How to Restore .pst and .ost Data Files in Outlook?
Tags: beginners, testing, test, tutorial
Published: 2022-04-17 14:00:30

Read this article to find out what to do if you have difficulties in opening elements in Microsoft Outlook or if certain elements are missing from the Inbox folder. We offer well-tested methods for fixing issues with .pst and .ost data files in Outlook.

## Introduction
You can use Microsoft Outlook as a separate application, or as a tool to organize cooperation between a group of users within a company, while it keeps important data for shared email accounts, task folders, calendars, planners and documents.

In Windows 10, regardless of what version of the program you use – Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016 or an older one – it saves copies of your emails, contacts and calendars with the help of two different data files for offline access, depending on the account type.

YouTube: {% youtube PLvgEelQLZc %}

If you use standard Internet application layer protocols to receive emails from an IMAP or POP remote server as provided by your ISP, then the information on your account is stored in an Outlook data file with the extension PST. On the other hand, if you use an account with Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Exchange or Outlook.com, information is saved to an Outlook offline data file with the extension OST.

Usually, these files are very reliable, but in the end, they may stop working or get damaged, and this is why all versions of Microsoft Outlook for PC come with a repair tool that can fix issues with .pst data files, and correct automatically any errors in .ost files.

In this article, we will try to give a full coverage of methods for recovering damaged data files, restoring missing elements to the Inbox folder, eliminating problems with opening OST or PST files in Microsoft Outlook 2019, Microsoft Outlook 2016 and older versions, and show you a universal method for file recovery after it was deleted or formatted, both accidentally or deliberately.

The main methods to achieve the final goal will be given in the corresponding parts of the article:

YouTube: {% youtube ABxgN1tq3pk %}

## Fix Issues with Microsoft Outlook Data Files
Any information users may keep in the storage device of a personal computer, be it a part of a database required for proper work of certain applications and programs, or some documents and files, still requires a safe and reliable storage method. Usually, applications within Windows 10 operating system are quite good at ensuring data integrity and protecting it from failures without additional tools to be involved.

Yet for a number of reasons, such as incompetent user actions, external threats like viruses and malware, software and hardware failures, accidental or deliberate deletion, formatting, failed storage devices or crashing operating systems and so on, we may from time to time encounter situations when a file has to be recovered in order to restore access to certain elements of a Microsoft Outlook account.

That is why we are going to consider the main ways of fixing and recovering data files.

How to Restore an Outlook Offline Data File (.ost)?
Regardless of whether you are using an account with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Office 365 or Outlook.com, there is a certain preparation sequence before you start fixing problems with an OST file: first of all, close Microsoft Outlook, and then take the following steps:

Step 1. Use any method you find comfortable to open Control Panel, and change settings for all services of the Windows operating system on your computer. For example, click on the Start button which you can find in the lower left corner of the taskbar to open the main Windows pop-up menu. Use the scroll bar to reach the bottom of the list of all applications and programs and find the section Windows System. Left-click on the section to open the menu; select Control Panel.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/z2qpki7lidtn0sq31v58.png)

Here’s a piece of advice. If you use only settings of an Outlook default profile without binding it to a specific e-mail address, you can type the following path into the Windows file explorer: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook, to open the directory containing the OST file, and skip all the following steps, so that you can continue the recovery process from Step 10. Otherwise, follow the sequence of steps as described below.

Step 2. In the main window of Control Panel, scroll down and click on Mail – this section contains information on Microsoft Outlook profiles.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sg2hs3jzehlqf2tahqcz.png)

Step 3. In the Outlook setup window that opens, find Profiles and click on Show Profiles to see the settings for e-mail accounts and data files.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/o6ennyrrvhiazpt7iy6n.png)

Step 4. In the new Mail window, select the account profile you are going to fix. (By default, the Microsoft Outlook profile is selected.)

Step 5. Click on the Properties button under the profile window.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gp1rtg9adakz0t545p14.png)

Step 6. In the new Outlook setup window, find the section E-mail Accounts and click on the corresponding button to access e-mail accounts and directories.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/j72dorn52j559bd1sm2b.png)

Step 7. In the email account settings window, choose the necessary profile, then click Data files to change settings for Microsoft Outlook files used to store documents and messages.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6k5ppzkmhfp5vjescsgk.png)

Step 8. In the data file tab, select the damaged entry, and then choose Open file location from the available commands. In a moment, the Windows file explorer window will display the folder containing the selected data file.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3bx50cchn49o0n896mhn.png)

Step 9. Click on the buttons to close all previously opened windows: Account Settings, Mail Setup – Outlook, Mail and Control Panel.

Step 10. In the central tab of the Windows file explorer window, right-click on the automatically selected OST file used by Microsoft Outlook for the selected account, and open the context menu. From the list of possible actions, select Delete.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6mq299xv6npzkwxks1z8.png)
When you finish this sequence of steps, open Microsoft Outlook again to restore the offline OST file for the account which you were going to fix.

## How to Restore an Outlook Data File (.pst)?
If you use an account providing access to e-mail via application-layer protocols like IMAP or POP, there is another sequence of simple steps to follow if you need to fix problems with a PST file.

In this part of the article, you will find a method for detecting and correcting errors in an Outlook (.pst) data file with the help of the integrated repair tool, which can perform an initial examination of the data file on your computer and detect any signs of the coming trouble.

The suggested method is the best way to go in one of the following situations:

You can see a message from Microsoft Outlook that it cannot open a data file.
There is a system error message when you try to open Microsoft Outlook folders.
You are sure (or you have facts that confirm it) that the Microsoft Outlook data file is damaged.
To perform diagnostics and error correction for the Microsoft Outlook (.pst) data file, just do the following:

Step 1. Close Microsoft Outlook if it is running.