Resolve “Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File” Error.
Summary- Are you struggling to access your Outlook data? You’re not alone. Many Outlook users encounter the frustrating “Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File” error, but we’re here to help you solve it. In this article, we are going to discuss multiple approaches to solve the OST file cannot be opened error in Microsoft Outlook. Therefore, read this complete article to learn those methods, which will help you to solve the issue.
Many of the users who work on Microsoft Outlook, or have any idea about how Outlook works, may have faced issues regarding the data file access in the application. The most common issue that the user faces is Microsoft Outlook cannot open OST file which means that the application is somewhere having problems opening and accessing the OST files.
So in this article, we will discuss what these OST files are and why the issues occur while accessing these OST files.
Beginning with the question ‘What is an OST file?’. The OST file stands for Offline Storage Table and its function is a lot similar to its name. The OST file’s primary purpose is to allow the user to store a local copy of the data like emails, calendar entries, contacts, etc. This copy allows the user to access these files even in the offline mode making it more convenient for the user to work on them without internet connectivity.
Why does the Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST file Issue Occur?
There can be multiple reasons why OST file cannot be opened error happens in Outlook. Some of the causes are mentioned below:
- Corrupted outlook files
The most common issue can be file corruption. If the OST file gets corrupted for any reason, it will stop Outlook from accessing those files, resulting in not opening the OST files.
- Issues with the outlook profile
If the user’s Outlook profile is not configured properly on the application, they may face issues while accessing the OST data file in Outlook.
- Outlook version incompatibility
The users may face incompatibility issues with the version of Outlook they are using. Sometimes there are issues when the Outlook version does not support the OST data files in newer or the older versions used by the users.
- Issues with disk storage
If the drive storage where the OST data files are stored is full or there is insufficient storage, the files may not get accessed. Storage issues also play a major role in the access of OST files.
- Issues with account configuration
If the Outlook account of a user is not properly configured or linked to the server mail account, the user will face issues while opening and accessing the OST files on their device.
What are the Challenges you faced due to this Issue?
When a user comes across the issue where Microsoft Outlook cannot open OST file, they face many challenges while performing their tasks. The problems confronted by the users are:
- Unable to access files offline
When a user comes across a problem while opening the OST file, the major issue they face is that they lose the ability to access the files offline. And with that, the OST data files lose their primary purpose.
- Issues with email synchronization
If Outlook is unable to access and open OST files, they may be having problems while connecting to the server mail account. The reasons can be account configuration not properly done or maybe the outlook is having trouble while fetching the account details or files from the server.
- Loss of data
If an OST file is not opening, there can be a chance that the file is corrupted or damaged. If the OST file is beyond repair, the user may lose the data present in that file. Additionally, if the user is having a connectivity issue with the server mail, any changes made in Outlook will not reflect in the server mail and that can lead to data loss.
- Need for data migration
If the OST files cannot be repaired, the user may need to repeat the process again from the start. After creating the account again they will need to synchronize the account with the mail server and migrate and restore the data back to the Outlook application.
How to Fix the “Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File” Issue?
We can solve the problem by using multiple manual methods and alternative solutions. Microsoft Outlook provides some built-in tools to resolve the above-mentioned issues. There are multiple solutions and methods to overcome the challenges and make the task easier for the user. The methods are explained here:
Method 1: End all the running Outlook Processes and Restart Microsoft Outlook
To end the running processes of Outlook, follow the given steps:
- Go to the taskbar menu, then select the task manager.
- From there, go to the processes tab and click on it.
- Select MS Outlook and then press the End Task button.
- Then, restart the Microsoft Outlook application.
Sometimes there can be minor glitches that can be dealt with by closing and restarting the application again.
Method 2: Update Installation and Repair Outlook
In some cases, there can be issues due to Outlook not being updated and that can lead the application to not access the OST files. To resolve this issue, a user will have to install the updates required for Outlook to work properly.
The steps to install updates are:
- From the file option, go to the Office Account tab.
- Then, from product information, go to Update options.
- Click on Update now to install any new updates.
Now to Repair Microsoft Outlook, a user has to follow the given steps:
- Choose the program and feature option from the control panel.
- Choose the Microsoft Outlook option and then click the change button.
- After clicking on the change button, the user will be given two options: quick repair or online repair.
- Choose the Quick Repair option and then press on the Repair button.
Method 3: Deactivate Add-ins that are Creating Problems in Outlook
Sometimes certain Add-Ins can cause problems relating to Microsoft Outlook cannot open OST file and it can create challenges for the user while working on the application. Also, it causes conflicts to open the OST files.
To disable the add-ins, there are some steps a user has to follow. The first step is to run the Outlook application in safe mode to check if all the emails are synchronized with the mail server.
- In the Run command, enter outlook.exe/safe to run the application in safe mode.
- Then open Outlook and go to the file tab.
- From options, hit the add-ins option.
