If you have recently updated Windows and now find the Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe) keeps popping up, you are not alone. This issue can be frustrating, interrupting your workflow and causing concerns about your email data integrity.
The inbox repair tool is provided by Microsoft to fix minor Outlook glitches; and troubleshoot any errors in MS Outlook. However, the tool has certain limitations and often fails to resolve the issues. In this blog post, we’ll explore why this might be happening; and provide a step-by-step guide to resolve it.
Why Does the Inbox Repair Tool Keeps Popping Up?
The repeated appearance of the Inbox Repair Tool usually indicates that Outlook has detected an issue with your PST (Personal Storage Table) file. This can happen for several reasons, including:
Corruption in the PST File: This is the most common reason. If the PST file is corrupt, Outlook will try to repair it every time it launches.
Incomplete Windows Update: Sometimes, updates can be interrupted or not fully applied, causing conflicts with existing software.
Third-Party Add-ins: Certain add-ins might conflict with Outlook post-update, causing it to behave unexpectedly.
System File Corruption: Corrupt system files can lead to various software issues, including with Outlook.
Bug in Inbox Repair Tool: At times the tool does not work properly and throws error message. This leads to the malfunctioning of Inbox repair tool.
How to Fix the Inbox Repair Tool Keeps Popping Up Issue?
When you know the causes, you can easily follow the steps in that direction to repair and fix the frequent popping issue of the ScanPST.exe tool.
Step 1: Run the Inbox Repair Tool Manually
- First, let’s ensure the repair tool has done its job properly.
- Close Outlook.
- Locate the Scanpst.exe tool. The location varies depending on your Outlook version:
Outlook 2019/Office 365: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\
Outlook 2016: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\
- Open Scanpst.exe.
- Click on Browse and select your PST file. The default location is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Outlook Files\.
- Click on Start.
- If errors are found, click on Repair.
Step 2: Check for and Install Updates
- Ensure that both Windows and Office have the latest updates.
Windows Updates:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates.
Office Updates:
- Open any Office app (e.g., Word).
- Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Step 3: Disable Add-ins
- Faulty or incompatible add-ins can cause Outlook to malfunction.
- Open Outlook in Safe Mode:
- Press Windows + R, type outlook.exe /safe, and press Enter.
- Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
- At the bottom of the window, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
- Uncheck all add-ins and restart Outlook normally.
- If the issue is resolved, re-enable add-ins one by one to identify the culprit.
Step 4: Create a New Outlook Profile
- A corrupted Outlook profile can cause various issues.
- Close Outlook.
- Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
- Click Add to create a new profile.
- Follow the setup wizard to configure your email account.
- Set the new profile as the default and restart Outlook.
Step 5: Repair Office Installation
If none of the above steps work, repairing the Office installation might help.
- Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- Select Microsoft Office and click on Change.
- Select Quick Repair and follow the prompts. If the issue persists, try the Online Repair option.
If all the above troubleshooting methods fail then it is quite possible that the Inbox repair tool is faulty and you may need to repair the inbox repair tool to resolve the issue within the tool.
Conclusion: Dealing with the Outlook Inbox Repair Tool popping up after a Windows update can be annoying, but it’s typically fixable with the steps outlined above. By manually running the repair tool, ensuring your software is up to date, disabling problematic add-ins, creating a new profile, or repairing the Office installation, you can usually resolve the issue and get back to using Outlook without interruptions.
If you’ve tried all these steps and the problem persists, it might be time to reach out to Microsoft Support for more specialized assistance. Keeping your software updated and regularly backing up your PST files can also help prevent similar issues in the future.
