How to use PST Walker

Basic Functions

Install or run portable version of PST Walker. Browse and open an Outlook Data File (.pst) or Offline Outlook Data File (.ost) file on your PC.

There are two options for opening a file: Like Microsoft Outlook and Extensive Scan. The Extensive Scan option allows you to recover data from a damaged or corrupted file, but processing takes longer than Like Microsoft Outlook option. Try both options and compare.



When the .pst or .ost file opens, you'll think you're looking at your email program! All of your contact information, email files and folder, and calendar information is present.



If you want to view several emails at once in separate windows, select several messages and click "Selected Items" from the View tab on the menu. Numerous messages can be selected using the standard ctrl-left click and shift-left click commands.



PST Walker also lets you save any attachments that are on your emails. Select the email of your choice that has an attachment you wish to save, and select "Save Attachments" from the "File" menu button. Attachments can be opened by double-click as well.

Search Function

Having all of your email available isn't really worthwhile if you can't find what you want. Fortunately, PST Walker has a great search function.

Input the search query you want in the search box and click "Enter". In the example used below, "April", was used in the search field. After the search is performed, only matching entries are displayed.



Click "x" to clear the search results and show the contents of the entire folder.

Advanced Search

To enable boolean search select "Advanced search" under "Tools->Search Options...". Boolean search syntax allows you to broaden, limit, and define your search criteria.



Examples:
Using AND narows a search by combining terms; it will retrieve emails that use both the search terms you specify, as in this example:

• July AND "Discount *%"

Using OR broadens a search to include results that contain either of the words you type in.

• July OR August

Using NOT will narrow a search by excluding certain search terms.

• NOT July

You can always combine multiple search strategies to focus your search to ensure that you find just the emails you want. Here are some examples of more complex searches.

• (July OR August) AND Discount
• July AND NOT Discount

Export Function

With "Export..." under File menu you can convert .pst and .ost files to MSG and EML files or to PST file. There are three options to save:

• Selected items
• All items in this folder
• All items in this folder and subfolders

And three options for titles: item subject, incremental numeric Id and PR_ENTRYID.

Command line options

Have a lot .pst files to repair, but process requires more manual intervention than you want? Automate it with command line options.

pstwalker.exe [filename] [/E[:msg|umsg|eml] [/Name[:Id|EntryId|Subject]] [/PATH:folder] [/FullScan] [/HardDeleted] [/HardDeletedOnly]]

filename

Specifies the .pst files to process. A filename mask can be applied, e.g. c:\source_folder\*.pst

/E

Bulk extract messages to:

• msg - .msg file format
• umsg - unicode .msg file format
• eml - .eml(rfc 822) file format

/Name

Naming style for the saved messages:

• Id - incremental Id
• EntryId - PR_ENTRYID (unique message identifier)
• Subject - message subject

/PATH

Specifies destination folder for bulk extracted messages

/FullScan

Extensive scan (to recover data from a damaged or a corrupted .pst, .ost files)

/HardDeleted

Find 'hard deleted' and 'orphaned' items

/HardDeletedOnly

Export only 'hard deleted' and 'orphaned' items

See Also