Email Recovery

How to Find and Restore Missing Outlook PST Data Files

Emma Brown Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to locate and restore missing local Outlook PST data files after a power failure or profile reset caused Outlook to load without previous data.

How to Find and Restore Missing Outlook PST Data Files

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: Windows 10
Scenario: Recovering lost local email data after an unexpected system shutdown or Outlook profile change.
Observed behavior: Outlook opens completely empty and requires re-adding the email account. The local PST files appear missing, largely because the default AppData storage folder is hidden by Windows.

Before you start

Close Microsoft Outlook before searching for or moving PST data files to prevent access conflicts and avoid writing new data to a potentially corrupted drive.

Solution 1Recommended

Unhide the AppData Folder and Open the PST in Outlook

Reveal hidden system folders to locate your default PST file path and manually open it within classic Outlook.

By default, Windows hides the AppData folder where Outlook stores its local data files. You must first enable the view of hidden items before navigating to the folder path or running a search.

Enable Hidden Items in File Explorer

Open File Explorer, click on the 'View' tab at the top, and check the box for 'Hidden items' to reveal hidden files and folders.

Locate the PST File

Navigate to 'C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook' or 'Documents\Outlook Files'. Alternatively, use the search bar to scan your computer for '*.pst'.

Open the Data File in Outlook

Open classic Outlook. Go to 'File' > 'Open & Export' > 'Open Outlook Data File'. Browse to the location of the PST file you just found, select it, and click 'Open' to restore your folder list.

Unhide the AppData Folder and Open the PST in Outlook

Verify File Properties: Before opening the file, check its size and 'Date modified' property to confirm it contains your recent email data.

Solution 2

Repair a Damaged PST File

If the PST file is located but cannot be opened by Outlook due to corruption from a power failure, use Microsoft's Inbox Repair Tool.

Solution 3

Restore from System Backups

If the PST file is entirely missing or deleted from the hard drive, restore it from your system's backup utilities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Outlook open completely empty after a power outage?

A sudden power interruption can sometimes corrupt your active Outlook profile registry keys. While Outlook may remove the email account from your view and appear empty, your actual local PST data files usually remain safely stored on your hard drive, though they are hidden by default.

Will re-adding my email account restore all my old emails?

Re-adding an IMAP or Exchange email account will synchronize any emails currently stored on the mail server. However, it will not automatically restore your local PST files (such as old archives or POP3 downloads). You must manually locate and attach those PST files using the Open & Export menu.

Where are Outlook data files typically stored on Windows 10?

By default, classic Outlook stores local PST files in the hidden AppData folder at 'C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook'. Newer versions or accounts may also save them in the 'Documents\Outlook Files' folder.

Migration & Recovery