How to re-create and recover damaged OST files in Outlook 2013/2016?

Aftab Alam | Updated On - December 30, 2022 |

Read time 8 minutes

Have you ever been in a situation where your OST (Offline Storage Table) file gets inaccessible due to corruption? This problem may become the reason behind several issues in Outlook application, such as it stops working, abnormal behavior, sudden application crash, mailbox not opening, etc. A OST data file stores a synchronized copy of mailbox items in the local system, you can make changes in the application even in offline mode.Once you go online, the performed changes will be synchronized with the Exchange server. But, if the OST file gets damaged due to various events, such as virus or malware intrusion or system crash, it stops synchronization and error messages in the application.

You don’t need to worry, as this problem can be fixed by recreating the OST files. Nowadays, various ways to rebuild or recreate OST files in Outlook make the specific process reliable.

File Repair Options in Different Versions of Outlook

Before you recreate OST file, file repairing can also be performed to repair the corrupted files in Outlook. In the 2010 and 2013 versions, the repair option was specifically designed for Outlook installation files and registry entries. However, in versions like Outlook 2016 and 2019, there are easier ways to repair and recreate OST files.

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Recreate OST Files in Outlook 2013, 2016

Recreating the file is an easy way to deal with almost all forms of OST file issues. When you delete or rename your OST file, Outlook will automatically recreate it. It is suggested to take a backup of the OST file before proceeding. Based on the following Outlook version, you can follow the below steps to create OST file in Outlook.

1. Delete the Outlook OST Files

   OST file is an offline version of the Exchange user mailbox. If it gets deleted, a fresh copy can again download from the Exchange server.To recreate OST files, you need to follow the steps that are listed below:

   1. First, close the Outlook application.
   2. Next, open Mail from Control Panel.
      
   3. It will open a dialogue box named Mail Setup – Outlook. You need to click on Email Accounts.
   4. The newly opened dialogue box Account Settings will have all the Outlook accounts. Click on Data Files, choose the OST file, and then click Open File Location (to go to the location where a particular OST file is residing).
   5. Right-click on the OST file and click the Delete option to delete the file.
      Note: Before deleting the file, close the Account Settings and Mail Setup windows; otherwise, the system will give an error message.
   6. Start the Outlook application again. It will automatically create a new OST file for the account (downloading all the data from the Exchange server).
2. Change the Extension of the File
   By editing the file extension of an OST file, you can safely recreate OST file. Here’s how:
   • Close the Outlook window. Enable the ‘File Name Extensions‘ option from the View menu in File Explorer.
   • To rename the OST file, right-click on it and tap on Rename.
   • Rename the OST files and remember that the file name must end with .bak.
   • Launch Outlook now. Microsoft Outlook rebuilds the OST file and starts synchronizing messages from the server’s mailbox.

Repair the OST file

The above method to recreate OST file will work only when the Outlook account and Exchange server perfectly sync. If the Exchange server is down or there are network issues, the method may lead to permanent data loss. You should have the original Outlook profile and Exchange Server availability for the above methods to work. But if you use a professional OST recovery tool, you can recover OST files in any situation.So, it is highly recommended that a competent third-party recovery tool must be used to handle the corrupt OST files. Kernel for OST to PST Converter is one of the most trusted and widely used data recovery tools that can retrieve data from any corrupted OST file and save it to a PST file.

Below is the process of restoring an OST file and converting it to the PST file using the tool.This process works with the OST files of all the versions of Exchange/Outlook.

1. After you have installed the software, start it; the ‘Source File Selection’ window will open instantly. Here, you need to click the Browse button to add the OST file.
2. After selecting the OST file, click the Next button.
3. The Information window will tell you about the recovery process and various output formats available for saving the recovered data. Click Finish.
4. The tool scans the OST file and restores the data. Let the process finish.
5. The OST to PST Converter tool has recovered all the data, and you can check all the folders in the exact hierarchy as they were in your Outlook mailbox. Check the items and see their preview also. Later, click the Save button.
6. Choose PST File (MS Outlook) as the output format.
7. Choose the various options for saving the file. Also, you can split the PST file after reaching a definite size and attach a prefix to the store name. Then click the Next button.
8. Click the Browse button to select the location for saving the PST file.
9. After saving the PST file, the tool will give you a message with the location of the PST file.

Final Say

MS Outlook saves the OST file in the user’s computer, and the data file is susceptible to threats like software corruption, hardware malfunction, accidental deletion, etc. If you follow the valuable methods presented in this article, then you may recreate the OST file and re-access your account effortlessly. The best-suited solution will be using Kernel for OST to PST Converter, as it will recover the severely corrupt and deleted items from all the folders. After recovering all the folders in their correct hierarchical order, you can convert data into available formats. Also, this OST to PST Converter works with all Exchange/Outlook versions.

Software Review by Noel Pulis, Microsoft MCSE