Fix the Outlook Data File Unknown Error 0x8000ffff

Outlook has become a leading email manager because of its flexibility to incorporate multiple types of accounts like Exchange Server, Microsoft 365, IMAP, POP, etc. It has all the features that can empower the email communication and its Exchange support and the ability to work in the offline mode makes it superior to other email clients.

Error 0x8000ffff

There are two types of data files that your Outlook application creates – PST and OST. You can also add the data files separately in the account by using the control panel. But sometimes, the Outlook does not support such inclusion and give the error rather than supporting the data file.

An unknown error occurred, error code: 0x8000ffff appears on their screens.

The user may face the above error when the user is trying to add a new data file through the Mail Application in the Control Panel. It has an option to add the data file.

Although Microsoft has not given a precise explanation regarding the error, there ca be many possible causes behind the error like the following:

• The Registry Settings are corrupt.
• The system files are either damaged or corrupt.
• Incorrect data and time settings.
• The system drivers are out of date.
• The user has limited access.

We are going to mention a few hacks you can try to fix this error.

• Add Data File in Outlook As the very first approach, we are going to add a data file in Outlook. Let’s see how to do it, step by step:
  1. Start with launching Outlook on your system.
  2. Once Outlook is open, click on the File to open the File menu.
  3. Once the File menu is open, select Account Settings from there.
  4. Once you click on the Account settings, you will see a dropdown; from there select Account Settings
  5. Now, select the Data Files tab from there, and click on the Add button.
  6. Right after clicking on the Add button, add the file. Click on OK once added.
  7. Finally, click on the Close button in the Account Settings to finish the task.

After performing this step, your problem should be fixed; if it still persists, then it means that the Outlook data file you are trying to add is corrupt. So, what now? What if the Outlook data file you are trying to add is corrupt and hence you are facing this error most probably. So, now check the next methods to fix this corruption.

If you find that the Outlook data file that was creating the problem is corrupt, then you need to fix it. There are ways to resolve Outlook PST corruptions, let’s discuss them.

Outlook has an inbuilt repair tool that is SCANPST.EXE, and here, we are going to use it. Just in case, if the corruption is minor, we can fix it with the SCANPST.EXE by following the below-mentioned steps:

1. Start with pressing Win + R to open and the Run dialogue box will open.
2. Now, enter “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16” in the search box and click on the OK button.
3. Once the SCANPST.EXE is visible on the screen, double-click on it to open it on your system.
4. Now, click on the Browse button to add the PST file you want to fix.
5. Once the file is added, click on the Start button to start the scanning process.
   
   Note: While clicking on the Start button, make sure that the box beside “Make a backup of scanned file before repairing” is checked.
6. Once the scanning is over, click on the Repair button to start the repair of the corrupt file.

Once you are done with this process, your file should be repaired. If not, it means that the corruption was severe and SCANPST.EXE was unable to fix it. If this is the case with you, then you need to try the next method to fix it.

Kernel for Outlook PST Repair is a third-party repair tool that can fix any sort of corruption in a PST file. This tool fixes severely corrupt single or multiple corrupt PST files with no file size limitation. Just add that corrupt PST file in this tool and proceed as per the instructions and your file will be repaired in just a few simple steps. You can also try the trial version of the tool to know it better.

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Conclusion

This blog was all about the error 0x8000ffff. What it is and why it happens, and how to get rid of it. We started with trying to add an Outlook data file from the Outlook interface. But if the error still persists, the main reason of the error is the corruption. Corruption in the PST file may lead to this error and hence, we discussed how to fix this corruption. We can fix the corruption with the help of SCANPST.EXE. But if it failed to fix the corruption, we can use Kernel for Outlook PST tool to repair the corrupt PST file.