Microsoft gives Inbox Repair Tool for solving many problems with broken Personal Folders (PST) files. If Inbox Repair Tool is not there on Start menu below Programs, Accessories, then System Tools then you can do a search for scanpst.exe on hard drive and run it.

When Scanpst.exe is executed, it performs many tests. If it locates errors, it asks whether you want to create a backup copy of original file (always click on Yes), then attempts to solve errors.

Place of PST file

the default place of Outlook pst file is on Windows drive at
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Here username is the name that utilizes to log on PC.

Ensure that PC has shown hidden files and folders option enabled. If not, go to My Computer, Tools and then Folder Options. Tick View tab and check Show hidden files and folders radio button and tick Ok.

Oversized PST file

Microsoft has a tool to create a truncated copy of a .pst file permitting few recoveries when file size has reached over 2 gigs. The copy does not maintain all original data as tool cuts a user defined amount of data from file.

You should have 2 GB of free hard disk space to create a copy of .pst file. The utility truncates .pst file to below 2 GB. To have sufficient working space, trim the file between 20 to 25 megabytes less than the 2 GB limit. The truncated data is removed from new copy, which means a few messages will be lost from recovered copy.

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows XP
Instructions:
Double tick 2gb152.exe file to extract it to a blank folder. You must have five files.
Double tick the Pst2gb.exe program.

Click Browse to choose oversized .pst file, and then tick Open.

Click Create, choose the name and place of the truncated data file that you would like to make, and then tick Save.

If file opens, right tick root folder of .pst, ticks Properties, and then clicks Compact now to begin compression. For a file of this size, the compression takes about 4-8 hours.

If file does not open, remove truncated .pst file, and repeat the procedure with original .pst file. Trim more data than in the first try, and attempt the procedure again.