Download Buy Now

Rebuild OST Files from Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010

To support offline work, Outlook stores mailbox data locally in an OST file, so you can read and manage emails, contacts, calendars, and attachments. This file is created automatically when Outlook connects to Exchange, Office 365, or IMAP accounts and updates the server once an internet connection is available.

Problems arise when the OST file becomes damaged or unavailable due to system failures, disk issues, or a corrupted Outlook profile. In such cases, Outlook may not open properly or may display synchronization errors, especially in versions like Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010. Although deleting and recreating the OST file is a common fix, it only restores data that exists on the server. Any data stored only on the local system and not synced can be permanently lost.

Rebuild Outlook OST file

EdbMails OST to PST Converter provides a safer and more dependable option. Instead of risking data loss, you can recover and convert the original OST file to PST format, ensuring that all mailbox content remains intact—even if Outlook can’t open the file. Once converted, the PST can be imported back into Outlook, giving you full access to your data without relying on server sync.

The step-by-step guide below outlines how to use EdbMails to recover and rebuild your mailbox data from a damaged OST file, making the process straightforward and secure.

Common reasons why OST Files become Corrupted or Inaccessible

Large OST file size: If the Outlook OST file exceeds the specified size limit, it can cause Outlook to become unresponsive or crash, leading to file corruption or make the OST file inaccessible. EdbMails allows you to convert large OST files and Split the OST file into multiple PST files, reducing file size issues and preventing further corruption.
Malware or virus infection: Harmful software present on the system can corrupt various files, including the OST file, making them unreadable or inaccessible. When malware or a virus affects the system, it may lead to this error message. EdbMails can scan and recover mailbox data from damaged or inaccessible OST files, allowing it to safely export clean data to PST even after malware-related corruption.
Hard drive issues: Bad sectors or hardware problems on the hard drive can corrupt OST files and other Outlook data, leading to data loss or access issues. EdbMails extracts mailbox data directly from the OST file structure and converts it to PST, helping recover data even when the original storage media has caused file damage.

How to recreate OST File in Microsoft Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010?
- Although recreating the OST file can fix corruption issues, it often leads to missing emails and data loss—especially if recent changes weren't synced with the server. To avoid this, rebuilding the OST file requires a careful, step-by-step approach.
  Method 1: Rebuild OST file by enabling the Cached Exchange Mode
  The Cached Exchange mode enables an offline copy of the Exchange server’s mailbox on your computer in the form of an OST file. The following steps describe how to enable Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook.
  - Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook and go to the File menu
    Click on the ‘File’ menu in the top left corner of the Outlook window.
  - Step 2: Select the Outlook Account Settings
    From the drop-down menu, select ‘Account Settings’ and then choose ‘Account Settings’> again.
  - Step 3: Enable the Cached Exchange Mode for your email account
    Select the email account that you want to recreate the OST file for and then click on ‘Change’.
    In the Change Account window, check the box that says ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode’ and click ‘Next’.
    Click ‘Finish’ to complete the operation.
  - Step 4: Close and relaunch Outlook to recreate the OST file
    Outlook will automatically create a new OST file for the email account that you selected in step 4.
- Method 2: Rebuild OST file in Outlook 2019, 2016 and 2013
  You can also recreate an OST file by renaming or moving the existing OST file from its location. Before you rename the OST, ensure that you copy and take a backup of the file.
  - Step 1: Close Microsoft Outlook if it is open.
    Close Outlook and make sure it's not running in the background.
  - Step 2: Navigate to the location of the existing OST file.
    The default location is usually in the following path:
    C:\Users%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\
    You can also locate the OST file by going to File > Info>Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files > Open File Location.
  - Step 3: Rename the existing OST file
    Locate the OST file you want to recreate and rename it with a different file extension. For example, change the extension from .ost to .old.
  - Step 4: Relaunch Microsoft Outlook to repair OST file
    A new OST file will be automatically created and start synchronizing with the Exchange server.
  See steps to rebuild an OST file in older versions of Outlook (2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010)
  Limitation: Using the Repair OST File method, results in the loss of any changes saved locally. For example, if emails were not synchronized with the Exchange server, they cannot be recovered. To restore missing or deleted emails from the OST file, you’ll need to convert the OST to PST format.
- Method 3: Rebuild OST file with EdbMails OST repair tool
  The EdbMails OST to PST converter is an effective tool for recovering and rebuilding corrupted OST files. It supports OST files from Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010. EdbMails quickly recovers all data from the OST file and converts it to PST format, making it easier to rebuild your corrupted OST file. Once converted, you can import the PST file into Outlook to restore your mailbox data.
  Steps to rebuild and convert the OST to PST
  Step 1: Download and install EdbMails OST to PST converter tool
  - Download and install the EdbMails application on any Windows-based computer, even if the system does not have an Exchange server installed.
  - Open the EdbMails application
  - Enter your email address and password, then click ‘Login’. If you don’t have an account, click ‘Start Your Free Trial’ to continue using the trial version.
    Note: The Free Trial version lets you explore the software features and export up to 30 items from each and every folder. To unlock full functionality, you need to purchase a valid license from the EdbMails website.
    Click here to purchase the license from the EdbMails website.
    After completing the purchase, close and relaunch the EdbMails application, then login using the same email address and password used during the purchase to activate your license.
  - Select ‘OST Recovery and Migration’.
  - Select ‘OST to PST’.
  - You can retain the default job name or click the ‘New Job’ button to change the job name.
  - Then click ‘Next’ to continue.
  Step 2: Select the offline corrupted OST file
  - Click ‘Browse for OST file'.
  - Select the corrupted OST file that you want to rebuild from your local drive, then click the ‘Next’ button to continue. You can also share the OST file on a network with read and write permissions assigned.
  - Click ‘Browse’.
  - Choose the location to save the exported PST files and ensure there is sufficient free disk space for storage.
  - EdbMails scans the offline OST file and recovers mailbox data, even when the file is damaged or corrupted. During the process, the tool analyzes the file structure and contents to extract emails and other mailbox items. The time required depends on the file size and the level of corruption, so wait until the scan completes to ensure full recovery.
  - After the recovery process is completed, the OST file data is displayed in the application interface with its full folder and subfolder hierarchy. You can expand any folder or subfolder to view its contents. When you select a folder—such as Emails, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, or Calendar—the application lists all the items within it and displays a detailed preview of the selected content on the right side of the interface. EdbMails OST to PST Converter allows you to open an OST file without Outlook.
  Step 3: Preview and select the mailbox
  - Select the required mailboxes/folders and click the ‘Next’ button.
  Step 4: Export the rebuilt OST file to PST
  - EdbMails OST to PST converter ensures fast and accurate conversion of offline OST files to PST format. Review the selected mailboxes and folders for the export operation, ensure the ‘Action’ is set to ‘Export’, and then click the ‘Start Export’ button to begin the export process.
  - The export process has started, and you can track its progress through the status bar. The interface shows the mailbox and folder being exported, the destination PST file location, and the count of items successfully exported. When the export is complete, EdbMails will display a message confirming that the operation has finished.
  - After the export process, import the PST file into Outlook to restore all mail items.

