The inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) is a common defence system against mailbox errors for most of the Microsoft Outlook users. When ScanPST.exe does not respond at the moment you need it the most, it is a common and frustrating issue for the user. When the built-in utility hangs, it indicates that the corruption within your PST is deeper than what a tool can handle.

In this article we will look at why the ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook and provide a roadmap to repair Outlook PST files using both system-level troubleshooting and professional-grade automation such as the leading tool in this industry - SysTools Outlook Recovery Tool.

Why is ScanPST.exe Not Responding in Outlook?

The Inbox Repair Tool is a utility made for small header corrections. You will see that the ScanPST.exe is Not Responding in Outlook because of the following reasons:

  1. File Size Issues: In case your PST file exceeds 2GB or 20GB, your tool will hang while mapping the data.

  2. Severe Corruption: If the internal file directory is damaged more than we expected then the tool will enter an infinite loop.

  3. System Resource Conflicts: Lack of RAM or interference from Antivirus software can cause a crash.

  4. Hardware Failure: If the PST is located on a failing sector of the hard drive, the tool will freeze.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting to Fix the Freeze

Do not immediately close the program if you see that the ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook. Sometimes it is just processing a large amount of data, but it remains stuck for over an hour. You can try the following steps:

1. Disable Antivirus and Firewall: The security software usually monitors file-write activities, so if your antivirus interupts it means that your ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook as it cannot gain access to the PST. You can temporarily disable your security suite and run the repair again.

2. Run ScanPST as Administrator: Permission issues can lead to a problem where ScanPST.exe is Not Responding in Outlook. In this case you can do the following:

Locate ScanPST.exe in your Program Files. Right-click the icon and select Run as the Administrator. Attempt to repair Outlook PST Files again to see if the hang is still there.

Method 2: What to do When ScanPST.exe is Not Responding in Outlook? The Automated Solution 

Manual tools are not skilled for the complex coding and high-level corruption found in the modern-day 50GB PST files. So you should stop wasting your time risking your data with such methods.

Why This Tool Succeeds When ScanPST Fails?

  • Advanced scanning mode: While the ScanPST only fixes headers, this automated tool uses a deep-sector scan to build the entire database again. It never suffers from the issue where ScanPST.exe is Not Responding in Outlook.

  • No file size limit: This tool can handle the PST files that are 500MB or 100GB large with ease, preventing the hang that is caused by the ScanPST.exe not responding during repair.

  • Recovers the deleted data: It can extract items that were permanently deleted and this is a feature that the ScanPST lacks.

  • Decryption support: This tool can open password-protected files, which solves the problem of ScanPST.exe not responding in Outlook due to encryption errors.

How to Use This Tool to Repair Outlook PST Files?

  1. Launch the software: Open this tool and click on Add File.

  2. Select the scan mode: Choose the Advanced Scan to ensure a thorough fix in case the ScanPST.exe is not responding during repair.

  3. Preview data: The software will display all the emails, contacts and calendar items in a tree format.

  4. Export: Select the PST file as the export format and click on Export. Your data will be migrated to a brand-new and healthy PST file.

Method 3: How to Handle the issue of ScanPST.exe is Not Responding During Repair?

When the ScanPST.exe is not responding during a repair, it means that the tool has met with a corrupted attachment that it cannot read. 

Steps to resolve this issue:

  1. Check the Disk for errors: Run the Windows command and open the Command Prompt as Admin. This ensures that the hardware is not the reason the ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook.

  2. Move the PST file: Copy the PST file to a different drive as sometimes changing the file path prevents the tool from hanging.

  3. Reduce the file size: If you can still open Outlook in Safe Mode, try deleting the large attachments or emptying the Deleted Items folder before running the tool. An oversized file is the most common reason why ScanPST.exe is Not Responding in Outlook.

Method 4: Increasing System Resources

You should optimize your environment if you are determined to use the manual tool even if the ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook. Follow these steps:

  • Close the background apps: Use the Task Manager to close processes like Chrome or Teams.

  • Increase your Virtual Memory: Go to System Properties, Performance and then to Advanced. Increase the Page File size as this can sometimes prevent ScanPST.exe from responding during a repair on low-end machines.

Summary

If the ScanPST.exe is not responding in Outlook it is a signal that your data requires a new recovery solution. While the manual solutions like running as Admin or checking your disk might help in 10% of the cases, the risk of further damaging your file is high. For you to safely repair Outlook PST Files and avoid the risk of ScanPST.exe not responding during repair, you should use the automated recovery tool as it is the most efficient and secure solution.