Aspose.Email 24.7.0 - Problem Enumerating PST Folder

Aspose.Email Product Family
1

We’re having an issue retrieving messages from a PST folder using the Aspose.Email 24.7.0 library in our .NET C# application.

In FolderInfo.EnumerateMapiMessages(), we get the following error after a number of messages:

System.InvalidOperationException: Could not read message. The message data is probably corrupted.
—> System.ArgumentNullException: Could not find the data block by its identifier. (Parameter ‘entry’)
at o9.v(x9 d)
at o9.t(x9 d)
at e9.g()
at e9…ctor(G9 d, o9 v)
at p9…ctor(G9 d, o9 v)
at X9.d(UInt32 d, Boolean v)
at NX.v(UInt32 d)
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at NX.v(UInt32 d)
at NX.d(UInt32 d)
at NX.c.MoveNext()

When we open the PST in Outlook, we see a similar issue and cannot open certain individual messages. However, when we use alternative methods to access and retrieve messages from the PST (other applications or libraries), they’re successful in retrieving these messages intact. Note that we’ve attempted running ScanPST, and this does not resolve the issue.

How can we gracefully retrieve all messages from the folder? Is there an alternate set of calls we can make?

We can send the PST for observation, though would want to do so securely.

2

@andrew.pierce.consilio

It seems you’re encountering issues when trying to retrieve messages from a PST folder using the Aspose.Email library, specifically version 24.7.0. The error message indicates that the message data might be corrupted, which is also corroborated by similar issues observed when opening the PST in Outlook.

To handle this situation gracefully and retrieve messages, you can consider the following approaches:

  1. Use the PersonalStorage Class with a Callback: Instead of using FromFile, you can instantiate the PersonalStorage class with a callback method that handles exceptions. This allows you to manage errors without interrupting the entire process. Here’s a code snippet demonstrating this:

    using (var pst = new PersonalStorage((exception, itemId) => 
{
    // Handle the exception, log it, or take necessary action
    Console.WriteLine($"Error processing item {itemId}: {exception.Message}");
}))
{
    if (pst.Load("path_to_your_pst_file.pst"))
    {
        GetAllMessages(pst, pst.RootFolder);
    }
}

private static void GetAllMessages(PersonalStorage pst, FolderInfo folder)
{
    foreach (var messageEntryId in folder.EnumerateMessagesEntryId())
    {
        try
        {
            MapiMessage message = pst.ExtractMessage(messageEntryId);
            // Process the message as needed
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            // Handle individual message extraction errors
            Console.WriteLine($"Failed to extract message: {ex.Message}");
        }
    }

    foreach (var subFolder in folder.GetSubFolders())
    {
        GetAllMessages(pst, subFolder);
    }
}

  2. Use the Load Method: The Load method of the PersonalStorage class can be used to attempt loading the PST file while handling exceptions through the callback. This method returns a boolean indicating whether the file was loaded successfully.

  3. Consider Alternative Libraries: If the Aspose.Email library continues to have issues with certain messages, you might want to explore other libraries or tools that can read PST files. Since you mentioned that other applications successfully retrieve the messages, it may be worth investigating how they handle corrupted data.

  4. Check for Updates: Ensure you are using the latest version of the Aspose.Email library, as updates may include bug fixes and improvements related to PST file handling.

If you need further assistance or would like to share the PST file securely for observation, please refer to the appropriate channels provided by Aspose for secure file sharing.

For more detailed information on handling PST files and messages, you can refer to the official Aspose documentation on reading PST files here.

Sources:
[1]: FolderInfo.EnumerateMessages | Aspose.Email for .NET API Reference
[2]: Read PST Files and Retrieve Information - Aspose Documentation