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Where is scanpst.exe and how to find it

PST and OST corruption – the root of most Outlook issues

A corrupted PST or OST file is one of the most common causes of problems with Outlook. If an Outlook mail file is corrupted, Outlook does not necessarily tell you about it. However, Outlook will start failing in random and unpredictable ways. From something relatively minor, like messages not turning read after you open them, to crashes, freezes and inability to launch Outlook. A large portion of our support requests have nothing to do with TechHit products, but are resolved by running scanpst to fix errors in the PST / OST file.

How to find scanpst on your computer

Outlook Open File LocationIf you have Microsoft Office installed, you have scanpst.exe installed as well. It is located in the same folder as Outlook. Here is an easy way to find it:

 

  1. Open the Task Manager.
  2. Find Outlook on the Processes tab.
  3. Right-click on Outlook and select “Open File Location”. The screenshot on the right shows Windows 8. In Windows 7, “Open File Location” is the first command on the right-click menu.
  4. You will see Windows Explorer open the folder in which Outlook is installed. Scanpst is located in the same folder.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT: you have to run scanpst repeatedly on every PST/OST file, until it tells you that there are no more errors in the file. You will find additional instructions in the first part of this article.

Microsoft knowledge base article about scanpst.

 

After you have fixed your email files, check out TechHit add-ins for Microsoft Outlook which will help you keep Outlook running in tip-top shape and save you an hour of time each and every week.

 

 

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How to prevent Outlook from adding line breaks to sent plain text messages

When you send a plain text message, by default, Outlook will wrap text and insert line breaks at 76 characters. This might break your formatted paragraphs and URL links.

There is a solution which requires registry changes, however there also an option that fixes it without touching the registry. Here are the steps:

  1. Click on the File tab and select Options.
  2. Click on “Advanced” in the left column of the Options window.
  3. Scroll down to the “International Options” section.
  4. Change “Preferred encoding for outgoing messages” to “Unicode (UTF-8)”.
  5. Click “OK” at the bottom of the Options window.
  6. Restart Outlook

That should do it.

Note: This only works for Outlook 2010 or newer. For older versions of Outlook (2007 and 2003), you have to use the registry tweak. Google outlook “WrapLines”.

This solution was discussed in this thread.

 

Do you have too many messages in your Inbox? Try SimplyFile  – Intelligent filing assistant for Microsoft Outlook.

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Outlook – find a folder containing a particular message

There are several instances in Outlook, where you have a message and there is no easy way to find which folder contains it. For example, a search result view or a Search Folder, will display a message, and even the short name of the containing folder, but if you have multiple folders with the same short name, that does not help you.

If you are familiar with Outlook VBA macros, you could use the following snippet to jump to the folder for the currently selected message.

Sub JumpToMessageFolder()
    If TypeOf Application.ActiveWindow Is Outlook.Inspector Then
        Set ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = Application.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem.Parent
    Else
        Set ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = ActiveExplorer.Selection.Item(1).Parent
    End If
End Sub

If you have not used Outlook macros before, this page is a good introduction. It seems like a lot of text to go through, but you only
need information in the “Macros and the Visual Basic Editor” section. Just replace their example of the empty macro (“Sub Test()”) with the one above.

 

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Using Outlook QueryBuilder to define advanced criteria for Search Folders and Advanced Find

Outlook has a hidden feature, QueryBuilder, which can be very useful for those of you who need to define complex criteria for Search Folders or Advanced Find. It allows you to specify a conditions on most message fields; combine multiple conditions with logical AND or OR operators; build hierarchical conditions, etc. For example, you can do things like this:

Outlook QueryBuilder Example
Outlook QueryBuilder Example

This Microsoft Knowledge Base article talks about how to enable Query Builder. Note, the article only mentions Outlook 98, 2000 and 2002. The same instructions will apply to all versions of Outlook. Use the following numbers in the registry path:

  • Outlook 98 – 8.0
  • Outlook 2000 – 9.0
  • Outlook 2002 – 10.0
  • Outlook 2003 – 11.0
  • Outlook 2007 – 12.0
  • Outlook 2010 – 14.0
  • Outlook 2013 – 15.0
  • Outlook 2016 – 16.0

Do not forget to restart Outlook for changes to take effect.

 

Do you have too many messages in your Inbox? Try SimplyFile  – Intelligent filing assistant for Microsoft Outlook.

