MICROSOFT OUTLOOK OST DATA CORRUPTION & ITS RECOVERY METHODS

TABLE OF CONTENTS• WHAT IS OFFLINE STORAGE TABLE?

• HOW IS IT CREATED?

• WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS?

• HOW IS IT CORRUPTED?

• WHAT ARE ITS EFFECTS?

• HOW CAN IT BE RECOVERED?

• BEST RECOVERY SOLUTION AVAILABLE

What is an Offline Storage Table?

Offline Storage Table or an OST file is a data storage file for MS Outlook.

An OST file facilitates the user work with their email data even when accessto the mail server is not available. In fact, the file proves to be beneficialwhen you have an Exchange account and want to use the default CachedExchange Mode.

HOW IS IT CREATED?

CACHE MODE

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Exchange

Server

When ever an Outlook account is configured with the Exchange Server, a local copy of the Exchange database is

created in the form of an OST file. This allows the user to work even if there is no connectivity between the

Exchange Server and the Outlook

APART FROM THIS ANOTHER CONDITION WHERE AN OST FILE IS CREATED IS WHEN AN MS OUTLOOK 2013 IS CONFIGURED WITH AN

IMAP ACCOUNT.

IMAP Configured

Account

THE REASON WHY THIS HAPPENS IS, WHEN AN IMAP ACCOUNT IS CONFIGURED IN THE OUTLOOK, IT GIVES THE USER, FREEDOM TO DECIDE WHETHER TO

DOWNLOAD THE MAILS OR NOT. APART FROM THIS WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD A MAIL, IT MAKES A COPY OF THE MAILS ON THE SERVER IN THE FORM OF AN OST

FILE. BUT THIS HAPPENS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE USING MS OUTLOOK.

• Tools menu → select Account Settings → double-click on Microsoft Exchange.

• Microsoft Exchange → More Settings.

• Advanced tab → click on Offline Folder File Settings

• In the File box, type the path to the file that you want to use as the .ost file and

click on OK

STEPS TO CREATE A NEW OST FILE:

WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS?

• OST files are beneficial in case of limited, unreliable, and vulnerable Internet connectivity.

• It is not mandatory to stay connected with Exchange Server while performing the tasks. Users can

continue their work without waiting for connectivity as OST does it all itself. However,

connectivity to Exchange Server is a mandate if new emails have to be sent.

• OST files are advantageous, if exchange database is corrupt and reaches in unrecoverable state.

Now user can retrieve data from OST stored at hard drive. However, the process is time consuming

because administrator will have to collect all the mailboxes owned by the exchange database.

Besides this, to recover mailboxes from an OST, user needs to convert OST file to PST file because

Outlook can fetch data from PST file, even if the respective email profile is deleted.

• For most users, some emails are most important and have to be recovered anyhow. In such cases,

OST files are most useful.

HOW DOES THE OST GET CORRUPTED?

Corrupt OST File

REASONS System Crash

HOW CAN IT BE RECOVERED?

• Microsoft previously recommended to use the scanost.exe but now it is recommended that you delete your offline Outlook Data File (.ost) and let the Outlook re-download the information from the Exchange Server database.

• Steps to use the scanpst.exe:

ABOUT THE TOOL:

• On the File tab, click Open, and then click Import.• Select Import from another program or file, and then click Next.• Select Outlook data file (.pst), and then click Next.• Click Browse, and then locate the PST file that you exported.• Select Do not import duplicates, and then click Next.• Under Select destination folder, click a folder to which you want to import the information, and then click Next.• Click Finish.

• Apart from this another alternative is that you convert your OST to PST and use the scanpst.exe.

NOTE: The scanost.exe is only useful for outlook 2007 and below versions as it does not come integrated with the Outlook 2010 andlater versions.

Most commonly it was found that the OST data corruption was caused due to the synchronization failurebetween Exchange Server and Outlook. To check this Microsoft devised a tool and named it SCANOST.EXE.

• In such a case we can opt to convert our OST to PST

• There is no any such tool offered by the Microsoft

• Hence we are have to opt for a third party tool

• Than we can use the scanpst.exe tool, but again, it is not reliable

BUT WHAT IF WE DON’T HAVE ANY CONNECTIVITY WITH THE SERVER AT THAT

VERY INSTANT?

WHY IS SCANPST.EXE NOT RELIABLE?

• Incomplete Data: It compresses the data, But the recovered data has a few informationmissing.

• Unreliable: Its not necessary that as the process is completed, the new PST will be ahealthy one.

• Time Consuming: The whole process takes a lot of time.

If these tools fail as well, then the following questions might arises in your

mind:

1. How can we recover our complete data?

2. If there is one, is it trust worthy?

3. How does this tool works?

4. So, where can find it?

http://www.emaildoctor.org/deleted-emails/outlook-ost.html

RELIABLE AND A QUICK SOLUTION TO RECOVER YOUR LOST OST DATA

HOW DOES THE TOOL WORK?• IT SCANS ALL THE DATA IN A BROKEN OST.• EXAMINES THE ERRORS.• RETRIEVE THE DATA ACCORDING TO THE PROBLEM.• AS SOON AS THE DATA IS RECOVERED, IT ALLOWS THE USER TO EXPORT

THE DATA INTO PST, MSG OR THE EML FORMATS AS PER THERE

CONVENIENCE.

WHAT DOES THE TOOL OFFER?• RECOVER HARD DELETED EMAIL DATA FROM EXCHANGE OUTLOOK OST

FILE.• RETRIEVE PERMANENTLY DELETED EMAIL ITEMS SUCH AS CALENDAR,

JOURNAL, CONTACTS, TASKS, ETC.& ORPHANED DATA.• PREVIEW RECOVERED DELETED EMAIL MESSAGE WITH ATTACHMENTS.• PRESERVES RECOVERED EMAIL METADATA INTACT.

A Reliable solution that can easily Restore your Deleted Email Items or Data from an archived, password protected or anencrypted Outlook OST file. It also Recovers calendar items or contacts swiftly using OST Deleted Email Recoverysoftware.

THANK YOUHOPE THIS HELPED YOU