How to Repair Damaged OST File with Varied Approaches

OST profiles made it possible for Exchange users to work with their work accounts despite server unavailability. Nevertheless, the profile is still dependent on the client server collaboration. Thus, there is also a vulnerability associated to it, which makes loss of data possible. As a result, users come up wanting to know how to repair damaged OST file to regain the cached copy of their Exchange mailbox. The following segment discusses the condition in detail along with the solution that helps regain access to OST profile data.

Microsoft makes sure that users don’t have to bother looking out for ways to deal with minor situations. Therefore, it offers inbuilt utilities or integrated options to tackle with such conditions.

Similar is the case of with the data files of Outlook. An integrity check and repair tool is provided for both; PST and OST files. However, the utility was stopped being provided for OST files post Outlook 2007. Therefore, that diminished the mere possibility of repairing OST profiles in case of corruption or orphan state.

Ways to Repair OST File - Orphan or Corrupt

Workaround: As suggested by many popular forums and experts of the respective domain, Scanpst tool can be used as an alternate solution.

Limitations: As suggested by many popular forums and experts of the respective domain, Scanpst tool can be used as an alternate solution.

Scanpst tool does work as an alternate solution but only in certain cases. It is not an officially suggested solution for repairing OST files owing to technical reasons.

NOTE: Besides IMAP configuration in the 2013 version of Outlook, OST profiles are cached replica files.

Being the cached replica of user mailboxes residing on the Exchange Server end, it is suggested to rebuild the profile instead of trying to repair it. When dealing with corrupt OST files, it is recommended to:

1. Rename them to ‘.old’ while Outlook is running (even in the background)

2. Then, make Outlook recreate the offline profile from the Exchange server all over again

TIP: If the file was not synchronized with the server before it got affected, it might be storing some items that the server still does not have yet. Therefore, loss of data is to be expected in such cases.

Recommended Solution: It is advised that users reach out for commercial help when no other method works. Use of a third party tool for OST repair so that guaranteed results could be achieved and you can know how to repair damaged OST file without the need of putting in efforts.

How to Prevent OST Profile Vulnerability?

In order to prevent the vulnerability to data loss, backups are generally suggested. By storing, a copy of your OST data in server-independent email storage files could be a way.

Moreover, using IMAP configuration offered by Outlook 2013 is also a great way of ensuring data availability in all conditions of crisis.

IMAP Configuration Benefits

1. In case of IMAP configuration the mail folder cached on the client machine as OST files. However, a master copy is always maintained of this data on the IMAP server. Moreover, the changes are replicated on Exchange server too at the same time.

2. Whatever happens to cache copy on client machine, you just have to delete the OST and Outlook will regenerate a new copy all over again.

Observational Conclusion: Data security is a huge concern especially when the big data concept is involved. When data security is concerned, it is both beneficial as well as an obligation to own and control your data. Emails are gradually becoming the most important data to users around the world. This is because communication is the backbone of businesses and emails are a sophisticated medium of carrying it out. Being an ideal application with a great stance in the industry, Outlook has been the best-suited official email platform over the years. Along with Exchange environment, it offers great capability of supporting an entire organization’s communication, both internally and externally. However, unlike any other data the files generated in this client server collaboration also are vulnerable to corruption and loss of data by different means. Therefore, users come up asking how to repair damaged OST file, owing to the fact that offline storage provides business continuity despite server unavailability. The segment is a complete help for users seeking a solution for the same.