Hello,

Is there any method or tool available to "unlock" pst files?

I have made 2 basic mistakes when it comes to backing up pst-files:
1. Always shut down Outlook if you manually copy pst-files
2. Test that the backup can be recovered, before you need it.

I only wish I had done a bit more investigation before I copied the
pst-files.....

I had to reinstall Win XP (and Outlook 2003) on my PC, and now I'm stuck
with 2 pst files which can not be accessed. Outlook doesn't even recognise
them as personal folders files. I've tried various tools to recover the
content, however none of them have succeeded. Apparently, Outlook makes some
changes to these files while they are open, and if the pst files are copied
while in this state they are not accessible by other applications.

I've seen similar postings here, but I've never seen anybody actually
stating whether it's possible to recover the content of these files or not.

Any tips or help is appreciated.

Best regards,
Jens