huge pst file, content not displayed

• open a folder from your current email account - which shows its content
• click view
• click change view
• click apply current view to other Mail folders
• you get a list of all outlook data files and their folders
• choose the defective outlook data file top folder and mark it
• click apply

If all else fails, as a test. And if it works as the full process.

Create a new, empty PST.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-an-outlook-data-file-pst-to-save-your-information-17a13ca2-df52-48e8-b933-4c84c2aabe7c

Open (Add) the new PST to your Outlook Profile (if it's not done automatically) so it shows up in your Nav Pane.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/open-and-close-outlook-data-files-pst-381b776d-7511-45a0-953a-0935c79d24f2#id0ebbf=classic_outlook

Right-click the new PST top level folder in your Nav pane: New Folder, {name something meaninful}.

Select a subset of the emails you want to archive. Right-Click: Move -> Copy to folder, pick the new, archive folder you just created.

Test that the emails copied to the new PST. Rinse and repeat.

doesn't work -

1 tried to export only the sent folder of my gmail account from Outlook 2021

the usual problem - "we couldn't find anything here" from the opened pst file

ran Scanpst - log full of "couldn't find BBT entry in (hex numbers)" entries - see attached

Hi @a caruana,

Good day! Thanks for using Microsoft product and posting in the Microsoft Q&A.

When a PST file, especially one generated from a POP/IMAP Gmail account, becomes very large, it's more susceptible to corruption, leading to the "We did not find anything here" message even if the file size suggests content.

You can try these steps and see if they are helpful:

1. Run the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe):

This is the first and most crucial step. Microsoft provides a built-in tool to repair minor corruption in PST files.

• Close Outlook: Ensure Outlook is completely closed before running ScanPST.exe.
• Locate ScanPST.exe: The location varies slightly depending on your Outlook and Windows version. For Outlook 2021 (and later versions like 2016, 2019), it's often found in:
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ (for 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ (for 64-bit Office on 64-bit Windows)
  • Note: "Office16" typically refers to Outlook 2016/2019/2021/Microsoft 365 Click-to-Run installations. It might be "Office21" for some specific Outlook 2021 installations, though "Office16" is common.

2.Run ScanPST.exe:

• Double-click ScanPST.exe.
• Click "Browse" and navigate to your problematic PST file.
• Click "Start" to begin the scan.
• If errors are found, click "Repair."
• Important: ScanPST.exe creates a backup of your original PST file (with a .bak extension) before attempting repairs. This is vital in case the repair process causes further issues.
• After Repair: Once the repair is complete, try opening Outlook and loading the repaired PST file.

For more suggestions and step-by-step guidance, please refer to this article: Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost)

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates. If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

Best regards   

Chloe L. | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist