How to Repair a Corrupt OST File in Outlook: Ideal Methods

A corrupt OST (Offline Storage Table) file in Microsoft Outlook can cause issues like emails not syncing, Outlook crashing, or folders not opening. Below are the most effective methods to repair a corrupt OST file.

How to Tell if an OST File is Damaged?

When the OST file gets damaged, it might cause a lot of problems. Here are a few things you can do to check if your OST file is damaged.

• When you try to open Outlook, it crashes a lot.
• Your emails, contacts, or calendars aren't showing up.
• The error messages say things like "Cannot open your default email folders" or "Username.ost is in use and cannot be accessed."
• When you try to open some mailboxes, Outlook stops working.
• When you try to open Outlook, you see the notice "Outlook using old copy of data file." This means that your data file is corrupted.
• Get regular reminders to fix your OST file using the Inbox Repair Tool.
• You need to fix a corrupt OST file if you are having any of the problems listed above. Before you start fixing the OST file, though, let's talk about what caused the corruption.

Easy Ways to Repair an Outlook OST File That Is Corrupt

These simple repairs should be tried first before moving.

• Close Outlook and turn off your computer to restart Windows and Outlook. After that, restart the computer and try to launch Outlook.
• Open Outlook in Safe Mode: This can repair the problem. This will turn off the add-ons that are causing problems. To do that, press Windows+R and type Outlook.exe /safe.
• Turn off broken add-ins: Outlook has a lot of add-in features that can make it work better. But sometimes these add-ons cause problems.
• To get rid of all of them, go to File > Options > Add-ins and uncheck the ones that look suspect.
• Check the status of the Internet and server: If your network connection is bad, it's not because your OST file is broken; it's because of a sync problem.
• If the problem still exists, you will need to use the advanced features to fix the faulty OST file.
• Advanced Ways to Fix a Corrupt OST File

If none of the above remedies work for you, consider these technical methods to fix the corrupted Outlook OST file. Here are the fixes:

1. Fix your Outlook profile: Sometimes, the problem is with your Outlook profile. Fixing or making a new profile can fix a corrupt OST file and other problems.

• Show Profiles by going to Control Panel > Mail.
• Choose your Outlook profile and then select Email Accounts in the Properties menu.
• Click Repair after choosing your account.
• Do what it says and then restart Outlook.

2. Compact the OST File: The OST file is too big, which might cause problems because it is easy to corrupt. So, it's advisable to break up big OST files into smaller ones. Here are the steps to make your OST file smaller:

• In Outlook, click on File, then Account Settings, and then Data Files.
• Choose your OST file and then click on Settings.
• Click on Advanced, then Outlook Data File Settings.
• Click "Compact Now."

3. Rebuild the OST File: If the OST file is broken and there isn't much hope of fixing it, the best thing to do is delete it and let Outlook make a new .ost file.

1. Shut down Outlook.
2. Go to C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.
3. Get rid of the broken OST file.
4. When you restart Outlook, it will get a new copy from the server.

Note: The data that isn't synced will be lost forever.

Professional Ways to Fix a Corrupted OST File

If the preceding approaches don't work, your OST file is probably too broken to be fixed by hand. The Softaken OST to PST Converter Tool will easily get emails and other data back from an OST file that is broken. Also, this OST to PST converter may work with OST files that are corrupted, damaged, or orphaned. Just include the broken OST file and make a new PST file that works. The best part is that it will change OST to PST without having to install Outlook. It is possible to fix the broken OST file without losing any data because the interface is straightforward and easy to use.

Conclusion

In this article, we talk about all the ways to easily fix a corrupt OST file. There are some easy and hard ways to cure OST file corruption by hand. If none of the solutions work, you should try the professional tool. I hope this article helps you fix your broken OST file.

Read More: Convert OST to PST on Windows Like a Pro – Instant Solution