- In the outlook options, press the manage button.
- From the drop-down list choose the COM Add-ins option then click on the Go button
- Then unselect all the add-ins and click on the ok button
- Run the Outlook application again in the normal mode.
Method 4: Repair OST Files by using the Inbox Repair Tool
If the Outlook data file is corrupted, then the user will face problems while accessing the OST file in Microsoft Outlook. To resolve this problem, the user can use the inbox repair tool provided within Microsoft Outlook.
- The first step to execute is to make sure that the Outlook application is closed and there is no Outlook process running in the background.
- Then, look for the scanpst.exe tool on your device.
- Once found, double-click on the scanpst.exe to open it.
- Go to browse and choose the OST file that needs repairing.
- Press the start button to initiate the process.
- Click the Repair button to start repairing the file.
Method 5: By Converting the Outlook OST File
To resolve the OST file cannot be opened error in Outlook issue a user can also convert the inaccessible Outlook OST data files into PST format and then import the converted PST file back to Outlook. The corrupted or damaged data can also cause an issue while accessing the OST file. To resolve that issue a user can use an automated solution such as Turgs OST Converter Software. This software allows the user to convert Outlook data files from the original format to other various formats. Before knowing more about the software, let’s first go through the steps by which we can access the OST files and how the software helps to solve the “Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File” issue.
How to Convert Outlook OST Data Files to PST Easily?
- Install and launch automated software on your system.
- Upload the OST files by using the select files and select Folders button.
- Choose the saving type as PST format.
- Specify a destination path to save the file
- Click on the convert button to start the process.
- When the file is successfully converted to PST, you can open the PST file to Outlook.
To open the PST files in Outlook
- Go to file, then from account settings click on account settings.
- Go to data files, then click on add
- Then choose and click on the PST file to be opened in Outlook.
By following these steps, a user can easily convert their Outlook OST mailbox data to PST format and can import and access the files in Outlook. Now that we have learned the steps, let’s learn more about the software.
Why Choose This Automated Software?
A lot of users will think the same. Why should we choose this software? And we are here to answer that question. This software has many advanced features that allow the user to transfer their OST data files into standard PST format in a more convenient and user-friendly way. The user can easily convert their damaged, corrupted, or inaccessible OST data files with email messages, calendar entries, contacts, etc. How about we now learn how these advanced key features will help the users in solving the issue and why the users should choose this software?
Advanced Features within the Software
Along with the advanced features, we will also go through the reasons why this converter is the best solution to solve the issue of “Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File”. The features are:
- For migration and backup purposes
This software supports migration features and that is a good reason to use this software. The software comes in handy when the user needs to convert their OST files to standard PST format when they face any issue like this and are unable to access their files in Outlook. The tool also offers a backup facility to help the users to keep a backup of their files.
- To access damaged, corrupted, or orphaned OST files
When the user wants to access an OST file that is damaged or corrupted, it becomes quite challenging. So to resolve that issue this software provides a recovery mode that first recovers the inaccessible OST files and then converts them into a format that can be accessed in Outlook.
- For Batch conversion of OST files
The OST converter supports batch conversion of multiple OST files at once. The dual modes within the software help the user to choose and convert multiple files at once. This feature saves users a lot of time and effort.
- Choose selective OST files or folders
When the users need to export or work on a single file or folder, this software provides them with the solution. The software will show all these folders in a list and the user can choose one particular folder from the mailbox to access them.
Steps explained for better understanding of the users
1. Firstly, install the professional solution on your device.
2. There are two options to choose from, the user can either choose to convert configured Outlook mailbox data, or the user can manually choose from select files or select folders using the provided options. 
3. Choose all folders or only the required folders from the shown list.
4. Press the next button and a list of file formats will open. Choose PST file format from the select saving option. 
5. Browse a destination path to save the file.
6. You can either choose a folder from the device or can create a new folder to save the file.
7. When the steps are completed till here, press the next button to start the conversion.
8. After the conversion is completed, a completion pop-up message will show up, click on the ok button to continue.
9. Then you can verify and check the files in the destination location.
10. After the files are converted from OST to standard PST file format, open them in Outlook.
To open the PST files in Outlook
- Launch Microsoft Outlook.
- Press on the file tab.
- Then from the account settings, choose account settings.
- Find the data files option and then click on the add button
- Select and click the PST file to be accessed and opened
Concluding the article
So far in this article, we learned many things such as why Microsoft Outlook Cannot Open OST File and how users face troubles due to this issue. We also discussed the various manual methods to solve this issue. Also, along with the manual methods, we have discussed how to fix this issue by converting the OST data files into PST formats.
To accomplish that, we introduced software that not only helps with the conversion but also helps the user to keep their files secure throughout the process. We hope this guide helped you resolve your OST file issue. If you found it useful, please share it with others who might be facing the same problem. Got more questions? Contact our support team!