Summary: When you try to move PST file to another location or is corrupted, you may encounter the Outlook error – “ Outlook path specified is not valid”. Here in this article, we’ve described some easy ways with stepwise instructions to fix this “the path specified for the file is not valid” error.
When you configure Microsoft Outlook with a POP account, it stores all the mailbox items and settings for the associated user profile in a Personal Storage Table (PST) file on your system. You may encounter an error “Outlook the path specified is not valid” when launching your Outlook application.
The above-mentioned Outlook error occurs if the PST file doesn’t exist in the specified location or is moved to a different location or corrupted. Here, we discuss some easy ways to fix this MS Outlook error. Although before moving further, let’s see where the PST file is located on your system.
By default, the saving location of the PST file depends on the version of Outlook and the Operating System.
Outlook 2007
drive:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Outlook 2010
drive:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
Outlook 2019, 2016, & 2013
drive:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
You can also find the location of the PST file by following these steps:
- Open Control Panel -> Mail (Outlook) -> Data Files
- Now select the PST file and click Open File Location
Note: You can note the path of the PST file and reach the folder manually.
Also Read – How To Import MSG Files Into Outlook PST?
Main Reasons to Encounter Error “Outlook Path Specified Is Not Valid”
- When the user’s server gets a virus infection then the file gets corrupted and at that time the error message will pop up like “It’s not valid or cannot be found”.
- By sharing information with multiple users over the network will result in damage and display an error message “PST is invalid”.
- The following Outlook error message will appear due to inappropriate export and import of PST files.
Users may also encounter another kind of error message but the resolution for this will be the same. To recognize those the pop-up messages are listed below:
- pst is not a valid pst file.
- Not a valid .pst.
- Outlook path specified is not valid
- “The path specified for the file is not valid”.
- Outlook the path specified is not valid.
- The specified path is invalid.
Case 1:
If you are unable to find the PST file in the location configured in Outlook, it means the file is moved to another location from its original location. And if you had moved the file deliberately to another location, you may know the exact location. Contrarily, you can search for the PST file by using the Search function in Windows.
Case 2:
In his case, if you are able to locate the file, you can move it back to the original location and restart Outlook. Doing this may fix the “the specified path is invalid” issue. Additionally, if you can’t locate the file, you can recover it from a backup (if you have it).
Case 3:
If you are able to find the PST file in the original location, it indicates that the PST file is corrupted. In that scenario, you need to repair the file to resolve the corruption issues. For Outlook pst file repair, you can use MS Outlook’s inbuilt PST repair tool utility – Inbox Repair Tool or ScanPST.
How to use ScanPST to Repair Corrupt PST File?
To fix the PST file by using ScanPST, follow these steps:
Step 1: Find scanpst.exe in your system
According to your Windows and Outlook version you are using, ScanPST.exe can be found in the following locations:
In Office 2016
- 32-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\
- 64-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\
In Outlook 2013
- 32-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\
- 64-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\
In Outlook 2010
- 32-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\
- 64-bit Outlook: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\
In Outlook 2007
- 32-bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\
- 64-bit Windows: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\
Step 2: Run Scanpst.exe
Once you find the scanpst.exe, run the utility by double-clicking it and then follow these steps:
- Hit Browse and select the PST file you want to repair
- Now click Start to scan the PST file
If the tool locates errors in the file, click Make backup of scanned file before repairing.
- After that click Repair to initiate the repair process
Now after scanpst.exe has successfully repaired the PST file, relaunch the Outlook application to see if the ‘Outlook path specified is not valid’ error is fixed. But, sometimes, ScanPST fails to repair severely corrupted or large-sized PST files. In such a situation, you can use an advanced PST Recovery Tool to repair the PST file.
Why DRS Outlook PST File Repair?
DRS PST File Recovery or Repair Tool is enterprise-grade software that can even repair severely corrupt and large-sized PST files. The tool can recover all mailbox items such as emails, attachments, contacts, notes, etc., with 100% accuracy and safety.
Below are some reasons why DRS PST Repair Software is the perfect PST repair tool:
- It performs PST file recovery for Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and older versions.
- Directly exports recovered PST files directly to Office 36 and other cloud base email clients.
- Repairs both password-protected and severely corrupted PST files.
- Smoothly runs over Windows 10 and all lower versions.
Time to Conclude
You may face the Outlook error “Outlook path specified is not valid”, when the PST file is moved from its original location or is corrupt/damaged. Generally, you can resolve this problem by locating the PST file and moving it back to the original location. But, if the PST file is corrupt, you can use ScanPST to fix minor corruption issues. If the inbuilt tool doesn’t work, you can use a dedicated PST repair software such as DRS Outlook PST Repair Tool that can repair severely corrupted PST files of any size.
