For efficient and plain sailing email communication, it is crucial that your email client – be it Microsoft Outlook or any other – works properly and without any errors or problems. Though Outlook normally provides a smooth communication experience, it sometimes throws errors that put you in a difficult situation. For instance, it can throw errors when sending or receiving emails that can disrupt your email communication flow and affect your daily work. Likewise, you can get errors when performing other operations in Outlook or even while opening the application. In this elaborative guide, we will explore some common Outlook errors and the solutions to resolve them.
Some Common Outlook Errors and the Solution thereof
Below, we have shortlisted some Outlook errors that are commonly faced by users. Also, the solutions to resolve those errors.
Error 1: 0x8004010F: Outlook data file cannot be accessed
This error is most commonly occurred when sending/receiving emails or opening the application. There are varied reasons that can cause this error in Outlook, such as:
- Outlook data file corruption
- Incorrect or missing data file path
- Corruption in Outlook profile
- Lack of permissions to access the data (OST) file
- Synchronization issues
How to Fix the Outlook 0x8004010F Error?
Depending on the cause of the error, you can apply the below-mentioned solutions:
1. Check and Assign the Permissions
The Outlook account, you’re using, must have the required permissions on the folder containing the OST file. If not, then you’ll face problem when accessing it. The solution in this case is clear. Check that your account has all the permissions – read, write, & modify – on the OST folder. For this,
- First, locate the folder that holds the OST file. It is by default located in the installation directory.
- Then, select the folder and right-click it. Choose the Properties option from the menu.
- In the Properties, under the Security tab, confirm that your account has the Read, Write, and Modify permissions.
- If these permission are not assigned, click on the Edit button. Assign the required permissions.
- Finally, click on Apply > OK to save the applied changes.
This will resolve the error if it has occurred due to permissions issue.
2. Disable Faulty Outlook Add-ins
Sometimes, third-party add-ins or plugins in Outlook become faulty or outdated, potentially causing issues and errors. So, disable the add-ins. Here’s how:
- Launch Outlook in safe mode. For this, press the Windows+R keys at once. After that, enter outlook.exe /safe in the Run dialog box that opens.
- Once the Outlook is launched in safe mode, go to the File tab at the top left corner. Click on Options and then select Add-ins.
- Uncheck all the add-ins. Re-launch Outlook normally.
If the error doesn’t appear, enable all the add-ins one at a time and restart the application to find the problem causing add-in.
3. Create a New Outlook Profile
You can got the error 0x8004010F if there is severe corruption or damage in your Outlook profile. But it is not a major concern. You can resolve this issue without much trouble by creating a new Outlook profile. For creating a new Outlook profile,
- Launch the Control Panel on your system. Click on User Accounts > Mail (Microsoft Outlook). Select the Show Profiles… option on the Mail Setup – Outlook window.
- From the given options (tabs), click on Add... and provide a name to the new profile.
- Then, follow the wizard to setup your account in the new profile.
4. Rebuild the Outlook Data File (.ost)
If your OST is corrupted or damaged, it may also cause the Outlook data file cannot be accessed’ error. Here the problem is clear – OST file is damaged. The simple solution in this case is rebuild the file. So, how you can do this? Close your Outlook application, take a backup of the OST file (rename it or move it to another folder). After this, delete the file. Start the Outlook. It will recreate OST file, downloading all the mailbox items from the server.
Error 2: The file xxxx.ost is not an Outlook data file (.ost)
This error occurs when the Outlook application is unable to read or access the Outlook data (OST) file. This can prevent you from sending emails or even accessing your mailbox items. There are several reasons that can lead to this error. Some of which are given below:
- Faulty or problematic third-party add-ins
- Outlook data file corruption or damage
- Corrupt Outlook profile
- Outlook lacks the latest updates
- Third-party interference
- Large OST file size
- Outdated or corrupted Outlook installation
How to Fix The file xxxx.ost is not an Outlook data file (.ost) Error?
Follow the methods given below to solve this Outlook error:
1. Update Outlook
If Outlook is outdated, it can create compatibility problems and trigger errors like “The file xxxx.ost is not an Outlook data file (.ost).” Updating Outlook may resolve the issue. To update:
- Open Outlook and go to File > Office Account > Update Options.
