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Microsoft Outlook is one of the most preferred email clients used by individuals and organizations worldwide for managing emails. When the setup of the Outlook profile is done for the first time, it automatically create Outlook data file. Outlook creates an OST or PST file based on the configuration used during the setup. These data files are generally reliable, secure, and easily accessible. However, sometimes while using Outlook user might face the error message “Outlook Data File Cannot be Opened” thus halting the email communication. In this blog, we are going to elaborate on various reasons that cause this error and methods to fix the error message.
Reasons for Outlook Data File Cannot be Opened Error
There are various reasons why users encounter cannot open Outlook data file error. Some common reasons include:
- Unexpected shutdowns or power failures when Outlook is open can damage the Outlook PST file. This corruption can stop Outlook from opening your mailbox the next time you launch it.
- If you don’t have the right permissions to access your Outlook data file, or if the file is located in a restricted folder, Outlook may not be able to open it.
- Your Outlook profile holds settings for your email account. If somehow this profile got corrupted, you are not able to open the Outlook data file.
- If the Outlook OST file is too large, then it can increase the risk of corruption and display errors.
- Outdated or incompatible Add-ins sometimes create conflicts with Outlook and prevent it from working properly.
- When your original email account is removed, disabled, or disconnected, the linked OST file becomes orphaned, and Outlook cannot open the data file.
- If your computer’s hard drive has bad sectors or there’s a problem with storage, the Outlook data file may get corrupted, causing access issues.
How to Fix “Outlook Data File Cannot be Opened” Error?
Here are a few troubleshooting ideas that will help you access the Outlook data file. Let’s check them out.
- Restart Outlook in Safe Mode: If Outlook is not opening, then you can try to run Outlook in safe mode. Running Outlook in safe mode can eliminate some errors, and you might be able to access the data file. To open Outlook in safe mode – Press Windows + R, then type outlook.exe /safe and enter.
- Create New Outlook Profile: Sometimes, a corrupted profile stops Outlook from opening the data file. In that situation, you need to create a new profile and open the data file.
- Go to Control Panel
- Select Mail(Microsoft Outlook)
- Click Show Profiles
- Click Add, name the new profile
- Set it as the default and relaunch Outlook
- Go to Control Panel
- Disable Add-ons: Although add-ons are used to speed up the working of Outlook, they sometimes backfire. In that case, all you need to do is remove them and restart Outlook.
- Check File Permission: When you face the cannot open Outlook data file error, try to check the file permission.
Right-click on the data file > Go to Properties > Security tab. Then, ensure your Windows user has Full Control. - Update Outlook: Sometimes the older version of your Outlook can cause the issue. Check your Outlook version and update it to the new version.
Alternative Solution: Still Stuck at ‘Cannot Open Outlook Data File’?
If all these solutions don’t work for you, then you can use the BLR OST to PST Converter on Windows. The tool will convert your OST file data into PST format. After that, you can easily open the exported data file in any version of Outlook. Moreover, the tool supports the conversion of emails from corrupted, damaged, or orphaned OST files without any data loss. You can try the demo version of ost to pst tool to analyze its working process.
Conclusion
Here in this post, we fix the “Outlook Data File Cannot be Opened” issue. We mention why users face this issue and find the solutions to fix it. If you are facing the Cannot Open Outlook Data File error, then try the given solution. If, after following all the solutions, you are still stuck there, then you can use the automated tool.
