Recover Deleted User Profile

Can't locate Outlook PST

[celgins]

I know I'm probably dead in the water on this one, but I'm trying to recover an Outlook PST file from a deleted user account.

1. MS Server 2003 set as domain controller.

2. Damaged/corrupted user profile was deleted in Server Management > Users before backing up the user's "C:\Documents and Settings\user\*" folders.

3. Was able to recover desktop folders after logging in with new user account, but not the Outlook.pst file.

4. No Exchange server is running.

5. No Active Directory--just a user account on the server.

6. I've read through MS Support KB 840001 for restoring deleted user accounts, but I'm wondering if there's anyway to simply locate the PST. Can't find it anywhere on the "C:" drive of user's computer.

[Hoople]

The PST location for Outlook varies slightly BY operating system and Outlook version.

On my Windows XP SP3 machine with Outlook 2007:

C:\Documents and Settings\USER_ID\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

PST's are 32kb by default on creation and will have a creation date that matches other files in that folder.

Search for *.pst as there might be archive.pst files located elsewhere.

[Terabytes]

No backups to go to?
(just sayin')

[celgins]

Thanks for the information. I was able to recover the PST. I forgot to search hidden files.

[cmendla]

This is locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.. but

What I do is a simple backup of my pst about once a week

1. Open Outlook
2. File Export to PST
3. Make sure you are at the ROOT of your PST (Ie not just in the inbox)
4. Check "Include subfolders"
5. Save the file to a differnet drive. I use a file name of YYYY MM DD Outlook backup.pst.

Note - it can take a while to back up a large PST.

Every once in a while I go out and delete the old backups.

THere is also an add on available at the microsoft office site that can create backups for you.