What causes Outlook data file corruption

Question

One of my users has been having trouble with his outlook profile becoming corrupted, it started after we updated his computer. We bought a new laptop same OS just upgraded hardware i.e., slightly faster CPU and more RAM. ever since then one of his outlook profiles keeps getting corrupted. I know that this is a relatively common problem, and the fix is rather easy. You just have outlook create a new profile and only takes a few minutes to implement, but it has happened seven times in the last two weeks. Before upgrading his system, it worked fine for years. To the best of my knowledge my user is not doing anything other than attempting to use outlook as intended. He does have two email accounts that are connected to his outlook and only one of them are being corrupted. My question is whether there is something that I can point to for the user and tell him not to do so the issue will stop manifesting or will I just have to keep changing his profile name so outlook keeps making him a new profile so he can send his emails?

Answer 1

Hi @Brian Flater ,

After upgrading the laptop, please make sure that the Outlook version is up to date: Open Outlook > File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now

Based on your description, which seems to be related to the corrupted data file of the cm account, it is recommended to clear the e-mail cache:
Close Outlook
Call up %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook via the search bar

The folder with the OST file will open and you can delete it. Make sure that Outlook is closed during the cleanup process. If you manage several Outlook profiles from a single PC, you will find several files with the extension *.ost.

Create a new profile from Control Panel: Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add, then re-add account.

If that doesn't help, perform a clean boot
Hope that may help you!

Answer 2

Add-ins, anti-virus software are the usual culprits.
You could disable some of these and test:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-an-add-in-off-for-outlook-for-windows-96737da4-ab7c-464e-9d2a-cf15db47c4cf

or start outlook in safe mode and see if the problem continues

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/open-outlook-in-safe-mode-f394c2ee-b2af-e97a-64ee-35cd24414811#:~:text=1.,%2Fsafe%2C%20and%20click%20OK.

Answer 3

Ok so I thought that it this had solved the issue but it came back. So a little more info, my user has two email accounts that are using his outlook an @northsidemachine.com email address and an @cm-engineering.org email address the northside email works fine but the cm email is losing the ability to send emails out. It keeps giving the error that the data file is becoming corrupted I have removed all add ins that were being used by his outlook and thought that this fixed the problem but it came back although did buy us a full day of usage as before this was happening daily and disabling the add-ins let it work for a day. I also confirmed that the problem is still persisting even in safe mode also I don't believe that the antivirus is the issue since it is the same antivirus that we used on his old laptop before the upgrade. In fact all the software is the same and the only difference that there exists is the upgraded physical laptop. Any other ideas?

Answer 4

I am having the SAME problem...the email address status becomes "disconnected" and the outlook icon has an exclamation mark over it. I have to create a new profile and it works, and after multiple new profiles (over severals days, sometimes a week) outlook won't even open and I have to get Microsoft to remote in and do what they do to get it back to scratch, but NEVER identify or fix the issue! I am trying to run a business! Come on Microsoft, work it out, we are paying for a product to WORK!

Answer 5

I am having the same issue with one computer. Tried reformatting and reinstalling everything. Uninstalled antivirus, disabled add-ins.