“Cannot Open Particular Outlook Items When Offline” Error is Fixed

Megha Sharma | Updated On - April 14, 2023 |

Read time 5 minutes

Summary:OST file corruptions and errors are common, especially in older versions of Outlook. One such issue related to OST inaccessibility is accompanied by the error “Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline” can be fixed with certain manual tricks; however, results are not guaranteed. So, it is better to recover OST data with Kernel for OST to PST Converter tool when the file is highly corrupted or orphaned

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Significance of “Cannot open particular Outlook item when offline” error

When any user tries to access the OST file item in the Outlook application, suddenly an error pops up saying, “Cannot open particular Outlook item when offline.” This error indicates corruption in the OST file, mainly due to network failure, abrupt shutdown of system/application, malware attacks, power fluctuations, damaged offline folder, etc. There can be more reasons like corrupted profile, incorrect account configuration settings, file corruption, etc.

It needs to be resolved immediately to avoid the long-term effect on the server and client. Let us try to find the fix for the error, starting with native tricks.

• Try recreating the OST file

  OST file in Outlook is a copy of Exchange Server mailboxes updated as soon as the configured server and Outlook email client are connected. So, users can always create a fresh copy of the OST file by deleting the original OST file from the default system drive location – drive:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

  drive:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

  Note: Once the OST file default location is known, you can also change the location of the OST file in Outlook.

  There are two things you should do before rebuilding your OST file. First, go to the default OST file location and delete the existing OST file from it permanently. Then download a fresh copy of Exchange Server mailboxes with a new Exchange Server configuration with the Outlook application.

• Use ScanOST.exe tool for OST file repair

  ScanOST.exe is an inbuilt Microsoft repair utility for fixing issues in OST files. Its default system drive location is Drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office_version and is available for Outlook 2007 and earlier versions only. It is located at different locations for older versions, as mentioned below.

  In Outlook 2003 – C:Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\scanost.exe

  In Outlook 2002 – C: Program Files\Common Files\System\MAPI\scanost.exe

  In Outlook 2000 – C: Program Files\Common Files\System\MAPINT\scanost.exe

  So, your task is to locate Scanost and execute OST file recovery as described below.

  1. Ensure that the Outlook application is not running.
  2. Run the exe application on your system as an administrator.
  3. Select the Outlook profile for your affected OST file.
  4. Click on the Connect option if you wish to work offline.
  5. Select your folder preferences as per the requirement.
  6. Select the checkbox saying Repair errors and click the Begin Scan
  7. The scan for errors and issues in the OST file will get started, and the repair action would be performed after this.
  8. Wait for the process to get completed.
  9. Try accessing the fixed OST file now and check if you get the success.

• Try recreating Outlook profile

  If recreating the OST file and ScanOST.exe fails to fix the error, you can assume that your Outlook profile is corrupted or incorrect. So, it is advised to delete the old mail profile from the Control Panel Mail Setup or Account Settings in Outlook and create a profile in Outlook freshly. Now, try accessing OST data in Outlook and check if the error is fixed.

Drawbacks with the Native Solutions
• Not fit for repairing highly corrupted/damaged OST files
• exe application use is limited to Outlook 2007 and older versions only
• Unreliable solutions with no success guarantee
• Incomplete data recovery from affected OST file
• Involved data loss threats with manual OST repair solutions
Read Also: Free Methods to Convert OST to PST File

Recommendation – Recover corrupt OST data with OST Conversion

To fix the severe corruption in Exchange OST files, you need a professional solution that lets you fix corruption issues in the OST file and recover desired content to a more secure file format like PST or destinations like Office 365, Exchange Server, and more. The apt and the most reliable OST recovery tool in the market is the Kernel for OST to PST Converter tool which is known for its excellent features and functions.

Download trial 100% Secure
• Recovery of inaccessible, corrupt, orphaned or damaged OST files
• Complete and detailed preview of recovered OST mailboxes content
• Recovery of permanently deleted or lost OST file mailbox items
• Export specific OST data to PST and file formats like MBOX, PDF, DBX, EML, MSG, etc.
• Saving recovered OST content to Live Exchange, Office 365, Gmail, Outlook.com, and more destinations
• Exclusive support to all Exchange Server and Outlook versions
• A trial version free to download is available on the official website

Hence, now we know which solution to choose to fix all OST corruption-related issues and errors efficiently.