The erratic or abrupt behavior of your Outlook PST file may put you in a big jeopardous situation. You may not be able to access certain folders in your PST file or even the Outlook application may crash displaying a series of errors on your screen. In order to come to a solution, you must first try to unveil the root cause behind this problem. A PST file usually gets corrupt due to hardware malfunction, software errors, virus infection, etc. Additionally, if your PST file reaches or exceeds the size limit as defined by its parent MS Outlook version, it becomes vulnerable to corruption. In such situations, all the valuable PST file components become inaccessible. To overcome this problem, you need to go for PST file recovery through a reliable third-party tool.

For a clear understanding of the above issue, let's consider a practical scenario. Suppose you attempt to open MS Outlook 2007 in your Windows Vista-based computer and receive the following error message on your screen:

''FileName.pst file could not be opened. The file may not be compatible with this version of Outlook or it may be corrupted.''

Cause:

The above error is caused when all the below mentioned conditions hold true:

• *  You backed up your mail file using the Backup Status and Configuration program.
  
• *  You restored your mail file from a recently created backup using the Backup Status and Configuration program.
  
• *  The mail file is present in an encrypted folder.
  

Solution:
Forresolvingtheaboveerror, you need to run the inbuilt utility named 'Scanpst.exe' or the Inbox Repair tool. To accomplish this, follow these steps:

1. Close the MS Outlook application.
   
2. Go to Start and then select Control Panel.
   
3. SelectUser Accounts or User Accounts and Family Safety.
   
4. Select Mail >> Data files >> Personal Folders, and then select Settings.
   
5. Keep a record of the text in the Filename box.
   
6. Select OK, and then select Close twice.
   
7. Select Start, enter ‘%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office12\’ in the StartSearch box and then press ENTER.
   
8. Now, double-click on ‘Scanpst’.
   
9. In the Enter the name of the file you want to scan box, provide the path and file name of the Outlook PST file as noted in Step 5.
   
10. Select Start.
    
11. After completion of the process, select OK.
    

However, if you are still facing the same issue, then it is wise to go for a third party PST Recovery Software. Such tools are easily available on the Internet. You can choose any tool according to the requirement. They are simple, comprehensible and easy-to-operate. With the help of such tools, you can easily extract all your Outlook PST data, including emails, attachments, notes, calendars, journals, etc.