Share via

Outlook data file password requested suddenly

Anonymous
2013-06-29T07:59:39+00:00

Hi, i recently received a new pc at work with windows 8 and office 2013. The PC has been usable but not used much for about a month and I have used the email a little. This week it we started using it full time and suddenly yesterday it started asking for "outlook data file password". It had never asked before and I have never put one in. 

Is this going to be a concern as I don't want to end up losing all my emails ? It took me days to find a way to transfer from express to the new pc and I ended up losing some emails then.

Thanks

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

24 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-14T20:27:25+00:00

    Heath,

    I am the IT support for a company and today I had a request for support from one of our branch offices and the issue the user was experiencing was exactly as you described it, your wording is absolutely perfect. 

    I don't know why, but the Microsoft people always fault the user - i.e. user error with password management - before the will admit fault with their program. 

    In this case, like yours, it is a brand new PC I installed for the user in January w/Office 2013 and has been used vigorously every work day & they have had no issues whatsoever with Office or the PC until this issue with Outlook 2013 today. 

    This is not a user issue, it is a program issue.

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-30T05:21:42+00:00

    Hi thanks, but no that's not what I said. It suddenly started asking me for a password. I have never entered one before or set one up. I have been using it for a few weeks now and it has never asked me before but now it asks me every time I open Outlook. I don't enter anything as I have no password to enter so I just hit the cancel tab. It then proceeds to open outlook normally and all my files are there including this data file but I am concerned that there maybe a glitch and one day I will hit cancel and it won't let me in thus losing very important emails.

    Many thanks

    Heath

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-02-09T04:06:30+00:00

    Im the IT tech for several businesses in my area and I own a computer a computer shop. the answer to this issue is outlook for whatever reason creates a user file and a pst file located in the documents/ users folder that is very small in size.  delete them and then when you ope outlook it will prompt you to browse for where your real pst file is.. click your real pst file and wala. outlook is fixed and you didn't lose anything.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-30T14:08:49+00:00

    Hi,

    I still haven't had any further response from them which obviously means they don't know what it is but It would be nice if they just said "we aren't sure what the problem is but if we get a fix we will let you know"

    Instead the communication just stops. Really poor attitude ! 

    Anyway on the positive side it hasn't caused any problems to Outlook and I still have all my emails so no need to worry. 

    All the best

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2016-06-12T06:06:35+00:00

    I had the exact same problem after downloading windows 10. 

    I cured it on my machine ...

    Open outlook and write down the name of the problem data file

        Proceed to the outlook program

           FILE>   INFO>  ACCOUNT SETTINGS>

            click on the DATA FILE tab

             highlight and REMOVE the problem data file

    Good luck  rick

    10 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments