Usage of an effective measure to access data from a corrupt Outlook OST file

As, I was aware about the true fact that Microsoft Outlook is the only application that allows to access Outlook data

even in the absence of Internet connectivity. This is the reason I have installed a Microsoft Outlook in my laptop.

I am in field work, so I have to go on tours regularly. This is another reason why I have chosen an Outlook messaging application as my e-mail client. Many times it happens that while traveling, a problem of unreliable Internet connectivity arises. So, such kind of problematic situation can be handled easily where I cannot access my Outlook e-mails properly due to unreliable Internet connectivity through the use of an Outlook OST file. OST file is an Outlook data file that permits user to access Outlook data even if the Internet connectivity is no more. However, OST file is also prone to corruption. Before going to find a solution, let us discuss an error message that I have recently faced while using Microsoft Outlook:

“Cannot open your default email folders. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file.”

Appearance of this error message has disturbed me a lot. All the data saved in the Outlook OST file became inaccessible. However, I tried to find out the cause and solution for it. Cause came out to be the corruption of Outlook data OST file. In order to get rid of OST corruption, I ran ‘Scanost.exe’ utility to get data of an OST file back, but not found any results. Data contained in Outlook OST file was precious to me as all my business related e-mails are there. Losing all those e-mails could fall me into serious problems. So, I started searching over the Internet and came to know about some third party tools. But, for making use of any of such tool, I have to pay money. Irrespective of this true fact, I prepared myself to invest for a third party tool because I was in a great need to recover all my lost data.

Through Internet, I came to know that in market, there are plenty of specialized software available in the market that repair OST file instantly. Moreover, such tools convert OST to PST as well. These third party software recover all the inaccessible data of OST file objects, such as contacts, attachments, appointments, tasks, journal, events, etc. Thus, after knowing about third party tools now my search started for a reliable third party OST to PST converter tool. After doing research for long, I found Stellar Phoenix Mailbox Exchange Desktop software. I found that this tool has numerous satisfied users.

Even after studying about this tool on Internet, firstly I used a demo version of the software. I was amazed after seeing its remarkable performance. I was glad, that in just a small amount of time the tool has performed OST PST conversion and recovered all the data from the corrupt OST file. But, in demo version, I was unable to save the recovered items. After complete satisfaction, I have purchased a full version of the software and recovered all my lost data from the OST file.

Want to access your orphaned OST files? Convert OST to PST

When you try to access Exchange server 2000 or 2003 mailbox through MS Outlook e-mail client application, you fail to log on to Exchange server database and one of the following error messages appears on your screen:

“Unable to display the folder. Microsoft Office Outlook could not access the specified folder location. The operation failed.”

The above mentioned error occurs in the Active Directory directory service when the Create named properties in the Information Store permission is not assigned to the Everyone group to the CN=Configuration, DC=Domain, DC=com, CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=Organization object. A second possibility could be the corruption in .ost file or Outlook has some synchronization problem with Microsoft Exchange Server.

First, let us go back and find out more about Exchange Servers and OST files.

In a corporate environment, MS Exchange Servers are deployed as an efficacious means to manage business communication through emails. In the absence of Exchange Servers, MS Outlook users work on their mailboxes using OST files. The .ost files are exact replicas of their Exchange Server mailboxes. Whenever, the connection to the MS Exchange Server is re-established, the OST files synchronize with the user mailboxes on the server and all the changes are reflected in the current mailboxes.

But what happens when the same OST file fails to synchronize with the Exchange Server? The user mailbox data and all the changes made to it are rendered inaccessible for future use. When the user mailbox becomes permanently unavailable, the OST file becomes orphaned.

Causes of OST file corruption

OST files become orphaned/corrupt pertaining to multitudinous factors, namely:

• Network connection failure
• Abrupt system shutdown due to power failure (dirty shutdown)
• Bad sectors on the hard disk
• Errors during synchronization
• A virus attack

Both these hardware and software reasons forfend the automatic synchronization of OST files with MS Exchange Server. Outlook users are often left gaping helplessly due to loss of paramount data when the OST files are corrupted.

The silver lining in such a situation, is the recovey of all the user data from the OST file in a usable form. Liberating the vital emails and user mailbox data from corrupt/orphaned OST files is a third party OST to PST Conversion software. This is the best solution to convert .ost file to .pst and regain access to all the valuable data that is left on the OST file.

The internet is jam-packed with teeming OST to PST Converter tools, that recover emails, attachments, drafts, contacts and journal entries etc. from the OST file in the form of a usable PST file that can be easily imported into Outlook.

A veracious OST to PST conversion utility is “Stellar Phoenix OST to PST Converter”. This software is a top-notch, power packed solution that successfully converts .ost files into .pst. This tool allows to perform selective recovery and the demo version offers a preview of the user mailbox and it components before the actual recovery. Exhibiting a vast array of compatibility, this software supports MS Outlook 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000.