Password protected ANSI PST

Overview

Generally PSTC can handle password removal of protected PST's. During the migration of PST files, you may encounter a password-protected ANSI PST file. ANSI PST files with passwords are not supported by PSTC's password library, which prevents successful migration. To proceed, these files need to have the password removed or be copied into a new PST file without password protection.

Cause

The error occurs because PSTC does not support the decryption of password-protected ANSI PST files. ANSI PST files, used by older versions of Outlook, often have password protection to secure their contents. However, PSTC cannot handle these password-protected files directly due to limitations in the password library integration.

Solution

To resolve this issue and continue with the migration process, follow these steps:

1. Create a new PST file:
   • After removing the password protection, create a new PST file in Outlook where you will copy the contents of the original ANSI PST file.
   • In Outlook, go to: File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files > Add.
   • Follow the prompts to create a new Outlook Data File (PST). Make sure to select the format appropriate for your Outlook version (Unicode for newer versions).
2. Copy contents to the new PST file:
   • With both PST files (the original and the new one) open in Outlook, select the folders or items you want to migrate from the original ANSI PST file.
   • Drag and drop these items into the corresponding folders in the new PST file.