How to Rebuild OST File in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2019, etc?
Published: April 19th, 2024 • 7 Min Read
Summary: Unable to get the right method to rebuild OST file in your Outlook? Read this article to fix the issues related to your Outlook OST file, unable to open it or getting errors. In this article we will discuss the steps and multiple effective methods to recreate OST file in Microsoft Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010.
OST is a file extension of an offline Outlook data file where a local copy of all the Outlook data like emails, contacts, calendars, notes and attachments are stored. OST files allow users to access, view, read and search Outlook emails even when you are offline.
However, several situations come when a user needs to rebuild OST file. Such as, OST file are prone to damage, and they easily get corrupted and inaccessible because of various instances like system crashes, etc.
Although if a user rebuilds or recreate OST files they can easily access them within no time. Continue reading the article to learn about the best ways for recreating a new Outlook OST file.
Why Is Your OST File Inaccessible?
OST files are highly vulnerable to damage, and there are many ways they could stop working. What is really important is for us to find the causes and fix them soon in order to rebuild OST file:
- Viruses: Malicious viruses can access and corrupt your computer, leading to OST file damages. You must have high-quality antivirus software in order to provide protection for your computer.
- Power Problems: If your computer shuts down accidentally while your Outlook is running, you can risk the OST file being damaged as well and then need to rebuild OST file. You might hear someone talking about what you’re doing when you are doing something important.
- Hard Drive Damage: The data of your OST files are found in the hard drive. The loss of an OST file can be a result of an outage or damage to your hard drive and you would want to recreate OST file. Wrecked sectors or if your hard drive is faulty it will leave you with an inaccessible OST file.
- Sync Issues: Outlook OST data is manually in sync with your email application. If this sync doesn’t work smoothly, your file could be caught in the middle and stop updating.
How to Rebuild OST File? – Top 4 Ways
We have that OST file error can be frustrating when you can’t access it even after trying everything. For your convenience, you have provided four different solution to make it easier for you to rebuild a new Outlook OST file in via different strategies:
Method 1- Recreate OST File in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, & 2010 , 2007, 2003
Follow the steps given below you easily rebuild OST file in different versions of microsoft Outlook:
Part 1- In Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, & 2010
1. Open Outlook to rebuild OST file.
2. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
3. In the Account Settings window, go to the Email tab and choose your email account.
4. Click on “Change” and then click “More Settings.”
5. Now, open the “Advanced” tab and click on “Outlook Data File Settings.”
6. In the “File” field, type in the path for the OST File and click “OK.”
7. Close all the windows. Outlook will rebuild the OST file at the provided location.
Part 2- In Outlook 2007
1. Open Outlook to recreate OST file.
2. Go to Tools > Account Settings.
3. In the Account Settings window, go to the Email tab and choose your email account.
4. Click “Change” and then click “More Settings.”
5. Now, open the “Advanced” tab and click “Outlook Data File Settings.”
Part 3- In Outlook 2003
1. Open Outlook to rebuild OST file.
2. Go to Tools > Email Accounts.
3. In the Email Accounts window, choose “View or change existing email accounts” and click Next.
4. Select Microsoft Exchange Server and click “Change.”
5. Click “More Settings.”
6. Open the “Advanced” tab and click “Outlook Data File Settings.”
7. Enter the path for the OST file in the “File” field and click OK.
8. Close all windows. Outlook will recreate the OST file where you specified.
Method 2- Rebuild OST File by Enabling Cached Exchange Mode
1. Open Microsoft Outlook and click on the “File” menu.
2. From the drop-down menu, choose “Account Settings” > “Account Settings” again.
3. Select the email account you want to enable Cached Exchange Mode for and click “Change” to recreate OST file.
4. Check the box that says “Use Cached Exchange Mode” in the Change Account window, then click “Next” and “Finish.”
5. Close and reopen Outlook to let it create a new OST file for the selected email account automatically.
Method 3- Recreate OST File by Fixing All its Issues
As we discussed above, the main reason for facing errors with an OST file is having the file which is corrupted. rebuild OST file by fixing it and making it accessible. For this purpose, you can use BitRecover OST Repair Wizard to fix all issues you are having with your OST file and make it healthy and error free.
Follow the steps given below to use the tool:
1. Download and install the tool on your PC and open it.
2. Add the OST files or folder which you are unable to access.
3. Check the OST folder you want to fix and recreate OST file.
4. Click on Repair button to get a health Outlook OST file.
Method 4- Rebuild OST File by Changing .OST File Extension
Even if nothing works, there is one more effective and all-in-one solution that can help you. If you are having issues with your OST file and need to rebuild it, simply convert the OST file into PST or any other format. You can use OST Converter software and access your OST file data in any format you want within a few seconds. The tool is too easy to use to rebuild OST file.
Follow these steps to recreate OST file with tool:
1. Simply download the tool and launch.
2. Add you OST Files and Folders.
3. Select the folders for specific conversion.
4. Click on File saving option and choose PST or any format you want.
5. Choose a path and click on the Convert button to rebuild OST file.
Conclusion
To wrap up the article, dealing with problems with your Outlook OST file could be annoying, but it has all the possible solutions presented in it such as you can rebuild OST file. The knowledge of the causes of OST file inaccessibility is important, such as viruses, power issues, hard drive damage, and sync problems. The article mentioned 4 great ways to recreate the OST file that are suitable for almost all Outlook versions and types. Choose from manual instructions or use specialized tools to easily restore your lost Outlook data.
FAQs Related to Rebuidling Outlook OST File:
Q-1 How Can I rebuild OST file with Quick Steps?
- Download the BitRecover tool to recreate OST file.
- Add your OST file or folder in the tool
- Select the required OST folder to reset it.
- Click on the Repair button to complete.
Q-2 Can I rebuild the OST file?
Yes, any Outlook OST user can recreate their OST file if they are facing an issue.
Q-3 How do I delete my OST file?
To delete your OST file and its data, simply go to the exact file location of your OST file> select the files and click delete button. However, make sure to backup OST file before deleting it, to avoid data loss issues.
Q-4 What is the Default path of the OST file in Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019?
The original path of the OST file in Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, and 2013 is C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.