Stellar Repair For Outlook – Hands-On Review & Performance Test
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients for businesses and professionals, but it isn’t immune to problems. When Outlook’s PST (Personal Storage Table) files become corrupted due to large file sizes, abrupt shutdowns, or storage issues, the application often fails to open or shows incomplete data. While Microsoft provides a built-in ScanPST repair utility, its functionality is limited and struggles with large or severely damaged files.
To evaluate a reliable alternative, I tested Stellar Repair for Outlook using a 20 GB severely corrupted PST file on a Windows 11 system (8 GB RAM, Outlook 2026 64-bit). Here’s how the software performed.
Initial Attempt with ScanPST
Before using Stellar Repair, I ran the ScanPST tool on the corrupted file.
- The repair process failed, showing an error (screenshot above).
- Importing the file back into Outlook resulted in incomplete and unreadable data.
This confirmed that the built-in repair tool wasn’t capable of handling this case.
Installing and Launching Stellar Repair for Outlook
Next, I downloaded and installed Stellar Repair for Outlook from its official website. Upon launching the software, I was greeted with a clean and intuitive interface that immediately stood out for its usability.
Key features on the first screen:
- Automatic profile detection: Lists all configured Outlook profiles, which is particularly helpful for non-technical users who may not know which profile is affected.
- Manual PST selection: Lets you select a specific file when working with offline or backup PST files.
I selected my 20 GB corrupted PST file for repair.
Repair Process and Performance
Clicking Repair started the scanning and repairing process.
- The software displayed real-time progress, making each step transparent.
- The 20 GB file took around 1 hour to fully repair, which is reasonable given its size.
Once the process completed, I saw the message:
“Selected file has been repaired.”
Previewing and Saving Recovered Data
The software provided a preview of all mailbox items, including:
- Emails
- Attachments
- Calendar entries
- Contacts
All data was readable and appeared intact.
To save the repaired PST, I upgraded from the demo version by purchasing and activating the Professional edition (Technician and Toolkit editions are also available for advanced needs).
I then exported the repaired file to a location of my choice.
Importing Back into Outlook
Finally, I used Outlook’s built-in Import/Export feature to add the repaired PST back into my profile. All folders, messages, and calendar items loaded successfully. no missing or corrupted data.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Handles large PST files efficiently (tested with 20 GB).
- Automatic Outlook profile detection simplifies the process for non-technical users.
- Preview before saving allows verifying data integrity.
- Clean, easy-to-use UI with clear progress indicators.
Cons:
- Repairing large files takes time (1 hour for 20 GB in my test).
- Full data saving requires a paid license.
Verdict: Is Stellar Repair for Outlook Worth It?
After testing it extensively, I can confidently say that Stellar Repair for Outlook is a reliable and user-friendly solution for recovering corrupted or oversized PST files. It far outperforms Microsoft’s ScanPST, especially when dealing with large or severely corrupted data.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 – Highly recommended for business and personal users who need quick, reliable PST recovery.