Advantages of EdbMails for Rebuilding an OST File

Automated Mailbox Recovery: EdbMails automates the process to recover OST file data from corrupted OST files and can restore all your mail items from a backup snapshot of the OST file. See how to backup Exchange mailboxes with OST files.
Easy-to-use Interface: EdbMails has a user-friendly interface that simplifies the recovery and export operation without requiring any technical expertise.
Efficient Scanning: EdbMails uses advanced algorithms for scanning and repairing the corrupted files and can even perform granular OST recovery of all the mail items.
Customizable Recovery: EdbMails offers several customizable options for recovery, such as selective recovery of emails, contacts, calendars with its advanced include and exclude filters.
Fast and Secure: EdbMails performs the recovery process quickly and securely without compromising the data. It maintains complete consistency and email formatting during recovery, export and migration operations.
No File Size Limitations: EdbMails can recover OST files of any size and can also export an oversized OST file into multiple smaller PST file sizes.
Multiple Export Options: EdbMails provides multiple export options such as OST to PST, HTML, EML, MHT and can even help you import OST to Office 365 and Live Exchange.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to create an OST file in Outlook 365?
When you connect Outlook to a Microsoft Exchange account, an OST file is automatically created and used to store a local copy of your mailbox data. However, if you need to manually create an OST file in Outlook 365, you can follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open Outlook 365 and click on the ‘File’ tab.
- Step 2: Click on ‘Account Settings’ and then click on ‘Account Settings’ again.
- Step 3: Click on the Data Files tab and then click ‘Open File Location’
- Step 4: Note down the location of the OST file and close Outlook
- Step 5: Rename the OST file and relaunch Outlook to rebuild the file
Note: You may need to enable Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook to create an OST file.
How to rebuild the OST file if I am not able to access Outlook?
You can rename the OST file and relaunch Outlook to rebuild a new OST file. However, if you want to rebuild an old OST file without losing any of your email data, you can use EdbMails OST to PST converter to recover OST files and convert it to PST.
Can an OST file be repaired?
Yes, an OST file can be repaired using various methods. Microsoft Outlook provides an inbuilt repair tool called 'Scanpst.exe' to fix minor OST file issues. However, if the corruption is severe, it may not be able to repair the file. In such cases, third-party tools like EdbMails OST to PST converter can be used to repair OST files and recover their contents. EdbMails can recover data from corrupted, encrypted, password-protected, and inaccessible OST files.