running SCANPST in a BAT file or script

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andrew Hamilton
  • Start date Start date
A

Andrew Hamilton

I have three different PST file, in order to keep the size of my main
PST file under 1.5 GB. I often have errors and I need to run SCANPST
a lot. Obviously scan and repair time is proportional to PST file
size.

I tried to run SCANPST from a cmd-box by providing the full path of
the target PST file as a parameter, but all I got was the standard
SCANPST initial window.

Is there any tool or script that will allow me to automate this entire
process? I am running Office 2003 under Windows XP SP 3 will all
Microsoft patches applied.

Thanks in advance

-AH
 
Andrew Hamilton said:
I have three different PST file, in order to keep the size of my main
PST file under 1.5 GB. I often have errors and I need to run SCANPST
a lot. Obviously scan and repair time is proportional to PST file
size.

I tried to run SCANPST from a cmd-box by providing the full path of
the target PST file as a parameter, but all I got was the standard
SCANPST initial window.

Is there any tool or script that will allow me to automate this entire
process? I am running Office 2003 under Windows XP SP 3 will all
Microsoft patches applied.

Thanks in advance

-AH
Click to expand...


My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to a
pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)
 
My I suggest that as Outlook 2003 can use the new Unicode format of pst
file, which is far more robust than the 97-2002 format, that you change to a
pst file of that format? (I presume your reason for keeping the file under
1.5 GB is because you are using an old-format file?)
Click to expand...

Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
PST file size dramatically.
 
Andrew Hamilton said:
Actually I am using the Outlook 2003 Unicode format for my PST file. I
try to keep the file size down because the larger the file size, the
longer it takes to do a SCANPST run. I noticed that breaking out part
of my main PST file into a second file allowed me to shrink the main
PST file size dramatically.
Click to expand...


I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
larger.)
Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?
 
I can't understand why you are needing to run scanpst so often. The new
Unicode format can be up to 20GB in size, by default. (It can go much much
larger.)
Where is the location of this (these?) pst file(s) ?
Click to expand...

On my local hard disk, but not in the default folder. I always keep
all my data in a separate partition, so when (not IF) Windows gets
hosed, I don't lose any of my data.
 
Andrew Hamilton said:
On my local hard disk, but not in the default folder. I always keep
all my data in a separate partition, so when (not IF) Windows gets
hosed, I don't lose any of my data.
Click to expand...


So what makes you think that you need to run scanpst at all?
 
So what makes you think that you need to run scanpst at all?
Click to expand...

Well, sometimes Outlook just shuts down with an "unexpected error" and
I can choose to report or not to report the problem to MS. Then when
I restart, Outlook sometimes scans the PST file because it was "shut
down improperly." Yeah.

Other times, I can't seem to send or receive email, when my wife's
system, in the same room as mine, has no problems with email. Once I
do a SCANPST, and fix the errors, then I can do email with no
problems.

It seems that every time I run a SCANPST, I get errors. Is there some
other tool which can cure this problem?

I appreciate the help, I really do.

-AH
 
Well, sometimes Outlook just shuts down with an "unexpected error" and
I can choose to report or not to report the problem to MS. Then when
I restart, Outlook sometimes scans the PST file because it was "shut
down improperly." Yeah.

Other times, I can't seem to send or receive email, when my wife's
system, in the same room as mine, has no problems with email. Once I
do a SCANPST, and fix the errors, then I can do email with no
problems.

It seems that every time I run a SCANPST, I get errors. Is there some
other tool which can cure this problem?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have other issues if every time you run SCANPST you see
errors. Do you have any add-ins for Outlook? Any antivirus or -spam
programs integrated into Outlook? Any PDAs? Any third-party search engines
(e.g., Google Desktop Search)? ITunes? Skype? Plaxo?
 
Sounds like you have other issues if every time you run SCANPST you see
errors. Do you have any add-ins for Outlook? Any antivirus or -spam
programs integrated into Outlook? Any PDAs? Any third-party search engines
(e.g., Google Desktop Search)? ITunes? Skype? Plaxo?
Click to expand...

I recently installed Google Desktop search but the problems were
occurring well before that.

I have Norton Internet Security 2008 on my system. I use Skype and
Plaxo but do not have add-ins for either application installed into
Outlook.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.
 
I recently installed Google Desktop search but the problems were
occurring well before that.

I have Norton Internet Security 2008 on my system. I use Skype and
Plaxo but do not have add-ins for either application installed into
Outlook.
Click to expand...

Do the problems occur if you start Outlook in safe mode? (Press Ctrl when
you start Outlook.)
 
Do the problems occur if you start Outlook in safe mode? (Press Ctrl when
you start Outlook.)
Click to expand...

Brian,

Yes. Lately I've been getting this situation: I get the "Outlook has
experienced an error and must shut down" message, something to that
effect. It occurred about 10 minutes after I started up Outlook in
Safe Mode using the CTRL key.

I was wondering about something. I now have 3 PST files, all Unicode.
The main file is about 1.5 GB, and the other two are about 500-600 MB
each. The other two were formerly part of the main PST, so that they
are relatively new, about 1 month old. The main PST file is probably
6 years old by now.

Here is what I am wondering about: When I run a SCANPST, it takes a
whole lot less time with the two new files than with the main file. Is
it possible that I need to copy over all the contents of the main PST
into a "clean" new file? Might there be some deep-seated corruption
in that main file that SCANPST simply cannot clean out, for whatever
reason?

I have a lot of rules set up that move incoming emails to different
folders, primarily into the main PST file but also into one of the two
new files. I already discovered that if you move a folder between two
PST files, Outlook marks the rule has having an error, and I have to
hand-correct the rule to point to the folder that got moved.

Thanks for trying to make sense of all this. I hope I was clear.

-AH
 
Yes. Lately I've been getting this situation: I get the "Outlook has
experienced an error and must shut down" message, something to that
effect. It occurred about 10 minutes after I started up Outlook in
Safe Mode using the CTRL key.
Click to expand...

Since the problem occurs in safe mode, it indicates no add-in is causing the
problem. I'd still try to eliminate GDS, Skype, and Plaxo. GDS, in
particular can interfere even with not being an add-in if it's indexing the
PST.

Are there any Outlook-related messages in the Event Log after it shuts down?
Here is what I am wondering about: When I run a SCANPST, it takes a
whole lot less time with the two new files than with the main file. Is
it possible that I need to copy over all the contents of the main PST
into a "clean" new file? Might there be some deep-seated corruption
in that main file that SCANPST simply cannot clean out, for whatever
reason?
Click to expand...

It can't hurt to create a clean PST to be the default, although I wouldn't
expect a 1.5 GB Unicode PST to be an issue. You might also consider a new
mail profile
I have a lot of rules set up that move incoming emails to different
folders, primarily into the main PST file but also into one of the two
new files. I already discovered that if you move a folder between two
PST files, Outlook marks the rule has having an error, and I have to
hand-correct the rule to point to the folder that got moved.
Click to expand...

This is standard practice, since, although the rule only shows you the
folder name, it does contain as hidden data the PST name containing the
folder as well and you have to point the rule at the folder's new location.
It's the same reason why, when moving a PST from one machine to another, you
usually need to redefine the folders within the rules.
 
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