How to recover deleted PST file via previous version Outlook
Have you accidentally deleted the PST files from the Microsoft Outlook and you are unable to access your Outlook? This is not an unusual situation where your PST file is deleted and you are unable to access MS Outlook on your system. Every now and then this issue is experienced by most of the Outlook users. To overcome this situation, Windows system has an inbuilt feature that guides you to recover deleted PST file from the previous version. Recovering deleted PST file by gaining access to the stored PST file in the previous version and saving it in the current version.
Quite a number of times, the following or similar problem as been found
In the morning, when I tried to start Outlook, I received a pop-up with the following error – PST file is missing and Outlook would not start. I tried to search my PST file at its location but it’s missing from its location. I tried to search through other folders but it’s still amiss. The last I backed-up my file was six months ago and that will not suffice.
I did not face any problem in working with MS Outlook till yesterday evening.
What could have happened? Is there any way in which I can recover my Outlook data?
In cases like this, you need to have the backups in place. However, there is a fair chance that data from the current version only is affected and the one available in the previous version is intact. Then, you will not end up losing all your data. You can easily retrieve data if it is available with earlier/previous version with protection enabled the feature.
To resolve the issue, you should understand the terminology – earlier or previous versions?
What do you mean by previous/earlier versions?
MS Office version 2007, 2003, 2002 and earlier which are not eradicated by the system but kept as backup data copies of files and folders are known as Previous Versions. These editions stores files for disks supporting the feature “system protection enabled” and provide an option to recover lost data without much trouble.
In this case, you have to recover deleted PST file from older, still-working version of available PST file.
Steps to restore previous versions MS Office file or folder
There is no way to open or copy file or folders created in the previous version but it is possible to recover lost PST file using various methods and the most used amongst these are – Microsoft inbuilt feature and third-party tool.
Follow the below-mentioned steps to recover deleted PST file with Microsoft Office inbuilt feature:
- Browse and locate the PST file amongst the folders
Error message must indicate the path else search the possible default folder locations as mentioned in backup and restore guide
(for example: C: Users<Username>MydocumentsOutlook Files)
2. Right-click on this folder
3.Choose: Restore Previous versions from the given Menu
The Folder Properties dialog opens with the Previous Versions tab enabled.
4.Double click on the most recent folder listed to view its contents
5.This folder might contain the missing pst-file. Select file, copy and paste at its original folder location.
Try the less recent versions in case the current restore folder does not contain the PST file and follow the above steps until it is found.
In case PST file is not available to try to find this file in the parent folder:
- Right click on “Parent folder”
- Start the restore previous version process from the parent folder if a shadow copy is still available in this folder.
By default, the previous version is only enabled for system drive; however, it can be enabled for additional drives manually. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Go to Start à Control Panel à System and Security à System
- From the left tab, Click on System Protection (A dialog box opens displaying “List of Drives” indicating whether or not the drive is protected
- Select the Drive to protect and Click on Configure
- Set the restore setting to: select to restore the previous versions only
- From the drop down menu, select the size of the space to be used for previous versions.
This step enables storage of new shadow copies.
Deleted PST file is successfully recovered from the previous version. The recovered PST file contains messages, contacts, appointments, journals, tasks and other entries as backed-up in the previous version.
Use of Inbox Repair tool:
Microsoft provides the Inbuilt Utility known as ScanPST.exe or Inbox Repair Tool. By this you can recover deleted PST file. Sometimes, inbuilt recovery features are unable to recover the lost PST files. This may be attributed to high-level fragmentation of pst-file or the PST file-folder is rewritten with new data.
Secondly, when the PST file is retrieved, it is most likely recovered as raw dat-file or a highly corrupt pst-file. Such files cannot be secured with Outlook’s inbuilt utility feature scanpst.exe