How to Repair a Corrupt .ost File in Outlook 2007? An Expert Solution

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Published On December 13th, 2017

Reading Time 6 Minutes Reading

Are you in search of a solution for how to repair a corrupt .ost file in outlook 2007 and any other versions of outlook. Then let me tell you, you are on the right blog. This blog will give you a clear cut idea on how to fix corrupt OST files efficiently.

The OST file of MS Outlook is the Offline Storage Table, which maintains an offline replica of the user mailbox on the MS Exchange Server. The main motive of this OST file is to let users work in an offline mode also. In addition, it works properly even if the Outlook is not connected to MS Exchange Server. Any changes done in offline mode gets updated automatically when the connection is established with the Exchange Server again. As OST file stored locally on the machine so, it is prone to corruption. Sometimes it starts creating issues like inaccessibility, damage to OST file, and synchronization error. All this is because of reasons such as virus infection, accidental deletion of Exchange Server user account, Outlook crash, power failure, etc. Now, the damage will move the OST file in an inaccessible state. Thus, one has to look for a solution of how to repair a corrupt .ost file in Outlook 2007/ 2010/ 2013/ 2016 and below versions.

Instant Solution: If you need a direct solution in an effective way, then you can go for OST to PST Conversion Software to fix corrupt OST file in Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 versions.

Why We Need To Recover Damaged OST File

If OST file of Microsoft Outlook is prone to corruption, then there must be some reason behind it. Moreover, it is really important to understand the main causes of corruption before repairing it, which are listed below:

It can be due to some virus or malware infection in the system if a user is not using a good anti-virus tool.
Accidental deletion of important file or folder from Exchange profile also results damage in OST file.
Another possible reason could be abnormal termination or sudden shutdown of MS Outlook application.
The OST file grows unnecessarily large, then also there are chances of corruption.
Other reasons: power failure, incompatible add-ins, network interruption during synchronization process, and data storage failure.

How to Repair a corrupt .ost File in Outlook 2007 / 2016/ 2013 & Other Versions

There are several ways available through which a user can try to recover damaged OST file and all of them are discussed below:

Manual #1: Fix Corrupt Outlook OST File – Update the Folder

Using this method one can modify the folder properties (clear offline items) in order to repair inaccessible Outlook OST File issues. Now, to do the same, follow the steps mentioned below:

First of all, right-click on the folder and choose Properties option
As a dialog box appeared, you need to click on ‘Clear Offline Items’ option
Then, click on the OK button
Now, choose the Send or Receive option on Outlook 2010 ribbon
After that, click on the Update Folder and save all the change

Manual #2: Rebuild OST File Outlook – Run Scanpst.exe

How to repair a corrupt .ost File in Outlook 2007 is a major issue faced by many, around the world. Scanpst.exe is one of the most common manual solution available to resolve this is a type of errors in Microsoft Outlook account. A user can use scanpst.exe to analyze and repair both OST and PST file. Thus, one just need to execute scanpst.exe and repair the Outlook OST along with PST file. It will look for all errors and try to fix all of them. However, in the case of badly damaged OST & PST file, the scanpst.exe will fail and ask you to recreate it.

Manual #3: Recreate Outlook OST File

As everybody knows the OST files are the offline version of the Microsoft Exchange Server files. However, if it gets deleted due to any reason, then a user can simply get it back by downloading the copy from the server again. Now, to recreate the OST file, a user needs to follow the steps mentioned below:

First of all, exit Microsoft Outlook application.
After that, click on the Control Panel and then on Mail.
A Mail Setup – Outlook dialogue box will pop-up. Click on the Email Accounts.
A new Account Settings dialogue box will open having all Outlook accounts. Then, click on the Data Files and select the OST file. After all, this, click on the Open File Location option.
After this, to delete the file, you need to right-click on the OST file and choose the Delete option.

Point to Remember: Before deleting the OST file, you have to close the Account Settings & Mail Setup window because otherwise, it will give an error message.

Now, start MS Outlook application and it creates a new OST file automatically for the account.

Drawbacks – Repair a Corrupt .ost File in Outlook 2007 Manually

None of the above methods is the foolproof solution to recover damaged OST file. Moreover, in the case of badly corrupted OST file all above manual tricks fails. In addition, it requires Microsoft Outlook and Exchange Server to be in a proper sync. If Microsoft Exchange Server is down, then also it will not perfectly.

Recover Corrupt OST File of Outlook 2016 & Below Versions Automatically

To overcome all the limitations of the manual method discussed above, a user is advised to use a third-party tool named as OST Repair Software. It is the utility that fix corrupt or damaged OST file and converts or import OST to Outlook PST format in just a few number of clicks. After that, a user can easily access the resultant PST file in any version of Outlook without any hassle. Moreover, the application repairs all data items like emails, contacts, calendars, etc., stored in a .ost file. The tool does not impose any file size limitation and can easily be installed on any version of Microsoft Windows.

Conclusion

Corrupt or damaged OST file can create lots of trouble while working on Microsoft Outlook. Therefore, it really important to fix it as soon as possible. Thus, in the following post, we have discussed all possible solutions i.e. a manual and professional solution of how to repair a corrupt .ost file in Outlook 2007/ 2010/ 2013/ 2016 efficiently. One can easily use them and recover all data items stored in OST file in an efficient manner.