3 Ways to Fix “Cannot Open Particular Outlook Items When Offline”
In today’s era, most organizations use Outlook applications for communication purposes. It stores all data items in the OST and PST format. However, an OST file is the offline storage table, which is a replica of Exchange server mailboxes on the local machine. That means OST files are created only when Microsoft Outlook is configured with the Exchange Server.
But, sometimes, Outlook users may face an error message “cannot open particular Outlook items when Offline” which makes the OST files inaccessible. Therefore, in this blog, we will try to list its precise reasons and all possible solutions to resolve this issue. Read the complete article to know more.
Some Possible Reasons behind This Outlook Error
Sometimes, the OST file turns distorted due to a number of unknown and known reasons. In this case, MS Outlook may display a “Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline” error message. Although there are various possible reasons that make OST inaccessible. However, it is necessary to know the actual reason that makes the OST files redundant. Some of the common reasons are listed below:
- Power Failure
- Network Failure
- Improper Handling
- Outlook termination
- File system corruption
- Damaged Offline Folder
- Malware & Virus Attacks
How to Resolve “Cannot Open Particular Outlook Items When Offline” Error?
The OST files might get corrupted because of any of the reasons discussed above. You do not need to worry about the OST file corruption and this error message. Because, in this section, you will find many reliable solutions, which can easily resolve the Outlook error message:
Solution 1: Recreate OST File from Server
If you find any corruption in OST files and encounter an error message “cannot open particular Outlook items”. Then, you can download it from the Exchange Server and store it locally. After that, it is suggested to export data to the PST file and delete the OST file. Now, import the PST file into the new OST file with the help of the Import and Export wizard.
1. First of all, go to the File menu and click on the Open button
2. Then, click on the Import option & select Import from another program or file & click on the Next button
3. Now, choose the Outlook data file (.pst) from the list of options & click on Next
4. Click on Browse and locate the PST file that you want to export
5. Select Do not import duplicates from the Options and click on the Next button
6. Further, click on the folder that you need to transfer the data to under the Select destination folder & click on the Next button
7. Finally, click on the Finish button to create a new OST file from the server.
Solution 2: Run the ScanOST.exe Tool
If you are using Microsoft Outlook 2007 or previous versions, then you can run the inbuilt ScanOST.exe utility & Scanpst.exe for later versions. It will surely resolve the offline OST files error. There are some steps given below to run the scanost.exe tool:
- At first, click on the scanost.exe to run the utility
- Then, the tool will ask to choose the profile
- Now, you can choose the suitable profile that contains the damaged OST file
- If you want to work offline then click on Connect option
- Next, choose the appropriate option as per your preferences
- To remove the error, click on the Repair error checkbox
- Finally, click on the Begin Scan option.
Solution 3: Save File in Outlook Data File
If you have performed both the procedures mentioned above and you are still getting an error message that a particular OST file cannot be open. Then, the only resolution is, that you can directly migrate your OST files. For this migration process, you can rely upon third-party conversion software like SysTools OST to PST Converter Software is a proficient solution that helps to migrate Offline folder files (OST) and start again email communication proficiently.
Wrapping Up
Sometimes, OST files get corrupted due to several reasons, which make these crucial files inaccessible and display an error message “cannot open particular Outlook items when offline”. There are many reasons mentioned in this blog for corruption. And, we have also covered three relevant solutions to repair damaged OST files. You can employ any of the methods which you consider the best fit.