• Finding the .PST File
• Sluggish .PST Data Folder
• Data File Corruption Details
• Oversized PST File
• Program Corruption
• Last Resorts

If you can not search for the file using *.PST then look in C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- Outlook 97, 98 &  2000 -

1. If the Folder List is not showing, click Folder List on the View menu.
2. Right-click one of the Personal Folders.
3. Click Properties For Personal Folders.
4. On the General tab, click Advanced, and then click Compact Now.
5. Click OK twice

- Outlook 2002 & 2003 -

1. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
2. Click the personal folders (.pst) files that you want to compact, and then click Settings
3. Click Compact, and then click OK twice.

PST File (Post Office Folder) -- The main file that stores all of the Email, Contacts, Calendar, & Tasks.  The Office utility program ScanPst resolves most PST corruptions.

 

OST File (Offline Storage Folder) -- A folder that get synchronized so Email, Contacts, Calendar, & Tasks can be read even when not connected to the Internet or Corporate network. The Office utility program ScanOst resolves most OST corruptions

 

KB296088 When you start Microsoft Outlook or try to open a personal folders (.pst) file or an offline folders (.ost) file, you receive: Errors have been detected in the file <file_path>. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

 

RESOLUTION:

1. Search and run the file ScanPst or ScanOst (depending on which file is corrupt).
   
2. Locate the “corrupt” .PST or .OST file – and in case you didn’t make a backup, click YES when asked if you want a backup!

How to use the Inbox Repair Tool for Internet Mail &  Exchange Users.

Both the PST & OST files can not get bigger than 2GB, and the files start “misbehaving” before they reach their maximum allowed size.

 

KB303652 When you add information to a personal folders (.pst) file that is larger than 2 gigabytes (GB) in size, you receive: The file could not be added to the folder. The action could not be completed.

 

KB305108 If you try to copy files to a personal folders (.pst) file that exceeds the 1.82 gigabyte (GB) limit in Outlook 2002, you receive: Can't copy the items. The operation failed.  

Get the Microsoft tool here!  

NOTE: "Truncate" a fancy word for “we’re gonna chop off the end of your file and lose a bunch of your emails!

• Run “Detect & Repair” from the Help pull-down menu to rebuild Outlook.
  
  
• /CleanFinders  Removes Search Folders from the Microsoft Exchange server store
  
  KB240697 When you use the Find feature you receive: Outlook cannot perform your search. Outlook cannot display this view. The folder already exists.
  
  
• /CleanFreeBusy Clears and regenerates free/busy information. (This switch can only be used when you are able to connect to your Microsoft Exchange server.)
  
  KB223459, KB287656 & KB813609 When you use the meeting planner to view another person's free/busy time, you receive: Unable to load free/busy information. 
  
  KB163664 if you choose to accept or tentatively accept a meeting request from a Schedule Plus user, you receive: The custom form could not be opened. Outlook will use an Outlook form instead. The object could not be found. 
  
  KB172039, KB180179 & KB197483 If you delete the primary Calendar folder from the Exchange Server, Outlook creates a new Calendar folder. The new folder does not contain appointments from the old folder but the small calendar displayed in Day/Week/Month view still shows bolded days for the old appointments.
  
  KB195071 & KB195077 After converting Microsoft Schedule+ 1.0 or 7.0 files to Outlook 98, you receive: Unable to update public free/busy data. The file contains data that is not valid.  -or-  When adding resource accounts to a meeting request you receive: Cannot directly book the resource. -or-  You may not be able to view free/busy times of other users. 
  
  KB292980 After you install Outlook 2002, a second calendar folder named Calendar1 may appear in your Folder List. This second Calendar folder registers itself as the default calendar, and most new appointments that you create are added to it instead of your normal calendar. Calendar1 is treated as a primary Outlook folder and cannot be deleted.
  
  KB813506 When you try to open a Calendar appointment (and it doesn’t), you receive: Can't open this item. The value for Appointment Busy Status is not valid. Check your code.
  
  KB307590 When you try to dismiss a reminder  you receive:  Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library, Runtime error!, Program: c:/.../Outlook.exe, R6025, Pure virtual function call
  
  
• /CleanProfile Removes invalid profile keys and recreates default registry keys where applicable
  
  KB303931 When you view Outlook Today and the folder list, you may see duplicates of both Outlook Today and the folder list. The duplicate folder list looks exactly like the current folder list, and changing one of the folder lists produces the same change in the other folder list. 
  
  KB256594 When you import a personal folder file into Outlook, you receive: Outlook caused an invalid page fault in module RM.DLL at 0167:3ab938d7 (NOTE: The address that you see in the error message will be different)
  
  
• /CleanPst Launches Outlook with a clean Post Office File
  
  KB297010 (way too many options to mention here)
  
  
• /CleanReminders Clears and regenerates a damaged Reminders File
  
  KB161033 & KB195964 Calendar or Task Reminders do not appear as scheduled.
  
