Repair an .ost or .pst file in Outlook

APPLIES TO
Microsoft Outlook® 2002

If you are keeping Outlook data on your computer, you are using a Personal Folders file (.pst) or an Offline Folder file (.ost). To prevent data loss, you need to know how to repair these files.

If your .pst file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem without your switching to a backup copy. This tool, the Inbox Repair Tool, is installed on your hard disk when you install Outlook.

If your .ost file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem. This tool, the OST Integrity Tool, can scan and repair .ost files. If that doesn't completely solve the problem, you can disable the .ost file and create a new one.

REPAIRING A PERSONAL FOLDERS FILE (.PST)

You may need to use the Inbox Repair Tool if you open your Outlook .pst file and receive this message:

Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

 NOTE   The path to the file specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

To repair the .pst file

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type

drive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanpst.exe

where LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.

3. Click OK.
4. In the Enter the name of the file you want to scan box, type the path and file name given in the error message above.

 NOTE   You may not be able to use the Browse button to locate this file because it is located in a hidden folder.

5. To change the options for logging errors during the scan, clickOptions. If you choose Replace log or Append to log, the log file is saved to the same directory as the .pst file.
6. Click Start.
7. When the file scan is completed, select the Make a backup of scanned file before repairing check box.
8. Click Repair.

If the file is successfully repaired, you will see a Repair complete message. If the Inbox Repair Tool was unable to repair the file, you will need to use a backup of your file.

To begin using your backup file as your new primary file

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
3. Select the .pst that is damaged, and then click Remove.
4. Click Add, select Personal Folders File (.pst), click OK, and then select the .pst file you want to use as the new primary file.
5. Click OK.

 IMPORTANT    You should not rely solely on the Inbox Repair Tool for disaster recovery. A system of regular backups of your .pst file is an important part of preventing data loss. You can back up the file in several ways, including copying it to another location, backing up all of the files on your computer, or by using the Personal Folders Backup utility, available on the Microsoft Office Online site.

REPAIRING AN OFFLINE FOLDER FILE (.OST)

You may want to scan and repair your .ost if you:

• Encounter a large numbers of conflict items.
• Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline.
• Receive unexpected synchronization error messages (as shown in the synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder).
• Receive the message:

Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.ost. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

 NOTE   The file path specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

In addition, you might be able to open folders in the .ost but get synchronization error messages that do not go away. This happens when a single e-mail message is damaged and the synchronization process cannot correct it. You can use the OST Integrity Tool to fix damaged messages or to move them so you can synchronize successfully.

 IMPORTANT   You may need to run scanpst.exe (see the first procedure above) first if the OST Integrity Tool cannot open the .ost file.

To scan and repair the .ost file

1. Close Outlook.
2. On the Start menu, click Run.
3. In the Open box, type

drive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanost.exe

where LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.

4. Click OK.
5. Click either Scan all folders or Choose folder to scan. If you clickScan all folders, this may take several minutes.
6. Select the Repair errors check box.
7. Click Begin Scan.

Details of actions performed during the scan and repair are saved as a message in your Outlook Deleted Items folder with the subject "OST Integrity Check."

If the Offline Folder file cannot be repaired, you can disable it and create a new one.

To disable the .ost file and create a new one

1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts, click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
2. In the list, click Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Change.
3. Click More Settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Offline Folder File Settings.
5. Click Disable Offline Use.
6. In the File box, type the path to the file you want to use as the new .ost file. The default file name is outlook.ost. If this file name already exists, you are prompted for a new name.

Outlook 2007 prompts you repeatedly for a password under certain network conditions

To enable the hotfix, follow these steps:

1. Exit Outlook 2007.
2. Start Registry Editor.
• In Windows Vista, click Start

, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER. 

 If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

o    In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.

3.     Locate and then click to select the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\RPC

Note If the RPC key does not exist, follow these steps:

a.       Right-click the Outlook key, point to New, and then click Key.

b.  Type RPC, and then press ENTER.

