Summary:-Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) is the inbuilt utility of Microsoft Outlook to scan the errors. It scans the possible errors in MS Outlook PST files at early stages. Generally, it works in minor corruptions and repairs header corruptions only as it is an inbuilt and free utility, so people prefer this tool for repairing PST files. But sometimes, Inbox Repair Tool not working and responding, and you might not be able to repair the PST file. Therefore, you can see why ScanPST.exe stops working and does not respond. You can even check the methods to resolve the Inbox Repair Tool problems.
Why Does the Inbox Repair Tool Crash During Repair?
There are different reasons which cause the failure of Scanpst.exe. You can go through with these:
- Major Corruption in PST File:- As I’ve told you, the scanpst.exe utility can only fix minor corruption issues. You can use this utility to fix header corruption and for resolving the issue of missing emails. But, when corruption is significant in size, the Inbox Repair Tool does not work and responds.
- Increased PST Size:- The enormous size of the PST file can also cause problems. If the size of PST is more than 2 GB, then it becomes difficult for the Inbox Repair utility to resolve the issue. In such a case, splitting the PST file into small files is required and then trying to fix the issue using the scanpst.exe utility.
- Corruption in Body of Outlook PST:- The Inbox Repair Tool stops working and doesn’t respond if the body part gets corrupted. It becomes impossible to remove the corruption of the PST file using the scanpst.exe utility tool. You can use this tool if only the file’s header gets corrupted.
- Add-ins Intruding into Functionality:- Add-ins are intended to add an extra bit of functionality to Outlook. But, sometimes, the functionality of Outlook starts behaving oddly due to these ass-ins. It is recommended never to use the add-ins as they are not usually malware, but they can make the working of Outlook conspicuously bad.
- Outdated Outlook Version:- Outdated Outlook versions can create a performance issue, and the Inbox Repair Tool Freezes during the repair. As the old Outlook versions restrict the PST file size, it also creates issues while handling corruption in those PST files using the scanpst.exe utility.
When ScanPST.exe Stops Working and Not Responds
You can follow the methods below to resolve the Inbox Repair Tool not working and responding issue when it freezes or crashes during PST Repair.
Method 1: Create a New PST File
When you open a PST file, Outlook does not show the file content. Also, the inbox repair tool is unable to fix the issue. But it does not mean you can not retrieve the file’s data. You can copy the data of the file to a new PST file. It may fix the issue, and you can see the desired outlook output.
- Start Outlook and go to the Inbox, select New Items > More Items > Outlook Data File.
- Here, enter a File name.
- To add a password, check the Add Optional Password box and select OK.
- Enter a password in both the Password and Verify Password text boxes and select OK again.
Method 2: Install the Updated Version of Microsoft Outlook
The Inbox Repair Tool comes with its corresponding Microsoft Outlook. If these two are in different versions, the tool will not repair the PST files and will show a not responding error message. Thus, you need to update the version of Microsoft Outlook and its inbuilt PST repair tool.
Method 3: Check the Size of the Existing PST Files
Inbox Repair Tool has a size limitation. As it is difficult to fix and Repair Oversized Outlook PST File, It can not repair a PST file larger than 2GB. So, you should maintain the size of the PST file to 2GB. Otherwise, the tool shows Outlook Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding.
Method 4: Alternatives to the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe)
If you need to repair corrupt PST files and restore all its items, then you will have to go for a professional tool that repairs PST files of all MS Outlook versions, such as 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.
Sysinfo Outlook PST Recovery Tool is one of the best options to repair corrupt PST files. It is a complete, user-friendly solution with great GUI and salient features like Restore all Outlook email items at once in significantly less time, no file size limitations for PST recovery, and Recovered PST files’ data into multiple formats like PST, MSG, MBOX, DBX, and EML and compatible with all the versions of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
Simple Steps to Repair Outlook Data File(.pst)
- Download and Install the PST Repair Tool.
- Click Open to browse the PST file.
- Select the Recovery mode and click Ok to start scanning.
- It may take time, but it shows all the recovered mailbox data.
- Select the folders that you want to restore and click Save.
- Choose the saving format as PST or other.
- Full-fill all the required options and click Ok.
- Finally, the PST file recovery process is completed.
Conclusion
We have described the reasons for Inbox Repair Tool not working and the responding issue. You can check its Alternatives in detail and a Professional Automated tool to repair corrupt PST files. Thus, if ScanPST.exe crashes or freezes, the user can still get access to their Outlook with an alternate repair tool.
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