Summary: Looking for a ScanOST.exe alternative to repair your inaccessible or damaged Outlook OST data file? Here are the three best alternative ways to repair any OST file created by outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021. These can help you fix any issue with your Outlook account if caused by a problem with the Outlook OST file.
Contents
ScanOST.exe was a great tool that existed until Outlook 2007. It was used to repair corrupt, inaccessible, or damaged Offline Storage Table or OST file. However, it was removed completely with the release of Outlook 2010. But Microsoft still provides SCANPST.EXE, also known as Inbox Repair tool, to repair corrupt or damaged OST/PST.
In this post, we will mention alternatives to SCANOST.EXE to deal with damaged or inaccessible Outlook OST files and restore mail items.
Alternatives to ScanOST.exe
Following are some alternative solutions to the SCANOST.EXE tool that you can use to fix inaccessible OST file.
1. SCANPST.EXE
SCANPST.EXE is located in the MS Office installation directory. It is used for fixing corrupt PST files.
Although Microsoft does not specify if SCANPST.EXE can fix OST files, there have been several instances when Outlook detected errors in the OST file and automatically opened the Inbox Repair tool for OST file repair.
It seems that the SCANPST.EXE is capable of fixing minor OST errors. To verify this, we ran it on the OST file we had and it detected some errors. To our surprise, it successfully fixed the errors detected in the OST file.
In a nutshell, you can try the Inbox Repair tool to fix minor issues with your Outlook OST data file after taking a backup. However, you also need to consider the following limitations of ScanPST.exe before using it on your inaccessible OST file to fix it.
- The tool cannot repair Outlook data files larger than 2 GB.
- It cannot fix a severely damaged Outlook data file.
- The tool repairs the Outlook data files and fixes errors by purging the irrecoverable mail items. Unfortunately, this can lead to data loss.
Steps to Repair OST with SCANPST.EXE
- Close Outlook and press Windows + R.
- Type %programfiles%/Microsoft Office/ or %programfiles (x86)%/Microsoft Office/ (for 32-Bit Windows or Outlook) and press the Enter key.
- Open the Office xx folder (xx denotes the version) and launch SCANPST.EXE.
- Click Browse to choose the OST file. The OST file is usually located in the C:\Users\YourProfileName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook folder.
- Click Start.
- After the scan, it will display if there are errors in the OST file. Click Repair.
- After the repair is complete, open Outlook. The issues should be resolved by now.
However, if you still can’t access the mail items or Outlook displays errors, such as xxx.OST is not an Outlook data file, you may try recreating the OST file.
2. Delete the OST File
If you encounter OST file-related errors in Outlook, such as can’t access your mail items, synchronization errors, delay in sending or receiving emails, etc., you can delete your OST file to recreate a new one to solve the issues.
This works when your email profile is still active and connected to the mailbox server. Thus, before you delete the OST file from the default location, create a backup and check if you can access your email account via a web browser.
If your profile is still active, you can go ahead and recreate the OST file to fix issues with your Outlook. The steps are as follows:
- Close Outlook.
- Press Windows + R, type %LocalAppData%/Microsoft/Outlook, and press the Enter key.
- Copy the abc@xyz.com.ost file to somewhere safe, preferably on an external media.
- After backup, delete the OST file.
- Open Outlook. This will create a new OST file at the same location.
The Outlook will synchronize all the mail items in the new OST file from the mailbox server.
3. OST TO PST Converter Software
You can use an OST to PST converter by Stellar Converter for OST. It’s a completely safe and reliable tool to get rid of OST-related issues without losing any mail items. Unlike ScanOST.exe, the software does not repair the OST file but extracts the mail items from inaccessible or orphaned OST file to a new PST file. Once the mail items are saved in the PST file, you can import the mail items into your Outlook profile through Outlook Import/Export wizard. It can also export the mail items extracted from the OST file directly to an existing Outlook profile, Office 365, or Live Exchange Server.
The software runs a thorough scan (in read-only mode) on the inaccessible OST files. It extracts the mail items with complete integrity and precision while maintaining the folder structure and hierarchy. It does not tamper with or alter the original OST file. Thus, the original OST file remains safe from further damage. The software works on any OST file created by Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021.
Conclusion
Since ScanOST.exe is no longer available, you can use any of the alternative solutions discussed above to resolve the OST-related issues and errors. These solutions can help you restore your inaccessible OST or Outlook account and mail items without causing data loss. However, to avoid losing mail items due to inaccessible or oversized OST files, it’s recommended that you maintain a regular backup. For this, you can use Outlook Import/Export wizard. Also, keep an OST to PST converter tool handy as it will help you restore your mail items if the OST becomes inaccessible or your email account is removed and you don’t have the recent backup.
