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How to Repair a PST File of POP3 Account in Outlook

In this article, we will talk about the various aspects of PST corruption and how can we repair corrupt/broken PST file of Outlook POP3 Account. Additionally, we will also go through the best methods to carry out the repair process on a Windows PC.

PST File is the official mailbox format for the current most popular desktop email client, Microsoft Outlook. It stores all the mailbox items of Outlook including emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, and journals. So, if the PST file gets corrupted, it might lead to a complete loss of Outlook data for users. Thus, making the issue of PST corruption or inaccessibility a very important aspect. And this issue escalates tenfold if the account being used is a POP3 account. Since the POP account removes the message from the server completely, it proves difficult if the PST data suddenly becomes corrupt.

POP3 Account & Steps to Set it Up in MS Outlook

POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol version 3. It is an alternative to IMAP while setting up protocols for Incoming Mails. It is used for receiving emails from the server into the local email clients. We can configure Microsoft Outlook to run either on IMAP or POP account.

The most notable difference between these two protocols is that POP3 receives emails and saves them locally on your hard disk. Typically, a POP3 account deletes the emails from the server after downloading them to local storage. On the other hand, IMAP keeps messages in-app and enables you to access the emails from both the email client and server as it does not delete the messages.

Steps to Set up a POP3 account in Outlook:

Run MS Outlook and go to File > Info and select the Add account option.
Enter your email address in the prompted field and click on Advance Options to checkmark Let me set up my account manually.
From the account types list, select POP and configure the settings as:

Incoming Mail Server: pop.mail.com Port: 995
Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.mail.com Port: 587
Check This server requires an encrypted connection.
Set Encryption Method to STARTTLS

Click on the Next button.
Input the account password and click on the Connect button.
You may have to reenter credentials again. Click Ok to finish the process.
The account is all set!

Repair POP3 PST File with Free Inbox Repair Tool

The Inbox Repair utility of Microsoft comes with Microsoft Outlook 2007 and all the above versions. You can locate this utility (ScanPST.exe) in the following location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Note: Here, the number 16 differs for each version of MS Outlook. For example, for Outlook 2013, the folder is Office15 and so on.

Once you locate the Inbox Repair Tool, start the process by following the given steps:

Run ScanPST.exe.
Browse the POP3 PST file from its default location: C:\Users\user\Documents\Outlook Files

Click on Start to initiate the scanning process.

Once the scanning completes, click on Repair to get rid of any inconsistencies.

After successful completion, a Repair Complete dialog box will appear. Click on Ok.

What if the Inbox Repair Tool does not work?

If the tool is unable to identify or rectify the errors in the POP3 PST file, then the corruption might be out of the scope of what the Inbox Repair tool can handle. For confirmation, try to repair PST file 3-4 times again. If the process fails or the tool keeps generating errors, then go for the next process.

Repair POP3 PST File with PCVITA Outlook PST Repair

PCVITA Outlook PST Repair Tool is specially designed for users that are unable to repair PST files using the Inbox Repair tool. It constitutes of an Advance Scan mode that enables it to process the PST files and rectify the errors, not even the Scanpst.exe could identify. This Outlook PST Repair Tool can repair PST files irrespective of the corruption level. It imparts no limit on the size of the PST file and provides an option to restore PST data with/without Outlook. Several advanced settings enable users to customize the entire process as per one’s liking.

To execute the repair process on your Windows PC, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download & Install the PCVITA PST Repair Tool from its official website.

Step 2: Launch the tool and click on the Add File button.

Step 3: Here, browse and select the POP3 PST file. You can also search for the file if the location is unknown to you.

Step 4: Now choose the Scan Mode. Select Advance Scan for deep analysis of severely corrupted PST file. Click on the Add button to proceed.

Step 5: After the scanning process, the tool displays all the mailbox items of Outlook including emails, attachments, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, and journals.

Step 6: Here, click on the Export button. For selective repair, you can also check individual items that you wish to recover and click on the Export Selected option.

Step 7: Now, set the format to PST and click on the Adv Settings button.

Step 8: Apply various advance settings such as date filters, categories to save data items, and the option to split Outlook data file into smaller files. Click on the Save button.

Step 9: Finally, select the location to save the repaired data and click on the Export button.

Step 10: The tool starts saving the data items in a healthy PST file. This marks the end of the repair process.

Important Tips to Remember!

It is always important to Backup your data before performing any conversion or repair process. Especially before the manual process. Also, once the file is rectified of errors, you must follow some important tips to prevent PST corruption in the future.

Always exit Outlook properly.
Use Antivirus programs to prevent infectious programs from affecting your file.
Refrain from accessing the PST file on a network drive or server.
Ensure that the PST file does not become oversized.
Avoid using unnecessary add-ins in MS Outlook.
Take Backups regularly to ensure the productivity flow even if the file somehow gets corrupted.

Conclusion:

To repair PST file of POP3 Outlook account, you can take the help of the inbuilt Inbox Repair Tool i.e., ScanPST.exe. However, this tool fails in case of severe corruption. Fortunately, advance options such as Outlook PST Repair Tool as mentioned in the article can repair your PST files irrespective of the level of corruption. Once the files are successfully repaired, do not forget to note the tips that can help you prevent such situations in the future.