How to view emails from a corrupted Outlook PST?

A corrupted Outlook PST can become a serious problem when important emails are stored inside it and Microsoft Outlook is unable to open the file normally. Instead of immediately assuming that the data is lost, it makes sense to first check whether the mailbox contents can still be accessed and reviewed safely.

When dealing with a damaged PST, I would avoid making changes to the original file during the initial inspection. A read-only viewing process is preferable because it allows the mailbox contents to be examined without overwriting or modifying the source data. It is also useful to check more than just the Inbox. PST files can contain Sent Items, Drafts, Contacts, Calendars, Tasks, Notes, Journals, attachments, and other mailbox components that may still be accessible even when the file has some level of corruption.

For this situation, SysInfo PST Viewer provides an option to load and inspect healthy, corrupted, orphaned, blank, oversized, and password-protected PST files. The software does not require Microsoft Outlook to be installed and supports both ANSI and Unicode PST formats. Multiple PST or OST files can also be loaded, which could be helpful when an organization has several archived mailboxes that need to be checked.

The preview functionality is another area I would consider important. Instead of opening messages one by one, users can navigate the PST folder hierarchy and inspect email bodies, attachments, headers, MIME information, and raw HTML. Advanced search options can narrow down messages using criteria such as From, To, Subject, date range, and attachment status. This could save considerable time when searching through a large damaged archive.

After confirming that the required messages are accessible, exporting only the necessary information may be preferable to repeatedly working with the damaged source file. Emails can be exported into formats such as EML, MSG, PDF, CSV, MBOX, or PST. PDF export can also be useful when specific messages need to be documented or shared for compliance and review purposes.

A PST File Viewer can therefore be useful when Outlook itself is unavailable or unable to read a damaged archive. The important part is to inspect the file carefully, preserve the original data, and verify the required emails and attachments before deciding how to export or archive them.

Has anyone here dealt with a corrupted PST containing important business emails? What worked best for you—repairing the original file first, or using a viewer to inspect and extract the accessible mailbox data?