1.     After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then clickDWORD Value.

2.     Type UseWindowsUserCredentials, and then press ENTER.

3.     Right-click UseWindowsUserCredentials, and then click Modify.

4.     In the Value data box, type the value that you want to use, and then click OK.

Note When you set the UseWindowsUserCredentials value to 1, only the user's desktop credentials will be used. The following scenarios may help you determine the value that you want to use.

o    Account: Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 0 (or not present)
Protocol: TCP, HTTP with NTML authorization
Result: Connect to Microsoft Exchange without prompting for user credentials.

o    Account: Non Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 0 (or not present)
Protocol: TCP, HTTP with NTLM authorization
Result: Prompt for user credentials and connect to Microsoft Exchange.

o    Account: Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 1
Protocol: TCP, HTTP with NTLM authorization
Result: Connect to Microsoft Exchange without prompting for user credentials.

o    Account: Non Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 1
Protocol: TCP, HTTP with NTLM authorization
Result: Does not prompt for user credentials, and will not connect to Microsoft Exchange. Remains in the disconnected state, occasionally trying to connect.

o    Account: Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 1
Protocol: HTTP with Basic authorization
Result: Prompts for user credentials and successfully connects to Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, it will continue to prompt you if you mistype your password.

o    Account: Non Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 1
Protocol: HTTP with Basic authorization
Result: Prompts for user credentials and successfully connects to Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, if you mistype your password, it will continue to prompt you.

o    Account: Domain
UseWindowsUserCredentials: 1
Additional Steps: When you configure the profile, select Always prompt for username and password.
Result: Prompts for user credentials and successfully connects to Microsoft Exchange.

1.     On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

You can use the following registry entry to disable the credentials prompts when you receive an authentication error on credentials.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\RPC\DisableTransientFailureAuthPrompts (DWORD)

(default to FALSE, 1 is TRUE, and 0 is FALSE)

You can use the following registry entry to set a timeout period. If we do receive an authentication error, attempts to acquire another set of credentials will fail for a timeout period set in this registry entry.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\RPC\TransientFailureBackoff (DWORD)

how-to-manage-multiple-exchange-mailbox-accounts-in-outlook

These steps assume that both accounts are on the same Exchange server.

Microsoft Outlook 2002 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Users

1.     Start Outlook with a profile that is configured for the Exchange Server mailbox for account B. You may have to log on to the network as the user of account B for proper validation.

2.     On the Tools menu, click Options.

3.     On the Delegates tab, click Add.

4.     Type or select the name for the user of account A, click Add, and then click OK.

5.     In all lists, in the Delegate Permissions dialog box, click to select Editor (can read, create, and modify items).

6.     Click OK two times.

7.     If the Folder list is not visible, click Folder List on the View menu.

8.     Right-click Mailbox – user name, and then click Properties for ‘Mailbox – user name on the shortcut menu.

9.     On the Permissions tab, click Add.

10.   Type or select the name for the user of account A, click Add, and then click OK.

11.   In the Name box, click the newly added entry for account A.

12.   In the Roles box, click Owner, and then click OK.

13.   Repeat steps 8 through 12 for all the other folders in the mailbox.

14.   On the File menu, click Exit and Log Off.

15.   Restart Microsoft Windows, and then log on as the user of account A.

16.   Start Outlook with a profile that is configured for the Exchange Server mailbox for account A.

17.   On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.

18.   Click View or change existing e-mail accounts.

19.   Click to select Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Change.

20.   Click the More Settings button.

21.   Click the Advanced tab.

22.   Click Add.

23.   Type the name for the user of account B, and then click OK three times.

The mailbox for account B appears in your Folder List.

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Users

1.     Start Outlook with a profile that is configured for the Exchange Server mailbox for account B. You may have to log on to the network as the user of account B for proper validation.

