How to Recover Data From 0KB PST File? -Solved

Consider user query –

“Hello friends, I have been using MS Outlook for some years and I have never faced much error. Even two days ago, It was working absolutely fine. Suddenly yesterday, as I was trying to open the PST file, an error appeared that says, “The file is not an Outlook data file (.pst)“.

I navigated to the location of PST file and found out that the size of PST file is 0 KB. I do not know where all the data have gone. That PST file used to contain a lot of valuable emails as well as attachments and I need to get back those data.

Please tell me “how to recover data from 0KB PST file.”

In this blog we will describe cause & solution for Outlook data file PST has turned into 0KB error.

The sudden change in PST file size and Outlook’s inability to open PST are some of the most reported problems by Outlook users. When these problems occur, Outlook users have no way to access their Outlook data.

If you are also having this issue do not worry. In this write-up, we will tell you some of the most reliable methods to recover data from the PST file that has turned into 0 KB size.

What Causes PST File Size become into 0KB?

The Outlook data file, which is commonly known as the PST file, can suddenly turn into 0 KB size. These are some of the common reasons that may lead to this situation.

Damaged PST File Header: The main reason for this problem is the damaged PST file header. These headers usually get corrupt when the PST file becomes large in size. So in another way, we can say that oversized PST files are responsible for 0 KB file size issues.

Saving on Network Drive: It is not recommended at all to save the PST file on a network location. But if you have still done it and someone has modified that PST file, the PST file will get corrupt and display this error.

Incomplete Compacting Process: If you are executing the Outlook data compact process and the procedure gets interrupted midway, the data of the PST file get corrupt and this problem will occur.

System Crash and HDD Issues: If your system crashes or bad sectors appear on your hard drive where the PST file is stored, the PST file will become corrupt and give rise to this error.

What to Do If Outlook Data File (PST) has Turned into a 0 KB PST File

Now, we will learn different techniques to resolve the issue. Depending on the reason for this error, you can follow the methods mentioned here.

For Damaged PST File/ File Header

If the PST file header has become corrupt, Then Outlook doesn’t provide data from the data file, so the user has to fix these issues users can fix the corruption by a native tool called scanpst.exe. Using this utility provided by Microsoft, PST file header issues can be solved.

1. Search for “scanpst.exe to find out its location on your system.
2. Once you have located it, double-click to launch Inbox Repair Tool.
3. Click on the Browse button and select the PST file.
4. Click on Start to initiate scanning.
5. The tool will find out all the header problems and notify you.
6. Click on the Repair button and header corruptions will be fixed. (You may need to run scanpst.exe multiple times)

If the PST file highly corrupted and Inbox Repair Tool will not be able to solve the problem. In that case, users need to take the help of Outlook PST Recovery Software. This application can repair any kind of corruption, including the most severe ones.

It is also capable to remove encryption (SMIME and OpenPGP) from email and support the recovery of password-protected PST files. Once the recovery is done, users can choose the location to select the retrieved PST file data. Using this software, users can get rid of 0 KB PST file issue of Outlook data file easily.

Go Back to Previous Versions in Windows – Apply the Method to Recover 0kb PST File

If users want, they can go back to the previous version of Outlook and restore their PST file data.

1. Go to the location of the Outlook data file PST.
2. Right-click and choose Properties from the context menu.
3. On the new window, select the ‘previous version’ tab and from there, choose the earlier version where you want to go back.
4. Click on Copy and save that file in any chosen location.

Concluding Words

The Outlook data file (pst) has turned into a 0 KB PST file error is a common Outlook error that can occur due to different reasons including PST file corruption.

To resolve this issue, users can try the methods described in this blog. If the manual methods are not working for you, you can try an alternate solution. This software is chosen by experts for the permanent removal of this issue.