Dealing with Hardware Problems That Could Damage OST Files

One of the most powerful features that Microsoft Office Outlook offers, for Exchange email account holders, is the ability to remain offline and yet work on data from their mailboxes. By storing data in Offline Storage Folders (OST files), Outlook permits you to work even when you are not connected to the Microsoft Exchange that actually stores your mailbox. This can be particularly useful when your network connectivity is not reliable or if you are working on important data and cannot have an interruption in the network.  However, like other file systems, OST files too are susceptible to hardware and software problems leading to OST files becoming corrupted or orphaned when a connection to the Microsoft Exchange server is lost abruptly.

While it is possible to recover exchange data using Outlook recovery tools or other third-party tools, it is better to be aware before hand of possible hardware problems that could cause damage to the OST files so that adequate steps could be taken to avoid any loss of data.

When we refer to hardware problems that cause damage to OST files, we are essentially referring to a failure of the hardware to properly transfer data from or to the Outlook OST files, or to a failure of the hardware in storing data in the OST files. This kind of hardware failure could have serious consequences with major portions of the data in the OST files becoming corrupted or accidentally overwritten. Specialized recovery tools can help recover exchange data from damaged OST files but a safer strategy would be to take steps that can prevent such hardware failures.

·        More often than not a simple occurrence such as a sudden power failure or power surge may result in the OST file getting damaged. When this happens at a time that you are writing into the OST files or attempting synchronization, it is more than likely that a power failure will damage some of the data stored in the OST files. Preventive measures would include using uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) to minimize power failure problems, protecting the network and local workstations against power surges, using more reliable hardware and network devices to reduce network problems and to reduce the chances of OST data getting corrupted.

·        If you are trying to carry out a synchronization of your OST files with the mailbox stored on your Exchange server through a network connection, problems with network devices such as cables, routers, hubs or network interface cards can easily interrupt the network connection resulting in an abnormal termination of the synchronization process and corrupting the OST file.

·        Hardware problems such as bad sectors on your local hard disk can not only result in data corruption in OST files but also make it difficult to recover exchange data reliably. Most recovery tools can only restore part of the data stored in the file and even that may not be entirely free of errors. Very few recovery tools such as Advanced Exchange Recovery from DataNumen actually have the kind of technology needed to scan deep into seriously damaged OST files and reliably restore all the data from the files.