2.     On the Tools menu, click Options.

3.     On the Delegates tab, click Add.

4.     Type or select the name for the user of account A, click Add, and then click OK.

5.     In all lists, click to select Editor (can read, create, and modify items) in the Delegate Permissions dialog box.

6.     Click OK two times.

7.     If the Folder list is not visible, click Folder List on the View menu.

8.     Right-click Mailbox – user name, and then click Properties for ‘Mailbox – user name on the shortcut menu.

9.     On the Permissions tab, click Add.

10.   Type or select the name for the user of account A, click Add, and then click OK.

11.   In the Name box, click the newly added entry for account A.

12.   In the Permission Level box, click Owner, and then click OK.

13.   Repeat steps 8 through 12 for all the other folders in the mailbox.

14.   On the File menu, click Exit and Log Off.

15.   Restart Windows, and then log on as the user of account A.

16.   Start Outlook with a profile that is configured for the Exchange Server mailbox for account A.

17.   On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.

18.   On the E-mail tab, click the name of the account, and then click the Change icon.

19.   Click the More Settings button.

20.   Click the Advanced tab.

21.   Click Add.

22.   Type the name for the user of account B, and then click OK three times.

23.   Click Next, click Finish, and then click Close.

The mailbox for account B appears in your Folder List.

The user for account A can send messages and meeting requests on behalf of the user of account B by entering the name of the user for account B in the From Field. These messages contain the names of the users for both account A and account B.

Outlook 2007 Default Seettings

 ·  Exit any open Outlook 2007 windows.

·  2

Find the "OUTCMD.DAT" file: Open the Windows Start menu, click "Computer," double-click the C drive, open the "Users" folder, then select your Windows login account folder. Double-click "AppData," open "Roaming," select the "Microsoft" folder, then go into the "Outlook" folder. The "OUTCMD.DAT" file is located in the "Outlook" folder.

·  3

Give the "OUTCMD.DAT" file a different name, such as "OLD.DAT."

·  4

Restart Outlook 2007. By default, when Outlook 2007 notices the absence of the "OUTCMD.DAT" file, it creates a new one from scratch, restoring the program to its default settings.

Command-line switches for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

The command that starts Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 is outlook.exe. A command-line switch is the addition of a forward slash followed by the command name and any parameters.

In this article

• What are commands and switches?
• Use a switch once by adding it to the command
• Make a switch available for reuse by creating a shortcut
• Available switches

What are commands and switches?

Each time you start the program, you run the outlook.exe command, although you do not usually type the command or even see it. You can change certain aspects of how the program starts by adding subcommands called switches to the outlook.exe command.

A switch appears as a space after the main command, followed by a forward slash and the name of the switch, which provide further information about how to execute the command.

For example, the following command instructs Office Outlook 2007 to start with the Reading Pane turned off.

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 The command outlook.exe starts Outlook.

 The switch /nopreview starts Outlook with the Reading Pane turned off.

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Use a switch once by adding it to the Run command

First, verify the location of the outlook.exe file on your computer. If you accepted the default folder locations when you installed Office Outlook 2007, the outlook.exe file is located at the following:

c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe

If you do not find the outlook.exe file at that location, search for the file and make a note of the full path.

1. Do one of the following:
• Windows Vista    
• Click the Windows Start button , point to All Programs, clickAccessories, and then click Run.
• Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Server 2003    
• Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type a quotation mark, enter the full path for the outlook.exe file, and then type another quotation mark. Alternatively, clickBrowse to locate and select the file. In this case, the quotation marks are supplied automatically.
3. After the closing quotation mark, type a space, and then type the switch. For example, you might type:

"c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe" /nopreview

The next time that you start Office Outlook 2007, the program opens normally. To make your customized startup available for repeated uses, see the next section.

 NOTES 

• Switches are not case-sensitive. For example, /NOPREVIEW functions the same as /nopreview.
• Remember to include one blank space before the switch and one before each parameter.

