Table of Contents:
How to Repair Corrupt OST Files in Outlook using Inbox Repair Tool?
Fix the OST File by Re-creating OST File.
Steps to recreate and fix corrupt OST files.
Repair OST file by disabling faulty Add-ins.
Repair Outlook OST File with Yodot Outlook PST Repair Tool.
The OST file stands for Offline Storage Table. It is used offline to create emails, view existing emails, delete emails, make reminders, and perform other tasks. And once internet connectivity is available, all changes made to the OST file will be synced to the Exchange Server.
If you frequently connect and disconnect from the network, OST files are well suited to offer various advantages in offline mode. Because of this, they are subject to corruption. Other reasons for OST file corruption include
● If Outlook is terminated incorrectly while closing it.
● Power loss occurred while synchronizing Outlook data.
● The large OST file can also cause corruption.
● Incompatible third-party Outlook add-ins
● Corruption or bad sectors on the hard drive where the OST file is saved.
● A virus or malware attacks the OST file.
Considering the reasons, you can implement suitable methods to repair the OST file. For example, you can use the Inbox Repair tool or any reliable third-party software to repair your OST files hassle-free. Here’s the step-by-step guide to repair corrupt OST files in Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2010 and 2009.
The first method you can try is with the help of ScanPST. To identify and repair issues in your Outlook data file, use the Inbox Repair tool known as Scanpst.exe. The Inbox Repair utility examines the Outlook data files on your computer to determine their condition.
To identify and repair issues in your Outlook data file, use the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE). The Inbox Repair utility examines the Outlook data files on your computer to determine their condition.
How to Repair Corrupt OST Files in Outlook using Inbox Repair Tool?
To repair OST files, one must know the location of the files. For example, ScanPST.exe is usually situated in the installation directory of Outlook. However, the precise location may vary based on the version of Outlook you’re running.
1. Exit Outlook and navigate to one of the file locations listed below:
| ● Outlook 2019: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 | For Outlook 2019 |
| ● Outlook 2016: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16 | For Outlook 2016 |
| ● Outlook 2013: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15 | For Outlook 2013 |
| ● Outlook 2010: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14 | For Outlook 2010 |
| ● Outlook 2007: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12 | For Outlook 2007 |
2. Launch the Inbox Repair tool. Next, select Browse to find the Outlook Data File (.ost) to scan.
3. Click on Start to begin the scanning.
4. Once the scan is complete, the tool will showcase the errors. Then you can click on the Repair button to begin the repair procedure.
5. When the repair is finished, return to Outlook and enable it with the profile linked to the repaired Outlook Data File.
Fix OST File by Re-creating OST File.
You may be unable to access your Exchange account due to server malfunction. For instance, if you need to retrieve email data but the OST file is corrupted, you can recreate it. Because OST files are copies of things saved on a mail server, you can rebuild OST files to address the problem.
Steps to recreate and fix corrupt OST file:
● Press the Windows+R keys together.
● Next, enter or paste %LOCALAPPDATA%Microsoft\Outlook, then click on Browse.
● The tool will list all the Outlook files on your Windows computer. Now right-click on the corrupt OST file and press Delete.
● Restart Microsoft Outlook to create a new OST file free from all corruption.
● You can fix damaged OST files and retrieve Outlook data by recreating your OST file.
Note: This technique will not restore Outlook folders or objects, such as emails if they are not synchronized with the Exchange server. Hence having a backup of Outlook data files before the repair is necessary.
You can also repair Outlook OST files by running Outlook in safe mode. Running in safe mode will help you identify faulty add-ins and disable them. This will also help gain access to inaccessible OST files.
Repair OST files by disabling faulty Add-ins.
This command will not fix OST files but grant access to inaccessible ones.
● Select Run from the Start menu.
● Type Outlook.exe/safe into the Run box.
● To proceed, click OK, and Outlook will launch in Safe mode.
The main reason for starting MS Outlook in safe mode is to disable any add-ins that may have caused difficulties during the restarting procedure.
To disable Add-ins, follow the procedure below:
● First, go to File, click on Options, and choose Add-ins.
● Then find the Manage option at the bottom of the opened window, and Disable. And from the drop-down menu and click on Go.
● Now enable Add-ins individually, identify the faulty add-in causing the trouble, and disable it.
If these methods fail to repair OST files, you can always go for a reliable automated way to fix the issues with OST files. For example, Yodot Outlook PST Repair is a well-known tool to fix all your Outlook-related errors.
Yodot Outlook PST Repair can repair severely corrupted OST files. It will assist you in recovering all Outlook attributes from the repaired OST file. It will also help create new OST files and repair larger ones, unlike the SCANPST.exe tool, which is limited to 2 GB. In addition, all deleted emails, notes, and attributes will be recovered. Yodot Outlook PST Repair is compatible with Outlook 365, 2019, 2016, 2013, and previous versions. Download the tool to repair OST files quickly.
Repair Outlook OST File with Yodot Outlook PST Repair Tool
● Install the Outlook OST Repair tool on your system and launch it.
● Choose between three options that you see after launching the tool. For repairing OST files, choose the third option, i.e., Select Outlook Profile.
● This option will help you choose the OST file you want to repair.
● Select the destination for the repaired File to be saved on your system.
● Select between Normal Scan and Smart Scan. (Normal Scan helps you fix minor corruptions, wherein Smart Scan will help you severely corrupted OST files)
● Click the Repair button to start the repair and wait for the healthy OST file.
Note: These methods will help you repair the OST files quickly. However, you need help fixing the OST file for unforeseen reasons. You can use a Yodot OST to PST converter tool to convert your OST files to PST and then repair them.
Conclusion:
We hope the methods in the article have helped you repair OST files in Outlook 365 or newer versions of Outlook. As we now know, the ScanPST.exe program in Outlook can be used to repair damaged OST files. And we know that the OST files can be deleted and recreated to make them healthy again. However, the best method for securely recovering the data from corrupted OST files is to use an OST File Repair Tool like Yodot Outlook PST Repair Tool if the OST file is inaccessible or Outlook is not working correctly.