- Choose Update Now to update Outlook.
2. Remove Faulty Add-ins
Faulty add-ins can also cause errors, like “The file xxxx.ost is not an Outlook data file (.ost)”. You can resolve this error by checking and disabling the incompatible or faulty add-ins.
3. Rebuild the OST File
Inconsistencies or corruption in Outlook data (OST) file can also lead to the error ‘The file xxxx.ost is not an Outlook data file (.ost)’. In such a case, you can rebuild the OST file. Here’s how you can do this:
- Close Outlook completely.
- Go to the Outlook data file location: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
- Find the OST file and delete it.
- Start Outlook again. It will create a new OST file.
4. Create a New Outlook Profile
If deleting the OST file does not resolve the error, then maybe your Outlook profile is damaged or corrupted. In that case, you can create a new Outlook profile.
Error 3: Send/Receive Error
In Outlook, send/receive errors occur when Outlook cannot complete the process of sending and receiving emails from your configured account. Such errors can interrupt your email communication. The common causes of send/receive errors in Outlook are:
- Poor internet connection
- Misconfiguration of email server settings
- Corrupted Outlook data file (.ost)
- Oversized or large mailbox
- Authentication issues or expired credentials
- Timeouts due to slow server response
How to Resolve the Send/Receive Errors in Outlook?
To resolve the send/receive errors, you can follow the given solutions:
- Make sure that your internet connection is stable and working properly.
- Recreate the OST file.
- Create a new Outlook profile.
- Verify Outlook account configuration settings.
Error 4: Errors have been detected in the file xxxx.ost
When the ‘Errors have been detected in the OST file’ error occurs, Outlook may fail to load your mailbox items properly. Due to this, you may be unable to access your emails, attachments, contacts, and other mail items. The main reason for this issue is that the OST file has become corrupted or damaged.
How to Fix the Errors have been detected in the file xxxx.ost?
As this error is primarily caused due to problem with the Outlook OST file, you can recreate the file to fix it. It is not that complex. What you have to do is shutdown your Outlook application and then delete or move the problematic OST file from the default storage location. Now, launch your Outlook. A new OST file, with all the items downloaded from the server, will be created at the original location.
Error 5: Outlook Data File has Reached the Maximum Size
As you can see, the error message is self-explanatory. It is primarily caused when the OST file reached the maximum size – limit set during configuration or defined by Microsoft.
How to Resolve the Outlook Data File has reached the Maximum Size Error?
To resolve this error related to size limit issue, the solution is straightforward – reduce the file size. Here are different ways to reduce the mailbox or OST file size.
1. Delete Unnecessary Mailbox Items
To decrease your Outlook data (OST) file size, remove the older, unnecessary, or unwanted mailbox items. Sort the items by size. This will aid in finding and deleting large mail items.
2. Archive Old Emails
Archiving old emails is one of the most effective ways to reduce the mailbox size. Here’s how you can do this:
- Go to File > Tools > Clean Up Old Items.
- Choose folders to archive and set a date range.
- Archived items are moved to a PST file.
3. Compact the Outlook Data File
You can use the Compact Now feature in Outlook which help remove the unused space created by deleted emails, attachments, and other items, thus reducing the file size. To compact the file: go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files. Select your OST, choose Settings > Advanced > Outlook Data File Settings, then click Compact Now.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have listed some commonly-encountered errors in the Outlook application and the solutions to resolve such errors. The primary reason for most of the errors is corruption or damage in the OST file. The simplest solution, in this situation, is to rebuild your OST file after taking the backup (rename it or move it another location).
After the OST file is rebuilt and the mailbox data is downloaded from the server, don’t forget to check for any missing emails or other items. If by any chance you find any, then the solution is simple – use a professional OST to PST converter tool, such as Stellar Converter for OST to extract the missing items from the backup (copy) OST file. This tool can scan the backup OST file and present all the file items. You can find the missing items and save them to PST, which you can import into your Outlook. This cutting-edge tool can convert inaccessible, orphaned, encrypted, or IMAP OST files into PST and several other commonly-used file formats. It is compatible with OST files of Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, and past versions.
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