Cannot Open Your Default Email Folder – Outlook OST Error

I have been using MS Outlook for quite some time. But just the other day when I tried opening this application, I got an error message. Now I am not able to open Microsoft Outlook to access my emails and various folders. Could you suggest me some solutions to solve this issue and also if there are any reliable automated tools to repair the error Cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file.

Symptoms

The error message is encountered when opening Microsoft Outlook, where xxx.ost is the offline folder name created when working with the Exchange mailbox offline.

Reasons for the Error

The reasons that may cause the error cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file display are:

1. On the Exchange Server, the OST file is associated with a mailbox. When Microsoft cannot access the Exchange mailbox or when it cannot synchronize the mailbox with the folders in the OST file during the offline mode due to any reason, then this error is reported.
2. The Microsoft Outlook cannot recognize the OST file because it may be damaged or corrupted. Then Outlook reports the error cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file on the screen.

Reasons for Error The File xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file

1. The email account for accessing the Exchange mailbox hasn’t been set properly in Outlook.
2. The email account for the Exchange mailbox has been deleted in Outlook.
3. The Exchange mailbox or the email account for the Exchange mailbox has been deleted or disabled on the Exchange server.
4. The Outlook and the Exchange server are not able to communicate properly between themselves.
5. You have set your email account as exchange-based when you don’t have an Exchange email account at all. Your email account is based on HTTP, IMAP, POP3 or other mail servers.

Solution to the Error

To solve the error cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file and hence prevent the circumstances of the loss of data, follow the below steps:

• You have got the OST file that has caused the error in the message itself. Alternatively, you can use the Search function in the windows to get the OST file.
• The offline data, the mail messages and all other items are in the Exchange OST file of the mailbox. This is vital and needs to be rescued. This can be achieved through the OST Recovery tool which scans the OST file, recovers the data and saves them into a PST file so that the messages and items can be easily and efficiently accessed with Outlook.
• You need to backup the OST file and that goes without saying for security reasons.
• Later the problematic original OST file is to be deleted or renamed.

Fixing of the Error

The user needs to make sure that the email account settings are proper in Outlook and that it can be connected properly to the Exchange server. This needs to be done after checking if the exchange mailbox and the email account are still valid. When all the above problems are solved the user can start Outlook and continue to send or receive the emails in the Exchange mailbox. A new OST file will be created automatically by Outlook and it will take care to see that the data is properly synchronized with the Exchange mailbox.

When all the Above Methods Fail

If you discover that-

• Your Exchange mailbox or email account have ceased to exist
• You do not have an exchange email account at all
• The above instructions to resolve the issue has failed

Then it means that there is some issue with your current email profile and it has to be deleted and a new one created as follows-

• Click Start -> Control Panel

Note: In case you have Windows XP or higher installed versions, then click on Switch to Classic View.

• You get the Mail Setup dialog box when you double-click Mail. Now click Show Profiles.
• Select the incorrect profile from the list and remove it by clicking Remove
• Create a new profile by clicking Add and then add the email accounts according to their types.
• The problem disappears when you start Outlook.

The Third-Party Tool

The manual method is undoubtedly lengthy and not within the scope of an amateur. Also, the manual method needs the help of a third-party tool like the OST Recovery utility for the efficient recovery of the items from the corrupted OST file. Only after the use of an automated tool, OST Recovery software does the error cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file gets resolved.

Conclusion

This article deals with the OST file error, the reasons for the cause and the solutions for resolving the error cannot open your default email folder. The file xxxx.ost is not an offline folder file with the help of reliable and safe third-party tools.