you are looking out for the complete solution, fix the Inbox repair tool issue using the best troubleshooting methods given here.
Outlook inbox repair tool or SCANPST is an in-built utility that fixes most of the Outlook errors. The tool usually gets triggered when it encounters any issues in the Outlook file. But in the case of frequent pop-ups of the tool in a short span of time, there could be a problem with the tool itself. Before trying few of the troubleshooting methods, let us see why ScanPST.exe keeps popping up.
Why Outlook Repair Tool (ScanPST) Keeps Popping Up?
The reasons behind MS inbox repair tool popping up could be large PST file or the sever corruption on Outlook data files.
One of the most common causes for this error is the file size of PST File. Every Outlook application version has a file size limitation. There might be chances that Inbox Repair Tool can freeze while fixing large-sized PST files and leaves with popup message every time you use Outlook application.
A severely corrupted PST file could be another reason for the error. Generally, Inbox Repair utility helps you fix minor corruption issues. If the corruption is severe in PST files or any Outlook data files, scanpst.exe fails and tries to start the repair again.
How to Stop Outlook Repair Tool popping Up Problem?
Few workarounds to stop the repair inbox tool popping up are verifying with the third-party add-ins, using ScanPST itself or formatting the PST file.
- You can verify with third-party add-ins, if you have recently added any. Sometimes, third-party add-ins could cause trouble with the existing data files and corrupt the files.
- As ScanPST itself capable of fixing Outlook PST file, trying ScanPST to fix the error could come in handy at times.
- Changing the format of PST file helps you if the problem is with the PST file.
If your Outlook data files are severely corrupted, none of these methods might work good enough to fix corruption due to their limitations. The error continues until the file is free of corruption, for which you might need an advanced PST repair tool that can fix severe corruptions in the Outlook data file.
Method 1: Check Third-Party Add-ins
The third-party add-ins such as Sync, Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus add-ins could cause trouble and trigger the error to show up. This could be a reason for most Outlook errors. You can uninstall or remove problem causing Add-ins:
Step 1: Go to File -> Option -> Add-ins
Step 2: Click on Go Button at the bottom ->Manage Add-ins
Step 3: Once the new screen appears, select the Add-ins you need to disable or remove from the list
To disable the Outlook Add-ins, uncheck the box with the Add-inn name and click on the Remove button
If you still face the problem, move on to the next method.
Method 2: Run ScanPST.exe to Fix Outlook Popping on Screen
ScanPST.exe tool is the tool recommended by Microsoft to fix most the PST file errors. Therefore, there’s no harm in trying it to fix the error caused by itself. If the error is due to the minor corruption in the PST file or shortcuts, this method should be able to fix the problem.
Step 1: Close the Outlook application, make sure it’s not running in the background
Step 2: Locate the ScanPST application in your hard disk in the Microsoft Office folder. (Click here to find the location of the ScanPST.exe and know how it works)
Step 3: Open the application by double click on it
Step 4: Give the PST file name that is displaying error. You can also click on Browse to locate the file from your local drive.
Step 5: Click on Start to begin the repair process and Log in to your Outlook account to recover the file
Step 6: Choose a location for saving the new file. Save the file and close
This method should help you fix the error if it is due to some minor corruption in the Outlook data files. If you still encounter the error on your screen, that means the PST file causing the error is large. The application may start to freeze or stops responding before repairing the PST file.
In such cases, you might need a tool that works for large PST files and capable of fixing sever corruption on PST file.
However, if ScanPST successfully detects and fixes the error, it is recommended that you to run the scan for more 2-3 times. To make sure file is free from all sort of problems.
Method 3: Change the Format PST File
Formatting the PST file doesn’t mean to clearing the content of the mail. It means changing the format of the PST file from one to another. ANSI is the one base format in which Outlook PST files. most often used in older Outlook versions. Converting PST file format from ANSI to UNICODE format would help you fix the error.
To do so, first, check the format base of the PST file:
Step 1: Open the PST file causing the error and Right-click at the top of the folder tree
Step 2: Select Data File Properties and click on the Advanced Button
Now, you need to look at the description of the file format base:
If the file format base is already showing UNICODE, you will see “Outlook Data File” and your PST file format is updated If it is ANSI based, it’ll read “Outlook Data File (versions)” and you might want to change that format to fix the Outlook
All you have to do is, create a new UNICODE based PST file and copy all content of the old ANSI based PST file into it and save.
If none of the above methods helped you fix the error Outlook repair tool keeps up, if the error is due to severe corruption in the PST file, SFWare PST repair tool comes in handy. SFWare can work with a large sixed PST file without letting you lose any data. SFWare doesn’t only repair the PST file, but also recover the file attributes of Outlook intact. Download the tool for free now.
Fix PST File Causing Outlook Inbox Repair Tool to Pop Up Constantly
To stop Outlook Repair Tool popping up on screen and fix the corruption, Download and install SFWare PST Repair Tool on your computer. The tool is compatible with all the Outlook versions including the latest 2019, 2016, 2013 and older versions as well. Follow the steps given below to fix the error.
Step 1: You could see three option on the main screen:
1: Open PST file: Select if you know the location of the PST file
(you will be taken to next screen that allows you to browse the PST file)
2: Find PST file: Select if you are not aware of the location of the PST file
3: Select Outlook Profile: Use this option to find the PST file for a profile. When you have multiple Outlook profiles.
Step 2: Once the PST file is selected, click Normal Scan and select a location to save the repaired PST file. Then click the Repair button
Step 3: Once the file is repaired, you can Preview the PST file along with recovered emails and finally, Save the repaired PST in any desired location
You can try any of the above-mentioned methods. when the MS Outlook inbuilt utility fails to fix corruption in PST file and the inbox repair tool keeps popping up.
Frequently Asked Question
How do I bypass Outlook Inbox Repair Tool popping up?
You can verify with third-party add-ins, if you have recently added any. Sometimes, third-party add-ins could cause trouble with the existing data files and corrupt the files. As ScanPST itself capable of fixing Outlook PST file, trying ScanPST to fix the error could come in handy at times. Also, changing the format of PST file helps you if the problem is with the PST file.
How do I repair PST files instead of SacnPST.exe?
If the Scanpst.exe not responding or fails, you should go for a professional PST repair tool. The PST Recovery Tool that can fix severely corrupted Outlook data files and large PST files. SFWare PST repair tool is developed with the advanced algorithm to repair any PST file.
What happens when ScanPST doesn’t work?
There may be circumstances where inbox repair tool freezes or keeps popping up, if ScanPST doesn’t work, you will not be able to repair any damaged or corrupt Outlook Data files. Therefore, the you will be unable to open the data file in Microsoft Outlook and access it.