  KB184334 When you try to open an item from a reminder, you receive: Unable to Open the Item
  
  KB262546, KB265368 & KB265373 When you use Resource Accounts for conference rooms, delegates may receive the following message even though they cannot read or find the message:  Messages in Inbox 
  
  KB179393 Your Calendar or Task reminders may not display at the scheduled time. 
  
  KB307590 When you try to dismiss a reminder in Microsoft Outlook, you receive: Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library, Runtime error!, Program: c:/.../Outlook.exe, R6025, Pure virtual function call
  
  
• /CleanRules Starts Outlook and deletes client- and server-based rules.
  
  KB826964  When you install Outlook 2003, any rules that you created in Outlook 2002 that were custom rules that checked for adult content and offensive content are not visible in Outlook 2003 Rules Wizard. However, the rules still exist in Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA).
  
  FIRST Export Rules
        1) From within Outlook – The Tools pull-down menu select “Rules & Alerts”
        2) Click Option, then Export Rules – name/save the file as “Outlook Rules”
        3) Exit Outlook
  
  SECOND Run with Outlook with /cleanrules paramater
  
  THIRD Import Rules
        1) From within Outlook – The Tools pull-down menu select “Rules & Alerts”
        2) Click Option, then Import Rules – locate/open the file “Outlook Rules”
  
  
• /CleanSchedPlus Deletes all Schedule+ data (free/busy, permissions, and .cal file) from the server and enables the free/busy information from the Outlook Calendar to be used and viewed by all Schedule+ 1.0 users.
  
  KB168687, KB179547 & KB196635 You are using Schedule+ version 1.0 and trying to view the free/busy status of another person who has migrated from Schedule+ 1.0 to the Microsoft Outlook 97 Calendar. The free/busy information is not available for viewing. An indication that free/busy status cannot be read is the checkmark to the left of the user name in the Attendees is a lighter shade of gray than the check box by your name.
  
  
• /CleanSniff Deletes duplicate reminder messages.(Need to have access to your Exchange Server)
  
  
• /CleanViews Restores default views. All custom views you created are lost.
  
  KB195323 &  KB183114  When you view your Contacts folder in Outlook 2000 using the Address Card view, each contact may appear to have your e-mail address
  
  KB329932 When you click Calendar in Outlook to view the calendar, you receive: Unable to display the folder. Out of memory or system resources. Close some windows or programs and try again.
  
  KB195209, KB195207 & KB195208 When you click the Contacts folder in Outlook 97, you receive: OUTLOOK caused an invalid page fault in module OLE32.DLL 
  
  KB237854  When you start Outlook, you receive: The view is damaged. Default view settings will be used. 
  
  KB307590 When you try to dismiss a reminder in Microsoft Outlook, you receive: Microsoft Visual C++, Runtime Library, Runtime error!, Program: c:/.../Outlook.exe, R6025, Pure virtual function call 
  
  
• /ResetFolders Restores missing folders for the default delivery location.
  
  KB823127 When you click a Search Folder in Outlook 2003, you receive: The operation failed. The object could not be found.
  
  KB189841 When you attempt to open an appointment or meeting request in your Calendar your receive: Unable to open this item.  Closing and reopening the Outlook client and/or recreating the meeting request has no effect on this error message. 
  
  KB185049 When you attempt to update a task in Outlook 98, you receive:  Could not complete the operation. One or more parameter values are not valid. 
  
  
• /ResetNavPane Clears and regenerates the Navigation Pane for the current profile.
  
   
• /ResetOutlookBar Rebuilds the Outlook Bar
  
  KB216088 After installing Microsoft Outlook with the "Integrated File Management" system you may be missing the Other Shortcuts group from your Outlook Bar. 
  
  KB299398 After you install Outlook 2002, or after normal use, you may be missing the Other Shortcuts group from your Outlook Bar. 
  
  KB213843 & KB199684 When you browse folders using the Outlook Bar, you receive: Outlook caused an invalid page fault in MSO97.dll 
  
  KB259791 You may not be able to turn the Outlook Bar on or off, or the Outlook Bar may be improperly positioned.
  
  

  ---

  
  
• How to run Outlook with one of the above Parameters:

1. Search for the program Outlook.exe and make a note of its full path location.
   Example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe.
   
2. Click Start, and then click Run. 
   
3. In the Open box, type the complete path you noted in step 1, including the file name Outlook.exe in the above example. Press the SPACEBAR once, and then type a forward slash mark (/) followed by the parameter you wish to select.
   
   For example, if you want to use the CleanReminders switch, the command you type in the Open box should look like this:
   
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe" /Cleanreminders
   
   Note  Paths that include spaces between words must be enclosed in quotation marks (") and are case sensitive.
   
4. To run the command, click OK.  

• Create A New User Profile (sometimes you can import information from the old PST file, but this usually means losing the user’s information and settings).
  
• Uninstall and reinstall Outlook.

 Road to Know Where - Microsoft Support Listings