# .pst password request without one having been set!



## AFence (Feb 15, 2010)

I am running Vista home premium SP 2 and use outlook 2003, SP3 with 2 profiles. I have been using this for the last 6 months. Every 2 to 3 months outlook gets really sluggish after you have opened 4 to 6 items sequentialy. If outlook is closed and re-opened, it is fine for another 4 to 6 items.
I found a help item which suggested resetting outlook to original settings in the help "detect & repair" which worked fine and I could reimport the original .pst files.
However, the last time I did this, the .pst file requested a password although I have never used one.
I now cannot access any of my old e-mails or contacts which I normaly import using the outlook facility, but is now stopped for needing a password.
I have tried the e-mail setup password that I use but this does not work.
Any idea's would be welcome!!!


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## supapat (Aug 15, 2007)

How big is the .pst? I've seen this from time to time at work and a scanpst often resolves it. Have a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287497 for instructions on how to use this tool. You may have to find the scanpst app first, just do a search of scanpst.exe as I can't remember the exact location for it and I don't have a vista set-up on hand to have a look on.


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## AFence (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks supapat, the .pst is 975241Kb that I wish to import, there are other .pst files from my other profiles, but I can only access one at a time. I have used the scanpst.exe as you suggested, but, although it did say that it had repaired some errors, I still cannot import it as it still requests a password. I haven't set one and have no idea what it may be. Microsoft had a patch released in December which had some effect on the password on .pst files but I cannot understand the implications and there was a patch issued almost immediately which has been installed on my computer. Hope that this may help to narrow the search??


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## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

Have your tried closing all of your PST files, and opening only this one that you are having issues with?

You also need to remember that we can not help with password per say, here in TechGuy's.


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## AFence (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks DaveA, I can only operate one outlook profile at a time and so the only way to access the "old" .pst is by importing it using the inbuilt process. The password issue you refer to is understood, but I have not set one and so I believe that somehow this has been generated from within the microsoft software. If so, I am hoping that the error can be undone in some way?


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## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

OK, I know of now way that a password was added for you by the OS or Outlook.

Try closing Outlook, open My Computer (Windows Explorer) and browse to this problem PST file and open it from there.
See what you can with it.
To get back to your REAL pst file, you may need the same thing, but just browse to that file.


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## supapat (Aug 15, 2007)

DaveA, I don't quite understand what you're suggesting to do, but I hope it's just me being dumb and AFence does understand.

AFence, if all else fails and you still can't get into the pst, I would try it from another machine. If you're in a network with an AD structure, log onto another machine with the same username and open outlook from there. Copy the PST over on usb drive if need be and see if it opens on the other machine. If you still have the password issue, I'd consider 2 options. Either call it a day, or pay for a .pst password removal tool which is not guaranteed to work. (_link removed_)

A password being set on a pst file when you're 100% sure you haven't done it is usually caused by a file corruption. Not all file corruptions are recoverable.
Just read your original post and realised you're not in a AD structure - try it on another PC anyway if you can - it won't hurt to try. Or if that's absolutely not an option, user a different windows profile (even if you have to create one). You may end up needing to change the security settings on the pst itself before it'll let you open it from a different account.


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## AFence (Feb 15, 2010)

Supapat, that was very helpfull, thanks. This file has all my calendar details and approx 700 contacts to say nothing of the e-mail history. I am desperate to try to recover the file, but understand that it may not be possible. What gives me hope is that earlier back-up files formed from the same profile are also now asking for a password, whereas my other profile will happily import data from back-up files made from that profile. I have not yet tried to import accross profiles due to the sizes, one is 973Mb and the other is 300Mb, and also the problems of sorting out the mixed up messages that would result. What do you think? I do not have another computer to try opening it on.


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## supapat (Aug 15, 2007)

So to clarify, let's call them profile 1 and profile 2.

Logging in with profile 1, you're able to "import data" (as in, you're able to access emails and contacts?) from your "backup" (your backup being your PST), but when you try access that same data from profile 2, it asks you for a password?

If this is the case, then log in with profile 1, create a new PST (by going to File, New, Outlook Data File, Select "office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst), press OK. Call it whatever you want, save it on your desktop for now, and just click and drag the folders from the PST that you're not able to access in profile 2, into the new pst we've just created.

When you log in using profile 2, you should then be able to access this file, as long as you have sufficient Windows File Permissions. 

Please let us know the outcome. Also, let me know if I've understood your situation correctly.


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## AFence (Feb 15, 2010)

Supapat, It's always a good idea to clarify so here goes; Profile 1 is working OK and can access previous back-ups made from profile 1. Profile 1 was restablished following the earlier described detect and repair reset.
However profile 2, which was established at the same time after the reset is the problematic on. I have not tried importing profile 2 into 1 or viseversa.
I have just created a new PST as you suggested, but I cannot drag and drop the PST's so that they merge, the just sit next to one another, I must be missing something?


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## supapat (Aug 15, 2007)

The folders from within the PST's are what you're interested in. These are what you want to transfer. If you expand your PST, you should see all the sub-folders.


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## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

I'm sorry but I have to close this as it has gone beyond the limits of our password rule.


> *Passwords *- Please do not ask for assistance with forgotten passwords and/or bypassing them. As there is *no way to verify the actual situation and/or intentions, no assistance will be provided and any such threads will be closed.*


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