The Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) is a part of Microsoft Outlook application. The Inbox Repair tool can fix a PST that is not encrypted, mildly corrupted, or less than equal to 2 GB. Sometimes, the Inbox Repair Tool does not respond while fixing a corrupt PST file and displays an error message ‘Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding’.
In this post, we will discuss why you receive the “Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding” error and how you can resolve it.
Why do you Get the “Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding” Message?
The Inbox Repair Tool may stop responding due to several reasons. Some of them are:
1. Oversized Outlook PST File: MS Outlook has file size limitations, based on different versions. MS Outlook 2019 supports a PST file size of up to 50 GB. Since the Inbox Repair Tool supports PST file size of up to 2 GB, this is the reason you receive the ‘Inbox Repair tool not responding’ error.
2. Severe Corruption in PST File: The Inbox Repair tool can fix minor corruption in the PST file. If your PST file is severely corrupted, the tool may fail to repair the file and throws the Inbox Repair Tool not responding error.
3. Issues during Installation of ScanPST: If there was any issue during the installation, the DLL files might go missing. Thus, the utility may not work properly and show the ‘Not Responding’ error.
4. Outdated Scanpst.exe: The Microsoft Outlook and Scanpst.exe versions should be the same. So, if your Inbox Repair utility does not match your Outlook version, you may get the ‘Not Responding’ error message.
5. Read/Write Disk Permissions or Drive Errors (Bad Sectors): The PST file repair process can be stopped due to disabled read/write permissions on the PST file. Also, bad sectors in your drive may cause the PST repair tool to throw the ‘Not Responding’ error.
6. Incompatible Antivirus Software: The antivirus software installed on your system might not support your MS Outlook 2019 version. It may cause issues while repairing the Outlook PST file, leading to Inbox Repair tool not responding issue.
How to Fix ‘Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding’ Issue?
Below-mentioned are the troubleshooting steps to resolve this error:
Step 1: Find and Run the Correct SCANPST.EXE (Inbox Repair Tool)
In Outlook 2019, the SCANPST.EXE is located at the below-mentioned locations:
- <disk drive>\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office19\
- <disk drive>\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office19\
When you located the SCANPST.EXE, double-click on it to open it.
Step 2: Verify the PST File Size
Now go to the PST file location. Check the file size by right-clicking on the file and then select ‘Properties.’
Inbox Repair Tool will not work if the PST file is larger than 2 GB. It will not respond and crash if you try to repair the file. In such a case, you can use a powerful third-party tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook to repair the PST file.
Step 3: Close MS Outlook and Other Running Programs
Close any running applications, especially the ones that can access your PST file, like MS Outlook. You can then run the Inbox Repair Tool to fix the corrupted PST file.
If the issue persists, you can sign out from MS Outlook and sign in. This will stop all the running applications. Then, you can use the Inbox Repair tool without any issue.
Step 4: Check Drive Health Status and Read/Write Permissions
You can download and install a tool, such as CrystalDiskInfo, to check the health status of your disk drive where the PST file is saved. If it’s in ‘Bad’ status, then this can be the reason for the ‘Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding’ issue. You can repair the PST file by copying it to a healthy storage drive.
If there is no issue with the drive, you should check the read/write permissions. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Navigate to PST file location, right-click the file, and select Properties.
- Check the box for Read/Write permission, if it is disabled.
Step 5: Repair MS Outlook Program
You can try repairing the MS Outlook program. Follow these steps:
- Go to Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features.
- Now, find the Microsoft Office Professional program in the list and select to highlight it.
- Click on Change.
- Now, choose Repair and click Continue.
- Follow the screen prompts to repair the Office Outlook installation.
Now go to the SCANPST.EXE, launch it, and try to repair the PST file. If the issue remains, you can reinstall MS Office and try to repair corrupt PST file.
An Alternative Solution
If the above given steps fail to resolve the issue, you can use a third-party tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. The software can repair severely corrupt PST file without any file size limitations. It can also repair encrypted PST file. The software retrieves emails, contacts, reminders, calendar items, and other mailbox data, including the deleted items. You can save the repaired PST data in various file formats, such as PST, HTML, PDF, RTF, EML, and MSG. You can also export the repaired file directly to Office 365 using its Technician version. It allows you to preview the Outlook mailbox data before saving it.
Conclusion
The Inbox Repair Tool may sometimes display the error “Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool Not Responding” due to different reasons as mentioned above. You can follow the steps provided in this post to resolve this problem.
Alternatively, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook software to repair the corrupt PST file. The software is integrated with advanced algorithms and can repair severely corrupted PST files of any size in just a few clicks.