How do I import a PST file without it crashing or failing constantly

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How do I import a PST file without it crashing or failing constantly

Mike S 0

Good morning,

I have a bunch of emails I need to review and when I tried to import the PST file into outlook it says it failed but will not give me an error code foor why it failed.

I tried to find the scanpst.exe but I dont have the old version of outlook so its missing from my program files.

I also tried to download an external pst viewer but I that didnt work either.

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Any help regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated.

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Answer 1

Hornblower409 9,445

@Mike S said

I have a bunch of emails I need to review

If you just want to look at the emails in the PST (or move/copy just a few) then you should be able to just "Open" it in New Outlook for Windows without Importing.

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It should now show on your Outlook Data Files panel

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Add be a new Top Level Folder in your Folder List

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Answer 2

Hi @Mike S,

Good day, and thank you for taking the time to share the details of your issue, along with the screenshot. It is very helpful in understanding what may be happening.

Based on my research, there is an update currently in progress for PST file support in the New Outlook experience (as shown in the roadmap screenshot), with rollout indicated around July. Although the import option appears in the New Outlook interface, this may indicate that the capability is still evolving and may not yet handle all PST scenarios consistently at this time.

For your reference, you may review the roadmap here:

Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365.

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With that in mind, while waiting for this capability to be further rolled out and enhanced in New Outlook, I would like to suggest the following workaround steps, which have helped provide a more stable experience in similar scenarios:

1/ Download Classic Outlook via this link: Install or reinstall classic Outlook on a Windows PC - Microsoft Support

2/ Run the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST)

Please follow detail steps at Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost).

3/ Use Classic Outlook to perform the import

Open Classic Outlook and sign in with your account
Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

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Select Import from another program or file, and then select Next.

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Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and select Next.
Then select the .pst file you want to import. Under Options, choose how you want to deal with emails and contacts, then choose Next.

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For reference: Import email, contacts, and calendar from an Outlook .pst file - Microsoft Support.

I hope this information is useful. Thank you for taking the time to raise this question. If you need any further clarification or assistance, please feel free to leave a comment under this post.

Thank you for your understanding and contributions to the forum.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer".

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Answer 3

The failure with all items skipped usually indicates corruption or an incompatible PST format. Use a supported Outlook desktop app to repair and import the file, then (if needed) move the data into the New Outlook.

Repair the PST with Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe)
- Install a classic Outlook desktop app that includes Scanpst (for example, Outlook from Microsoft 365 Apps or Outlook 2016/2019).
- Run Scanpst.exe against the PST to diagnose and fix errors. If the PST is badly damaged, multiple passes may be required.
- If Scanpst cannot be started, repair the Office/Outlook installation and try again, as described in the repair guidance.
If the PST is still problematic, recover from the backup file created by Scanpst
- When Scanpst runs, it can create a backup copy of the original PST with a .bak extension in the same folder.
- Make a copy of this .bak file and rename the copy to use a .pst extension.
- In classic Outlook, import this renamed PST using File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import from another program or file → Outlook Data File (.pst), selecting “Do not import duplicates” and “Include subfolders.”
If Outlook for Mac or ANSI PST is involved
- If the PST is an older ANSI-format file and Outlook for Mac or newer Outlook cannot import it, open it in Outlook 2010 on Windows and export it again as a new Unicode PST (File → Options → Advanced → Export → Export to a file → Outlook Data File (.pst) with “Include subfolders” checked). Then import that new PST.
Import into classic Outlook, then access from New Outlook
- In classic Outlook on Windows, import the repaired PST into the target mailbox (File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Import from another program or file → Outlook Data File (.pst) → select the mailbox as the destination and finish the import).
- Once the data is in the mailbox, New Outlook will surface it via normal sync, avoiding the PST import limitations and crashes in New Outlook itself.
If using Microsoft 365 PST Import Service (for large or multiple PSTs)
- If the PST is being imported via the Microsoft 365 PST Import Service and items are skipped as corrupted, run Scanpst.exe on the PST, upload the repaired PST again to the Azure storage location, and create a new import job. Items already imported into the same target root folder will be skipped and not duplicated.

These steps avoid repeated failures in New Outlook by repairing the PST in a classic Outlook environment and then importing the cleaned data.

References:

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How do I import a PST file without it crashing or failing constantly

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