How To Fix Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe) Hangs Endlessly And Does Not Perform The Repair

Error Symptoms

Microsoft has build-in utility called ‘Microsoft Inbox Repair Tool’ which can repair damaged PST file. When you use Outlook Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe) to repair a damaged or corrupted Outlook personal folders (PST) file, instead of performing the repair task, the tool hangs endlessly and does not respond to user commands. If you open Windows Task Manager to check process status, you will find the application’s status is “Not Responding”. If you shut down the application abnormally and restart it to re-repair the same file, you will always get the same results.

Reasons

The issue may causes due to invalid PST file or corrupt inbox repair tool. There are various root causes due to which issue can be arised. Viruses damage the PST file or inbox repair tool which leads to improper operation of scanpst.exe.

Solutions

Method 1: Fix system issues

Close all programs which are using PST file. Check if any program is using PST file is background as some malicious programs locks the system resources by using various files of system.
If your system is corrupted by virus then it creates problems not only for scanpst.exe but also for other programs. Scan the computer with antivirus software and fix the issue. Check configuration of system and install freash copy if require.

Method 2: Use PST recovery tool

If PST file is badly damaged then it cannot be recovered without professional PST recovery tool. There are various such tools in the market which can repair PST file.