subject: How To Resolve 'outlook.pst Could Not Be Accessed' Error In Outlook 2000 [print this page] Microsoft Outlook PST corruption is a common phenomenon. Since PST files serve as a repository of e-mails, contacts, calendars, journals and other components, they hold great significance for all Outlook users. Major causes behind PST corruption can be put as reaching permissible 2GB limit, header corruption, abrupt system shutdown, power fluctuations, virus attacks, application malfunction etc. In corruption scenarios, Outlook often gives error messages which may or may not help you to determine or analyze the cause for PST corruption. But, the good news is that you can attempt to repair a PST file, irrespective of the corruption scenario. Many third-party pst repair software are available in the market which can be used when you fail to repair a corrupt PST file by employing various workarounds suggested by the Microsoft.
Consider a scenario, wherein, you try to start Outlook 2000, and instead receive the following error message:
"Unable to display the folder,[path] Outlook.pst could not be accessed, access denied."
As a result of the above error message, you are unable to send or receive any e-mail or perform any other Outlook related task.
Cause
The above error surfaces when there are errors in the Outlook PST file or if it is corrupt. Usually, Microsoft Outlook displays this error, when it cannot read the hierarchy information from a PST file.
Resolution
In order to overcome the problem, you can perform the following Outlook PST Recovery steps:
Quit Outlook and log off, and then attempt to repair the damaged Personal Folders (PST) file by using the Inbox Repair Tool i.e. Scanpst.exe
1.Click Start, go to Find or Search as per your operating system
2.In the Search for files and folders named box, type Scanpst.exe
3.Type the path and file name of the PST file, or click Browse to the location of the PST file
4.Click Start
5.Start Outlook by using the profile which contains the repaired PST file
6.On the View menu, click Folder list, locate 'Lost and Found' folder (This contains the items that the Inbox Repair tool recovered)
7.Move the items from the Lost and Found folder to a new PST file in your profile
If you still cannot open the PST file, then execute these steps:
1.Run Scandisk.exe or another disk utility on the hard disk to ensure hard disk integrity
2.Move the PST file to another location on the hard disk
3.Add the reloacted PST file to the new profile
4.Attempt to start Outlook
Attempt to start Outlook
If you are still unsuccessful in launching the e-mail client, then consider using a professional pst repairsoftware. Such advanced repair tools repairs corrupt PST files and employ improved scanning algorithms to recover data.
Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair is a user-friendly software which enables you torepair and restore PSTfiles in minimal time and via simple steps. Compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000, this Outlook PST Repair utility recovers all objects of a PST file.
