Outlook OST file also is known as Offline storage table file is created by the Microsoft Outlook application to store the mailbox data. The primary feature of this OST file is that it allows the user to work in offline mode. This OST file resides on the user system. So it is vulnerable to many issues like corruption, synchronization problem, virus infection. If the Outlook OST file is behaving inappropriately then the user wants to recreate OST file in Outlook 2016 / 2013.
Why We Need to Rebuild OST File
There are lots of benefits of this OST file but there are quite disadvantages too. In case if the users account profile has been compromised, then the OST file will be of no use. In case of OST file corruption, or due to the undesirable behavior of this OST file then there is a need to recreate the OST file Outlook arises. Before proceeding to the solutions part let us discuss the reasons for OST file corruption problem so that the user can avoid them in the future.
Primary Reasons Which Can Cause Corruption in Outlook OST File
- Presence of Bad sectors in the Hard drive file.
- Abruptly termination of Outlook application.
- Due to the oversized OST file problem.
- In case of Network issues during the OST synchronization.
Know How to Recreate OST file in Outlook 2016 / 2013 Application
In case if the user wants to rebuild OST file then the user has to delete the previous OST file. Deleting the OST file is a simple process. For this, the user has to locate the Outlook folder and select the OST file. Please follow the mentioned steps to delete the OST file.
- First Quit the Outlook Application if it is running.
- Press Windows + R to open RUN.
- Now type “%Localappdata%”\Microsoft\Outlook\” in the run and click OK.
- This command will automatically locate the OST file.
- Last, choose the OST file and delete it by pressing the delete key.
- Now, Start the Microsoft Outlook application again. This will automatically create the OST file for the account.
Important Note: Before deleting the OST file the user has to close the account settings and the Mail setup window. Otherwise, the system will generate an error message. This method to recreate OST file will work if proper synchronization is there between the Outlook and Exchange server.
Another Alternative Approach to This Problem
In case if there is Exchange server downtime or, network issues are there. Then the user won’t be able to perform this method. So it is better to take the help of Exchange OST Recovery software This software is the best and reliable solution to recover data from corrupted and damage OST files. After recovering the data the user can save the data in PST file format. In addition, this software provides you many options to save the OST file data such as EML / MSG / Office 365 / HTML. The graphical user interface of this utility is so simple and easy to use for technical and novice users. This software is compatible with all versions of MS Outlook application. Follow the below steps to recover data from OST file.
- Download and Launch the Software on your machine.
- Click on Add file button to add the OST file.
- Now Browse the OST file.
- Select the Scan option from the Quick Scan and Advanced Scan.
- Click on Add button to start the scanning process.
- Preview the OST file items.
- Now click on Export button and select the file format PST.
- Browse the destination location to save the OST file data.
- Click on Export button to start the process.
Conclusion
From the above write up one can get the ideas on how to recreate OST file in Outlook 2016 / 2013. We have discussed the need to rebuild the OST file in Outlook application. Also in case if the user won’t is able to perform it manually then the user can take the help of Exchange OST recovery software.