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Make a switch available for reuse by creating a shortcut

First, verify the location of the outlook.exe file on your computer. If you accepted the default folder locations when you installed Office Outlook 2007, the outlook.exe file is probably located at the following:

c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe

If you do not find the outlook.exe file at that location, search for the file and make a note of the full path.

1. Right-click the Windows desktop, point to New, and then click Shortcut on the shortcut menu.
2. In the Create Shortcut Wizard, in the Type the location of the item box, type a quotation mark, enter the full path for the outlook.exe file, and then type another quotation mark. Alternatively, click Browse to locate and select the file. In this case, the quotation marks are supplied automatically.
3. After the closing quotation mark, type a space, and then type the switch and any parameters. For example, you might type:

"c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe" /nopreview

 NOTE   If the parameter is a path to a location on your computer, it also must be enclosed in double quotation marks.

4. Click Next.
5. In the Type a name for this shortcut box, type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

The wizard creates the shortcut on the desktop.

6. Whenever you want to start Office Outlook 2007 in this particular customized way, double-click the shortcut.

 TIP   To add the desktop shortcut to the Windows Start menu, right-click the shortcut, and then click Pin to Start menu on the shortcut menu.

You can create a variety of shortcuts, each of which applies different switches and parameters to the program at startup.

 NOTES 

• Switches are not case-sensitive. For example, /NOPREVIEW functions the same as /nopreview.
• Remember to include one blank space before the switch and one before each parameter.