 

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Indexing and Searching PDF Content Using Windows Search

Several customers of EZDetach and MessageSave have asked how to configure Windows Search (built into Windows), also formerly known as Windows Desktop Search, to index and search PDF files. Short answer – you need to install a PDF iFilter. Read on for a more detailed explanation.

Step 1 – Check if you have PDF iFilter installed

Go to: “Control Panel->Indexing Options->Advanced Options->File Types”  and check the text next to PDF extension. If you see “PDF Filter”, it means you have the right filter already installed. Skip to Step 3.

Step 2 – Install PDF iFilter

As of the time of writing this article, the right steps depend on whether you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Step 3 – Enable PDF content indexing

Open “Control Panel->Indexing Options->Advanced Options->File Types”, make sure you see “PDF Filter” next to the PDF extension. Select “Index Properties and File Contents” under “How should this file be indexed?”. Click “OK” to close this window.

Step 4 – Configure folders to be indexed

Make sure the folders which contain the PDF files you would like to search are listed under “Included Locations” in “Control Panel->Indexing Options”. If they are not, click “Modify” and add them.

Windows will start building an index of your content. This step might take a long time depending up on the number of documents. You can check indexing progress at the top of the “Indexing Options” window. Once Windows Search finishes building the index, you should be able to search for the contents within PDF file by simply typing the text in the search box.

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How to find and disable Outlook 2016, 2013 and 2010 Add-ins and plugins

Disabling unnecessary plugins is a great way to make your Outlook start faster, run more reliably, take less memory. In Outlook 2010 and 2013 Add-ins are listed under “File Tab->Options->Addins”.

To Disable Outlook 2016, 2013 and Outlook 2010 COM Add-ins

  • Select “COM Add-ins” in the Manage drop-down at the bottom of the “Options->Addins” window and click “Go”. Note: To get to the Options window, click on the File tab first.
  • Uncheck any add-ins that you are not using.
  • Click OK.

Do not forget to restart Outlook for changes to take effect.

See more tips on improving Outlook performance and stability.

 If you are using an older version of Outlook, see:
How to find and disable addins in Outlook 2007
How to find and disable addins in Outlook 2003

Do you have too many messages in your Inbox? Try SimplyFile  – Intelligent filing assistant for Microsoft Outlook.

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Outlook Addin or toolbar disappears when you close or restart – how to fix

Some of you may experience a situation where an add-in goes missing or a toolbar disappears when you close and reopen Outlook. This is usually caused by one of several reasons.

1. Outlook does not fully exit when you close it

In this case, Outlook does not exit completely when you close its main window. This is usually caused by a third party add-in which prevents Outlook from exiting. You can usually recover the missing toolbar by following these steps:

  • Close Outlook
  • Open the Task Manager
  • Switch to the Processes tab
  • Find OUTLOOK.EXE in the “Image Name” column
  • Select it and click “End Task”
  • Wait 5 seconds, then start Outlook again.

That should bring your missing toolbar back.

If this keeps happening to you, you might want to disable some of the add-ins you have installed, to find which one is causing this issue.

How to disable add-ins in Outlook 2010
How to disable add-ins in Outlook 2007
How to disable add-ins in Outlook 2003

2. Outlook disabled the add-in

If the above steps did not help, please try rebooting. If you still do not see the toolbar, it is possible that Outlook disabled the add-in. In that case, you can re-enable it using the following steps:

Outlook 2010:

  • Select the “File” ribbon tab
  • Click “Options”
  • Click “Add-Ins” in the left column of the Options window
  • Select “Disabled Items” in the “Manage” drop-down and click “Go”
  • Select the add-in from the list and click “Enable”
  • Restart Outlook

Outlook 2007:

  • Click on “Help->Disabled Items” menu command
  • Select the add-in from the list and click “Enable”
  • Restart Outlook

Outlook 2003:

  • Click on “Help->About Microsoft Outlook” menu command
  • Click the “Disabled Items” button in the lower right-hand corner
  • Select the add-in from the list and click “Enable”
  • Restart Outlook
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How to improve Microsoft Outlook performance – 9 simple steps

There are a few simple steps you can take to keep your Outlook running smoothly. If your Outlook is slow and unstable, it can put a serious drain on your productivity and even elevate the stress level. So take a few moments to get it shape.

1. Keep your PSTs at a reasonable size

With Outlook 2003 and 2007 you can create “new style” PST files which do not have the old 2GB limit. However, for best performance, we still recommend keeping your PST files relatively small and not letting them grow too much above 1GB.

