Author: Ravi Singh | Updated on August 14, 2020

When MS Outlook is used while connected to the Exchange server, all mailbox data on the server is stored locally in a file called Offline Storage Table (OST) file. This file can be seen as a replica of the user’s Exchange mailbox since it stores all records of the account residing on the server, locally. The main role of this file comes into play if the Exchange server experiences downtime due to technical issues or maintenance. In such cases, the users can continue to work with the OST file locally without interruptions and any changes they make to the account are merged with their Exchange account once the server comes back up.

However, there could be instances where users face errors while trying to access their Exchange mailbox data through the OST file. Such errors might be caused due to faulty synchronization between Outlook and Exchange or due to problems with the OST file. More often than not, problems within the OST file trigger mailbox access errors.

This article sheds light on a common Outlook Data file error 0x8004010F, and the methods to fix it.

Outlook error 0x8004010F and the reasons behind it

An OST file is prone to damage because of various factors. These include corruption due to overgrown size, virus attacks, damage due to accidental shutdown etc. While these are the most common causes behind them, OST issues can often spring up due to human errors. Let’s take a scenario into consideration.

Suppose you’re using Outlook 2010 or 2013 and while sending/receiving emails you see the error:

"0x8004010F: Outlook data file cannot be accessed"

or

"0x8004010F: The operation failed. An object could not be found"

This is a common MAPI error and it occurs at the time of synchronizing an offline address book, during send/receive operation, or while downloading the OAB files. The primary reasons behind this error are:

OST file corruption



Incorrect configuration or corruption of Outlook profile



Change in the location of OST file on the machine



Copying of old OST file used by previous Outlook version after upgrading



This error will prevent you from sending or receiving any emails so resolving it at the earliest should be your first priority.

How to fix Outlook errors

Depending upon the real cause behind the error, you could opt for different ways to apply Outlook error fix. The fixes explained below are applicable to Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013.

1. Create a new Outlook profile

If the reason behind the error is a corrupted Outlook profile, creating a new one will fix the error. For this, find the current location of your default Outlook data file (in the case, the OST file), and then create a new Outlook profile. Here are the steps to do this:

Step 1: Locate the default Outlook data file

Open Control Panel and click Mail. The ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog box will open. Click Show Profiles Select your current Outlook profile and then click on Properties Again the ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog will come forth. Click on Data Files The ‘Account Settings’ dialog box will open. Click on the Data Files tab and note the name and location of the default Outlook profile. The default profile will be denoted by a check mark. Close and exit.

Step 2: Create new Outlook profile

Auto-setup IMAP or POP3 email account

Open Control Panel The ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog box will open. Click Show Profiles Select your current Outlook profile and then click on Add Type a name for the new profile in the New Profile dialog box and click OK The ‘Add New Account’ dialog box will open. Type your email information and then click on Next After successful configuration completes, click on Finish.

Manual method to create IMAP or POP3 email account

Open Control Panel The ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog box will open. Click Show Profiles Select your current Outlook profile and then click on Add Type a name for the new profile in the New Profile dialog box and click OK The ‘Add New Account’ dialog box will open. Select ‘Manually configure server settings or additional server types’ option and then click Next The ‘Choose Service’ dialog box will open. Select Internet E-mail and then click on Next The ‘Internet E-mail settings’ dialog box will open. Type your account details Click Test Account Settings to test your account Select the ‘Existing Outlook Data File’ option and then click on Browse The ‘Open Outlook Data File’ dialog box will open. Find and select the Outlook data file you located previously. Click OK -> Next -> Close -> Finish.

Step 3: Configure the new Outlook profile as the default profile

Open Control Panel The ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog box will open. Click Show Profiles Select the option ‘Always use this profile’ and select the new profile from the drop-down under it. Click OK.

2. If creating new Outlook profile isn’t possible

Some users have multiple email accounts in Outlook and creating a new Outlook profile might not be feasible for them. In such a case, they can follow the below-mentioned procedure to fix the OST file error 0x8004010F:

From Outlook click File -> Account Settings -> Account Settings

Click Change Folder and expand it by click on the + sign adjacent to it.

Select Inbox and click on New Folder option to create a new temporary folder. Give it a name and then click OK

Select the folder you’ve just created and click OK. The message delivery location will now show this new folder.

Now change the temporary folder back to the original location. For this, click on Change Folder again. Select Inbox and then click OK

Close Account Settings and click send/receive.



Changing message delivery location to a temporary folder and then changing it back refreshes Outlook settings. This can fix the error.

Final Words

If none of the above methods work, OST corruption might be the culprit. To repair the OST, convert it to PST format using trustworthy third-party OST to PST converter Stellar Converter for OST. This commercial tool is backed by powerful algorithms to accurately convert OST file into PST format. The converted PST file can then be imported into Outlook to access data.