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Available switches

SWITCH	DESCRIPTION
/a	Creates an item with the specified file as an attachment. Example: "c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe" /a "c:\my documents\labels.doc" If no item type is specified, IPM.Note is assumed. Cannot be used with message classes that are not based on Outlook.
/altvba otmfilename	Opens the VBA program specified in otmfilename, rather than %appdata%\microsoft\outlook\vbaproject.otm.
/c messageclass	Creates a new item of the specified message class (Outlook forms or any other valid MAPI form). Examples: /c ipm.activity creates a Journal entry /c ipm.appointment creates an appointment /c ipm.contact creates a contact /c ipm.note creates an e-mail message /c ipm.stickynote creates a note /c ipm.task creates a task
/checkclient	Prompts for the default manager of e-mail, news, and contacts.
/cleancategories	Deletes any custom category names that you have created. Restores categories to the default names.
/cleanclientrules	Starts Outlook and deletes client-based rules.
/cleandmrecords	Deletes the logging records saved when a manager or a delegate declines a meeting.
/cleanfinders	Resets all Search Folders in the Microsoft Exchange mailbox for only the first profile opened.
/cleanfreebusy	Clears and regenerates free/busy information. This switch can be used only when you are able to connect to the server running Exchange.
/cleanprofile	Removes invalid profile keys and re-creates default registry keys where applicable.
/cleanreminders	Clears and regenerates reminders.
/cleanroamedprefs	All previous roamed preferences are deleted and copied again from the local settings on the computer where this switch is used. This includes the roaming settings for reminders, free/busy grid, working hours, calendar publishing, and RSS rules.
/cleanrules	Starts Outlook and deletes client-based and server-based rules.
/cleanserverrules	Starts Outlook and deletes server-based rules.
/cleansharing	Removes all RSS, Internet Calendar, and SharePoint subscriptions from Account Settings, but leaves all the previously downloaded content on your computer. This is useful if you are unable to delete one of these subscriptions within Office Outlook 2007.
/cleansniff	Overrides the programmatic lockout that determines which of your computers (when running Outlook simultaneously) processes meeting items. The lockout process helps prevent duplicate reminder messages. This switch clears the lockout on the computer it is used, enabling Outlook to process meeting items.
/cleansubscriptions	Deletes the subscription messages and properties for subscription features.
/cleanviews	Restores default views. All custom views that you created are lost.
/embedding	Used without command-line parameters for standard OLE co-create.
/f msgfilename	Opens the specified message file (.msg) or Microsoft Office saved search (.oss).
/finder	Opens the Advanced Find dialog box.
/firstrun	Starts Outlook as if it were run for the first time.
/hol holfilename	Opens the specified .hol file.
/ical icsfilename	Opens the specified .ics file.
/importprfprffilename	Starts Outlook and opens/imports the defined MAPI profile (*.prf). If Outlook is already open, queues the profile to be imported on the next clean start.
/launchtraininghelpassetid	Opens a Help window with the Help topic specified in assetiddisplayed.
/m emailname	Provides a way for the user to add an e-mail name to the item. Only works in conjunction with the /c command-line parameter. Example: Outlook.exe /c ipm.note /m emailname
/nocustomize	Starts Outlook without loading outcmd.dat (customized toolbars).
/noextensions	Starts Outlook with extensions turned off, but listed in the Add-In Manager.
/nopreview	Starts Outlook with the Reading Pane off.
/p msgfilename	Prints the specified message (.msg).
/profile profilename	Loads the specified profile. If your profile name contains a space, enclose the profile name in quotation marks (" ").
/profiles	Opens the Choose Profile dialog box regardless of the Optionssetting on the Tools menu.
/recycle	Starts Outlook by using an existing Outlook window, if one exists. Used in combination with /explorer or /folder.
/remigratecategories	Starts Outlook and and initiates the following commands on the default mailbox: Upgrades colored For Follow Up flags to Office Outlook 2007 color categories. Upgrades calendar labels to Office Outlook 2007 color categories. Adds all categories used on non-mail items into the Master Category List.  NOTE   This is the same command as Upgrade to Color Categories in each Outlook mailbox properties dialog box.
/resetfolders	Restores missing folders at the default delivery location.
/resetfoldernames	Resets default folder names (such as Inbox or Sent Items) to default names in the current Office user interface language. For example, if you first connect to your mailbox in Outlook by using a Russian user interface, the Russian default folder names cannot be renamed. To change the default folder names to another language, such as Japanese or English, you can use this switch to reset the default folder names after you change the user interface language or install a different language version of Outlook.
/resetformregions	Empties the form regions cache and reloads the form region definitions from the Windows registry.
/resetnavpane	Clears and regenerates the Navigation Pane for the current profile.
/resetsearchcriteria	Resets all Instant Search criteria so that the default set of criteria is shown in each module.
/resetsharedfolders	Removes all shared folders from the Navigation Pane.
/resettodobar	Clears and regenerates the To-Do Bar task list for the current profile. The To-Do Bar search folder is deleted and re-created.
/rpcdiag	Opens Outlook and displays the remote procedure call (RPC) connection status dialog box.
/safe	Starts Outlook without Microsoft Exchange Client Extensions (ECE), the Reading Pane, or toolbar customizations. Component Object Model (COM) add-ins are turned off.
/safe:1	Starts Outlook with the Reading Pane off.
/safe:3	Starts Outlook with Microsoft Exchange Client Extensions (ECE) turned off, but listed in the Add-In Manager. Component Object Model (COM) add-ins are turned off.
/safe:4	Starts Outlook without loading outcmd.dat (customized toolbars).
/select foldername	Starts Outlook and opens the specified folder in a new window. For example, to open Outlook and display the default calendar, use: "c:\program files\microsoft office\office12\outlook.exe" /select outlook:calendar.
/share feed://URL/filename /share stssync://URL /share web://URL/filename	Specifies a sharing URL to connect to Outlook. For example, use stssync://URL to connect a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 list to Outlook.
/sniff	Starts Outlook, forces a detection of new meeting requests in theInbox, and then adds them to the calendar.
/t oftfilename	Opens the specified .oft file.
/v vcffilename	Opens the specified .vcf file.
/vcal vcsfilename	Opens the specified .vcs file.
/x xnkfilename	Opens the specified .xnk file.