Here are a few things you can do to keep PST files from growing:

  1. Use multiple PSTs.
    Create multiple PST files and organize email into them by date or by project, client, etc.
  2. Keep attachments outside of the PST.
    Large attachments can quickly fill up your PST and make it grow huge. You can use EZDetach to save attachments outside of Outlook and still keep links to them in email messages.
  3. Save entire email messages outside of Outlook.
    Our MessageSave product can help you save entire messages outside of Outlook and create an email archival system using file folders.

2. Disable Add-ins you are not using

Running unnecessary add-ins may make Outlook slower. Check what add-ins you have installed. You probably have more add-ins installed than you think. Use the following instructions to see what addins you have installed and disable the ones you are not using.
How to disable addins in Outlook 2010
How to disable addins in Outlook 2007
How to disable addins in Outlook 2003

3. Compact your PST files

After you have split your messages into multiple PST files and removed some of the attachments, you need to compact the PST file to shrink its size. It is a good idea to compact your PST files periodically.

4. Enable Cached Exchange Mode

If you are using an Exchange-based mail account, enabling Cached Exchange Mode will likely improve Outlook responsiveness.

Note: If the network connection between your computer and the Exchange server is very fast and reliable and if you have a large Exchange mailbox, then disabling Cached Exchange Mode might actually result in better performance.

5. Compact your OST file (Exchange users only)

If you are using an Exchange account in Cached mode, compacting your OST file may help improve performance.

6. Keep an eye on your Desktop Search Indexers

Using products such as Windows Desktop Search and Google Desktop Search is a great way to be able to quickly find email messages. However, if you are not careful, these products my negatively affect Outlook’s and your computer’s performance. Be sure to configure them to only index the email messages and files which you need to be able to find quickly.

Another potential alternative is to use a light-weight search product. For example, there used to be an Outlook search product called Lookout. It worked well and was fairly light-weight on system resources. Microsoft bought the company that made it and the product is no longer officially offered. However, you might still be able to find a download somewhere on the Internet.

7. Keep your computer up to date with patches and Service Packs

Use Microsoft Windows Update service to keep up to date with Windows and Office patches and service packs.

8. Reset Outlook cache files

If you upgraded from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2007, some people have reported that reseting a few internal Outlook files helps with performance.

9. Disable RSS feeds in Outlook (Outlook 2007)

  • Open “Tools->Options->Other->Advanced Options”
  • Uncheck “Sync RSS Feeds to the Common Feed List”
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How to find and disable Outlook 2007 Add-ins and plugins

Disabling unnecessary plugins is a great way to make your Outlook start faster, run more reliably, take less memory. In Outlook 2007 Add-ins are listed under “Tools->Trust Center->Addins”. There are two types of Addins – COM Add-ins and Exchange Client Extensions.

Disable COM Add-ins

To disable COM Add-ins:

  • Select “COM Add-ins” in the Manage drop-down at the bottom of the Trust Center window and click “Go”.
  • Uncheck any add-ins that you are not using.

Note: If you see “The connected state of Office Add-ins registered in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE cannot be changed” see this article for help with disabling those add-ins.

Disable Exchange Client Extensions

Exchange Client Extensions are a different type of Add-ins. To disable those:

  • Select “Exchange Client Extensions” in the Manage drop-down at the bottom of the Trust Center window and click “Go”.
  • Uncheck any add-ins that you are not using.

Do not forget to restart Outlook for changes to take effect.

 

 

See more tips on improving Outlook performance and stability.

 

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How to find and disable Outlook 2003 Add-ins and plugins

Disabling unnecessary plugins is a great way to make your Outlook start faster, run more reliably, take less memory. In Outlook 2003 there are three places to look for installed addins and to disable them.

1. COM Add-ins

To view and disable COM Add-ins in Outlook 2003, navigate to:
“Tools->Other->Advanced Options->COM Add-ins…” and uncheck the Add-ins you do not need.

2. Add-in Manager

Navigate to “Tools->Options->Other->Advanced Options->Add-ins Manager…” and uncheck the Add-ins you do not need.

3. Registry Add-ins

In Outlook 2003, some Add-ins are not shown in the UI. You have to look for them in the registry.

  1. Run regedit*.
  2. Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ Outlook\Addins”.
  3. Look at all subkeys of Addins. Those are Add-ins you have installed. To disable a particular Add-in, set its “LoadBehavior” key to 2.

* – as always be very careful while performing registry modifications.

Do not forget to restart Outlook after making these changes.

 

See more tips on improving Outlook performance and stability.