How to Unlock PST File Password Free In Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013

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  • Published on
    May 10th, 2014
  • Updated on
    September 9, 2023
  • Read Time
    3 minutes

Most of the Outlook users keep their PST files password protected in order to secure their data as they may contain important personal, financial, and business information. One can password protect any PST file in Outlook by just selecting the distinct data file in settings.

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But sometimes it happens that you forget the password you put on the PST file, and you don’t have access to that PST file anymore. Do not worry at all, as in this article, I will be telling you how can you unlock the PST file password for free. So, here we go.

Different Methods to Unlock Password Protected PST files

These are the two methods that you can use to unlock password-protected PST files.

Method 1: Unlock Password Protected PST files using ‘pst19upg.exe’

As there is no official way of breaking through a locked PST file. But you can follow the procedure given below to find a possible solution for the problem. Before moving further, make sure that Outlook is closed, and you must have a backup of the locked PST file.

  • You have to run EXE on the backup of the locked PST file.
    Note: Keep in mind to find the EXE at given paths for different MS Outlook Versions.
    • For Outlook 2007
      32 Bit: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12
      64 Bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12
    • For Outlook 2013
      32 Bit: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15
      64 Bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15
    • For Outlook 2016
      32 Bit: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16
      64 Bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

    Note: If you are already using the backup file of the original one, then avoid the backup option in SCANPST.EXE.

  • After that, launch command prompt
  • Next, type in the command: C:\My Documents\pst19upg.exe – filename.pst > Hit Enter
    Example: C:\My Documents\pst19upg.exe – user.pst,
  • Now, a copy of the PST file with .psx format will be created. You have to rename the backup PST file you used in step 3.
  • Then, in the command prompt, type “pst19upg.exe- filename.psx” > hit Enter
  • Here, a new PST file will be created from the PSX file.
  • Finally, launch MS Outlook and import the new password removed PST file.

The Major Drawback of Using pst19upg.exe:

This free utility comes with a limitation. It is only functional in Microsoft Outlook 2002 and earlier versions. This means you cannot run it into MS Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and 2003. Also, it can only eradicate passwords from ANSI PST type, not from UNICODE PST.

Method 2: Third-Party Tool to Unlock PST File Password

If the above method didn’t work as per the expectations, then you need a more reliable solution for this problem. SysInfoTool Outlook Password Recovery tool is the best, and most cost-effective solution to unlock all password-protected PST files. No matter how much the password is long or complex, it will recover it within a few clicks. “Simply upload the locked PST files then click on Recover button“. And you are able to open them effortlessly. It is a user-friendly, fast and very efficient tool. It can effectively unlock the PST files which are created on ANSI and UNICODE created on MS Outlook 2016 and for lower versions as well.

Conclusion

In this blog, I have discussed how to unlock the PST file password for free. As the manual methods are time-consuming and is effective only for MS Outlook 2003 and older versions. So, I would recommend using the professional PST password recovery tool to unlock PST files from MS Outlook 2016/2013/2010/2007 or older versions.

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