Deleted Email Recovery - Using a Hex Editor to Recover Deleted PST Items

Outlook PST is the only copy of your emails, notes, contacts, calendars etc. when not using Exchange Server account. Thus, Deleted Email Recovery is an important concept to be considered when a user deletes these useful items accidentally or intentionally. On the other hand, if Outlook is configured to use an Exchange account, administrator has control to access all those deleted emails. Even if the user has purged the items, the administrator side can recover them through Exchange journaling and archiving. But the same situation is quite critical while using an account such a POP3. If the user deletes the PST items permanently using Shift+Delete key or empties the Deleted Items folder, the solutions can be different, yet possible.

Deleted items recovery from Outlook PST is potential. When you don't have a suitable backup to restore, a hex editor might work. These programs are usually distributed as freeware and allow manipulating the binary computer files and editing the raw file contents. So, you can use them to make required changes in any file, also corruption.

The technique of recovering deleted PST items starts from corrupting the file using the hex editor and later repairing it. So, make sure you backup the file, prior applying the tool. Few limitations, from which the tip may suffer, are that it may fail in case you have already compacted the PST and if the deleted item space has been occupied with some data. You can carry on with the below steps using a hex editor:

1-Open the affected PST with a hex editor
2-Change the first eight (or any other number) bits of file to 'ff' or '00'
3-Open Outlook to view this PST. Outlook is supposed to no longer recognize this file and declare it as corrupt
4-Access Scanpst.exe file to start Inbox Repair Tool and repair the corrupt PST
5-Repairing the corrupted PST recreates all the pointers and hence, you deleted PST items get restored to their original location

If you are not comfortable with this tip, the next option is to use a third-party Email Recovery Software to recover deleted PST items. These are exclusive Deleted Email Recoveryutilities built to scan affected PST to restore deleted emails, notes, calendars and other items.

Deleted Email Recovery is an advanced utility that uses effective scanning procedure to recover deleted PST emails and other objects. The powerful Email Recovery Software supports MS Outlook 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000. The software is safe to use and comes with easy installation and implementation options.