If you use Outlook and you’ve noticed it being excessively slow or just having errors, you should probably scan and repair your Personal Folders file for any problems. It’s sorta like checkdisk for your email client.
Depending on your version of Outlook, you will need to run the SCANPST.exe program found in one of the following folders:
- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\1033
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033
Once you open up the utility, you’ll have to find the location of your PST file by clicking the Browse button. By default, your PST file is located in “%appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook”. If you can’t find it there, try doing a search of your computer for “*.pst”.
After selecting your PST file, press the “Start” button. Now sit back and let SCANPST do its thing. Once the scan is done, you will be notified of any problems. At this point you can press “Repair” to have SCANPST automatically fix any errors it found.