How to Remove a Forgotten Password from a PST File?

[Andrea228-hub]

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Question

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Code Search and Navigation

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If you’ve forgotten the password for an Outlook PST file, you may have trouble opening or accessing its emails. First, try any passwords you commonly used when creating the file. If that doesn’t work, avoid repeatedly guessing if the PST contains important data.

For an inaccessible PST, you can use a PST recovery or conversion tool to check whether the mailbox data can be recovered without the original password. Advik PST Password Remover Tool is one option to consider for extracting emails from PST files when Outlook is unable to open them normally.

[Madhumathi-2009]

Hi Andrea,

I understand you forgot your PST password. This is not related to GitHub Code Search, but here is the standard process for your own PST file:

1. Try to recall first

Check your password manager, old notes, or common passwords you use. Don't try too many times quickly if the file is important - it can get corrupted.

2. Check if password is saved in Windows

Go to: Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager > Check if Outlook credentials are saved there.

3. Try Microsoft's own repair

Outlook has a tool called SCANPST.exe. It's in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16. Run it on your PST file to check if file is okay.

4. If you still can't open

For your own personal file only: You will need to create a new PST file in Outlook (File > New > Outlook Data File) and import what you can. If data is very important, contact your office IT team or Microsoft Support.Important

Note: Be very careful with any "Password Remover Tool" found online. Many contain malware. Always check reviews and scan with antivirus before installing.

Hope this helps!

[rohanjoshi7]

Removing a Forgotten PST Password

If you are dealing with a forgotten PST password, it is important to know that Microsoft does not provide a built-in utility to recover or remove it. As per Microsoft's official guidelines, they cannot help retrieve a lost PST password.

If you are locked out, here are the standard approaches to regain access:

• Try Free Password Recovery Utilities: Before purchasing commercial software, consider reputable, free tools. For example, NirSoft's PstPassword is a well-known, free utility that can often reveal or bypass passwords for PST files without requiring a paid license. (Note: Because of their nature, antivirus software often flags password recovery tools as false positives, so proceed with standard caution).

• Commercial Third-Party Tools: As the original post mentioned, there are many paid tools available on the market. If you decide to use one, always ensure you are downloading it from a highly reputable source to avoid malware, as these tools require full access to your mailbox data.

• Check for Backups: If you cannot bypass the password, check if you have a previous backup of the PST file (e.g., via Windows File History or a local backup drive) from before the password was applied.