Learn to Fix Damaged Network PST Files

10 March, 2010

If you have been storing your email data in Personal Storage Files (PST) on a file server, then every so often, you will face problems while trying to access these files using Microsoft Outlook. Issues like constant hanging of the software or resource depletion might become common. More likely than not, you will face this problem first thing in the morning ' when you want to see if there is anything that needs immediate attention, the server will hang for some time, continue operating and then hang again. In fact, many people face this problem several times a day causing extreme frustration to the users and raising concerns about possible damage to the PST files. Before we discuss ways in which to carry out a PST repair, let us understand why working with PST files over a network can give rise to the above mentioned problems.

 

The simple fact is that PST files are simply not supported on a LAN or WAN link. For many users who have been using PST files over networks, this may come as somewhat of a surprise. The truth of the matter is that this is not a new development ' in fact, network stored PST files have not been supported since Exchange 4.0 first came on the scene. It is not difficult to understand why. Personal storage files (PST files) use a method called the file-access-driven method to store all the email messages. This means, the operating system uses specific file access commands in order to read data or write data to the files. Using such files over a network is not only inefficient but can result in corruption of PST files requiring timely PST repair.

 

LAN or WAN links on the other hand use network-access-driven methods. In other words, the operating system uses network commands to send data or to receive data from another machine that is linked to the computer. Microsoft Outlook uses file access commands to read or write into the remote PST files but since the PST files are not stored on the local computer the network now has to put in additional effort in sending the data back and forth across the network. This greatly increases the time taken to read or write into the PST files. Further, it also increases the overhead on the network resulting in the server hanging from time to time. Not only that, any time there is a network failure or there is degradation in the network connection, there is a real chance that the PST files may get corrupted.

 

Simpler and time-saving alternatives to using PST files over a network would be to either use Outlook Offline Storage Files (OST files) or Microsoft Terminal Services. On the other hand, if you are already facing the problem of corrupted PST files due to working on a network, you might be better off choosing a third-party solution such as Advanced Outlook Repair to carry out a PST repair. With the ability to recover almost all mail messages, folders and other items, this is one of the most reliable tools to carry out an efficient PST recovery.