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Inbox Repair Tool Does Not Recognize the File Solution

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Published By Karen Chard 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On October 2nd, 2025
Reading Time 6 Min Read

To Begin With!: There are so many Outlook users out there who largely depend upon the built-in repair tool for fixing PST file issues. However, sometimes it so happens that this Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file? Here, in this blog particularly, we will be discussing why such an error appears, what are the manual tryouts to resolve the problem, and how a professional solution can perform 100% to solve the matter.

A Scene You Can Really Relate To

Just try imagining this situation: you open MS Outlook, and all of a sudden, your PST file fails to load. You then use the Inbox repair utility, but it gives this error that – Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file.

Here is one more situation: You are a manager, who is preparing stuff for a Monday meeting. You see that your mail messages are not accessible. You try running ScanPST, but it fails to recognize the corrupted PST.

Look at some questions below:

Q: Why do I see my Inbox Repair Tool not responding while fixing PST?

A: This problem occurs when PST is very big, or severely damaged, or the utility can’t handle the deep corruption level. A professional tool will be your ideal pick!

Q: Is it possible to fix Microsoft Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file error?

A: Yes! There are manual tryouts like creating a new profile etc. For 100% results, you can go for a pro-level PST repair solution.

About Inbox Repair Tool Does Not Recognize the File Error

Such an error is mostly seen when the built-in utility i.e. the ScanPST tool can’t open or even identify the Outlook PST file. This basically means that either your file is severely damaged, or it is oversized, or it has been stored in some unsupported format. At times, incorrect file paths too trigger such an issue.

See the Numbers

As per a Microsoft’s Support Report, more than thirty percent of MS Outlook crashes have been associated with PST corruption issues, specifically when file sizes exceed beyond the allowed limit. The problem is quite a common one!

Check Out a Case from the Real World

We will discuss the case of Harry, who is a small businessman. He has been maintaining years of his client mail messages in MS Outlook. One day, his PST crashes. He then tries to run Outlook Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file, but this error seems to persist. His whole business communication is at the verge of getting lost forever. He realizes that depending only on manual tryouts would be risky. So, he immediately got a pro-level solution.

Such an Issue Is Seen to Occur in the Following Situations

The Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file error tends to show up in these situations:

  • When the PST files exceed the 20GB limit of older MS Outlook versions.
  • If the PST file is corrupted because of a sudden Outlook shutdown.
  • If malware tends to corrupt Outlook data files.
  • When the PST file had been stored on a network drive rather than local storage.
  • When users try to repair any PST file that is protected with a password.

Manual Tryouts to Resolve the Issue

1st. Surely, there do exist some manual tryouts, as follows:

  1. Try Locating the PST File Properly
  2. At times, this tool fails as the wrong file path is given.

Pros: It is an easy tryout.

Cons: Such method will not work if the PST file has been corrupted.

2nd. Try Creating a New Outlook Profile

  1. You can add a new PST file and then import the mailbox data.

Pros: This process can bypass corruption.

Cons: This happens to be a very time-consuming process and not a permanent fix, just a partial one!

3rd. Try Using ScanPST Several Times

  1. Try to re-run the ScanPST utility multiple times.

Pros: Such a process works for minor corruption levels.

Cons: This way will fail on severely damaged PSTs.

You Will Not Really Like the Manual Tryouts as They Fail to Perform!

  • Manual tryouts are not suitable for big PSTs.
  • Such ways can’t handle deep-level corruption cases.
  • There is always a risk of partial repair or even damage-causing data loss.
  • These processes are pretty time-consuming.

This Professional Tool Will Always Perform!

The RecoveryTools PST Repair Tool has been designed in such a way that it will solve the problem exactly when the Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file. The software repairs even big or severely damaged PSTs as well. The tool helps in restoring mail messages, contact details, calendars items, task lists, & email attachments too. You can also use this same software solution to even fix Your Outlook Data File Cannot Be Configured Error as well.

Download Now Purchase Now

Some of the Most Beneficial Features of the Tool:

  • Using this solution, it is possible to repair corrupted PSTs, which ScanPST can’t.
  • You can recover your email data even from password-protected PSTs.
  • This software supports even big-size PST files without getting any errors.
  • You can export data into multiple formats (PST, Office 365, MBOX, EML, etc.).

Stepwise Process Explained Here:

  1. Start by installing & launching the software.
    installing & launching the software.
  2. Proceed by adding the damaged PST file. The software will now scan & repair the corrupted PST file.
    adding the damaged PST file
  3. You get the privilege to preview recovered items such as mail messages, contact details, task lists etc.
    privilege to preview recovered items
  4. Complete the process by saving the repaired file in the desired format.
    saving the repaired file in the desired format

Manual Tryouts vs A Professional Tool

Point Manual Tryouts A Professional Tool
File Size Limited Handles large files too
Data Recovery Partial Complete
Time Taken Long Less
User Skills Technical Simple for all users
These Do’s & Don’ts Will Greatly Help!
  • DO check the file path as well as size before running the repair process.
  • DO make use of a professional solution for 100% results.
  • DO NOT depend upon ScanPST for oversized PST files.
  • DO NOT ignore taking backups before trying any such fixes.
These Are Some FAQs

Q: What it means when ScanPST/Outlook Inbox Repair Tool not responding?
A: This means that the repair utility has been crashed, may be because of big or corrupted PST. Try having a pro-level solution handy with you!

Q: How to repair your Outlook personal folder file if the built-in tool fails?
A: You can make use of a professional solution, which even works on severely corrupted PSTs. Having it handy with you will always help!

Q: Can Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file error causing data loss?
A: Yes! It does if it is not handled properly. Using a certified solution gives 100% results.

Towards the End!

When your Inbox Repair Tool does not recognize the file, it means that your Outlook data file is corrupted or big beyond limit. While manual tryouts are there, these usually fail in case of severe corruptions. For 100% results, go for a certified solution.