Cannot Copy or Move Outlook.pst File Error; Cannot Read From Source File or Disk

Are you using Microsoft Outlook email client for your personal as well as business email communication purpose. It is common to copy a PST data file from a folder or disk. This blog will discuss related issues faced by a user when they try to copy or move Outlook.pst file from source file or disk. To know more about the issues and its solutions, read the following sections thoroughly.

Resolve Cannot Copy or Move Outlook.pst File Error; Cannot Read From Source File or Disk

Sometimes, while copying the data files (Outlook PST) from any other storage device like USB Drive or hard disk, users encounter an error prompt ‘Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file error; cannot read from source file or disk’. Well, it is an annoying error message that makes users concerned about the sustainability of their disk and the data items stored in it. There can be several reasons that can result in the occurrence of this error prompt. The file system mismatch is the most common reason for this. In this article, we are going to disclose all the possible reasons that causes Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file error and cannot read from source file or disk and the respective solutions.

Cause 1. Presence of Bad Sectors on the Source File

Solution: If the source disk or file is suffering from bad sectors then, you need to scan and fix this issue. In order to do so, Windows offers an in-built Scandisk utility called CHKDSK. So, you need to run the Command Prompt as an administrator and type ‘CHKDSK drive letter: f’ and hit the Enter button. Now follow the below given blogs as per requirement.

1. Repair Bad Sectors in Hard Disk Drive
2. Run CHKDSK on an External Hard Drive
3. Check Hard Disk Health in Windows
4. Fix External Hard Drive Not Working

Cause 2. Mismatched FAT32 or NTFS File Systems

Solution: Mismatched file systems is one of the major causes that result in ‘cannot read from the source file or disk error’. In case if you are using Windows 10/ 8 then, there are high chances that your file system is NTFS; and if you are using Windows 7 then, you might be using FAT32 or NTFS. In Windows XP the file system would be FAT32. Hence, it is essential to know that NTFS and FAT 32 both are very different file systems and NTFS can handle larger sized files simply while comparing it with FAT32. 4GB is the maximum size that can be handled by FAT32 file system so, if the file size exceeds the defined size limit, it causes issues like Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file followed by cannot read from source file or disk error message.

Cause 3. Outlook Creating Conflicts While Copying PST

Solution: When users try to copy the PST files while any of the Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 version with the same PST file is opened then, you will get the message error prompt. This is so because the already opened Outlook application prevents or disables users from copying the PST file. Hence, if you are trying to copy the PST file with opened Outlook, it is natural to get ‘Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file error; cannot read from source file or disk’. Just close your MS Outlook account first then, copy the required PST data file effortlessly.

Cause 4. Deficient or Uncertain Power Supply

Solution: The error message ‘Cannot read from the source file or disk can be caused due to hardware issues like the insufficient power supply to the system etc. Especially while copying files (say Outlook PST data file) from an external hard disk, one needs to make sure that enough power is supplied to the computer. If the system is connected to a USB hub then, there can be a lack of power supply. Therefore, make sure to provide enough power supply to the hard disk, in-order avoid this kind Cannot open or move Outlook.pst file errors. Since as we know, MS Outlook application stores all its data in a PST data file. Losing its data, or PST file gets damaged or corrupted is the most horrible thing to happen.

Cause 5. Unsupported File Name

Solution: In case if the file name cannot be identified by the Windows OS then, there are chances to occur this error prompt. For example, if you are attempting to copy a file with a special file name that created originally from a Mac system, and if the file name might be incompatible with Windows. In such scenario, all you have to do is, rename the files and check if the error gets resolved or not.

Case 6. Corrupted Source File

Solution: If the files that are being copied are compromised then, you may get Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file error; cannot read from source file or disk message. In such cases, the most urgent thing you need to do is to repair the damaged source file. You can use Outlook Recovery Tool to recover data from corrupted PST files effortlessly in few simple steps.

Cause 7. Windows System Error

Solution: If the Windows Operating System gets malfunctioned and have some unexpected system conflicts, then similar errors messages can appear. In such cases, the problem can be fixed simply by restarting the system simply.

Conclusion

Cannot copy or move Outlook.pst file error; cannot read from source file or disk issue basically occurs while the user tries to copy the files from another device like an external hard disk erroneously. In order to fix the issue, it becomes essential to know the main causes and its reasons for the same. Therefore, this technical guide discusses all the common reasons that might result in occurrences of this Outlook PST file cannot be opened from source file or disk issue. Go through the solutions and techniques to resolve the same.