How to recover Outlook data from D Drive effectively

Introduction

When your Outlook PST or OST files are saved on a separate partition, losing them can feel catastrophic. Fortunately, it is often possible to recover Outlook data from D Drive after accidental deletion, formatting, or corruption. This guide explains typical data loss scenarios and walks you through proven manual solutions and automated recovery with Recoverit so you can bring back emails, contacts, and calendar items safely.

Outlook Data Loss Scenarios

Common causes of Outlook data loss on D drive

Before you try to recover Outlook data from D Drive, it helps to understand how it went missing. Typical scenarios include:

• Accidental deletion: PST or OST files removed while cleaning the D drive, or entire folders deleted by mistake.
• Formatting or repartitioning: The D drive was formatted, or partitions were resized, wiping Outlook data locations.
• File system corruption: Sudden power loss, unsafe removal of an external D drive, or bad sectors leading to unreadable folders.
• Virus or malware attack: Malicious software deleting or encrypting Outlook data files.
• Software conflicts: Crashes during Outlook updates or Windows issues that corrupt PST/OST files stored on D.

Types of Outlook data you can recover

When you restore Outlook data from the D drive, you are usually dealing with these file types and items:

• PST files (Personal Storage Table): Used by POP3/IMAP accounts for emails, folders, contacts, and calendar items.
• OST files (Offline Storage Table): Cached copies of Exchange, Microsoft 365, and IMAP mailboxes.
• Mailbox contents: Emails, attachments, tasks, notes, and calendar entries embedded in PST or OST files.
• Profile and settings data: Rules, views, and signatures tied to a specific Outlook profile.

How To Recover Outlook data from D Drive with Easy Methods?

In many cases you can recover Outlook data from D Drive using built-in Windows and Outlook options before moving to specialized tools. Try the following simple methods first.

Method 1: Restore Outlook files from Recycle Bin or File History

If you recently deleted your PST or OST from the D drive, the file may still be available in local backups or the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Check the Recycle Bin for deleted PST/OST files

• Open the Windows desktop Recycle Bin.
• Type ".pst" or ".ost" in the search bar to filter Outlook data files.
• Right-click the required file that originally resided on D:\ and choose Restore.
• Windows will place the file back in its original folder on the D drive.

Step 2. Recover previous versions from File History or Restore Points

• In File Explorer, navigate to the folder on D drive where Outlook data used to be (for example, D:\OutlookData).
• Right-click the folder and select Restore previous versions.
• If available, choose an earlier snapshot that contains your PST or OST file.
• Click Restore to bring back the older version to the same location or copy it to another drive.

Step 3. Restore D drive data from a full backup

• If you use Windows Backup, an external backup drive, or cloud backup, open the corresponding backup tool.
• Search for the most recent PST/OST files stored on D drive.
• Restore them to a safe location on another partition (such as C:\Recovery\Outlook) instead of overwriting existing files.

Method 2: Use Outlook tools to restore PST/OST and emails

When the file is still present but Outlook cannot open it, or when specific emails have gone missing, built-in Outlook functions can help.

Step 1. Repair a corrupted PST file with SCANPST

• Close Outlook completely.
• Locate the PST file on D drive that Outlook is failing to open.
• Run the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE). Its location varies by Outlook version; for example:
  • Office 365 (64-bit): C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\SCANPST.EXE
• Open SCANPST, browse to the PST file on D:\, and click Start.
• If errors are found, select Repair, then re-open Outlook and attach the repaired PST via File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.

Step 2. Recreate an OST file from the mail server

• For Exchange or Microsoft 365 accounts, the OST on D drive is usually a cache of your online mailbox.
• In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select your account, and click Remove (this does not delete server data).
• Close Outlook, then delete the damaged OST file from D:\.
• Re-add the account in Outlook; a fresh OST will be downloaded from the server.

Step 3. Recover deleted emails from Outlook folders

• Check the Deleted Items folder for recently removed messages and move them back to your inbox.
• In Exchange or Microsoft 365, use Recover Deleted Items from the Folder tab to restore items purged from Deleted Items but still retained on the server.
• If you previously exported a backup PST to D drive, use File > Open & Export > Import/Export to bring specific folders or emails back into your current mailbox.

How to Use Recoverit to Recover Outlook data from D Drive?

If manual solutions do not bring your mailbox back, a professional recovery utility gives you a much higher chance of success. Recoverit by Wondershare is designed to scan partitions and disks deeply and restore deleted, lost, or formatted files, including PST and OST. You can download it from the Recoverit and follow a simple wizard to salvage Outlook data from your D drive.

Follow these steps to scan your D drive and restore PST or OST files using Recoverit.

1. Choose a Location to Recover Data

   Install and launch Recoverit on your computer. On the main interface, look under the Hard Disk Drives section and select the D drive where Outlook stored your PST or OST files. This ensures the software focuses only on the affected partition, improving scan relevance and speed.

   

2. Deep Scan the Location

   Click Start to begin scanning the selected D drive. Recoverit will automatically perform a thorough sector-by-sector scan, searching for lost or deleted Outlook-related data, including PST, OST, and other document types. You can watch files appear in real time, pause the scan to inspect results, or let it finish for a complete list of recoverable items.

   

3. Preview and Recover Your Desired Data

   When the scan finishes, use the left panel and search bar to filter results by file type or enter keywords like ".pst" and ".ost". Select the Outlook data files you need and use the preview feature for supported formats to confirm they are intact. Click Recover, then choose a safe destination on a different drive (not D:) to save the restored Outlook data and avoid overwriting remaining lost files.

   

Practical Tips

• Stop using the D drive immediately: Minimize writing new data to D:\ once you notice loss, as this may overwrite sectors containing Outlook files.
• Work from another disk: Install Recoverit and save recovered files on a different partition or external drive.
• Keep multiple backups: Schedule Outlook exports to PST on another drive or cloud storage and enable Windows File History for critical folders.
• Label and document file locations: Note where your PST/OST files are stored so you can quickly locate them during troubleshooting.
• Use antivirus software: Regular scans reduce the risk of malware corrupting or encrypting your Outlook data on D drive.

Conclusion

Outlook data stored on a separate partition is vulnerable to deletion, formatting, and corruption, but that does not mean it is gone forever. With a calm approach and the right sequence of actions, you can often restore PST and OST files and regain access to your emails, calendar, and contacts.

Start with simple checks like the Recycle Bin, Windows backups, and Outlook's own repair tools. If these options fail, a dedicated recovery solution such as Recoverit can deeply scan your D drive and give you a strong chance to recover Outlook data from D Drive safely. Act quickly, avoid writing new data to the affected drive, and implement regular backups to protect yourself from future incidents.

Next: Recover Gmail Data From D Drive