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SpencerKarnovski

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Cannot locate the outlook.ost file - 2007.

Hello there.
I have a user that cannot open up MS Outlook 2007(Vista).  The user in question connects to the MS Exchange server off-site through a VPN.  The VPN connection is working fine, as the user can connect to another users outlook account (from his laptop) locally.  It just when he goes to open Outlook, we get this error.
The user claims that he installed some software for his Blueberry, he now receives this error;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Jertsy/error-2.gif
Now I have tried locating the outlook.ost file as specified, but it is nowhere to be found.   For the love of god I cannot locate this file to be able to run the scanpst.exe file.  The scanpst.exe file is located in the office12 folder.    But the outlook.ost file is not in the folder it is meant to be.  
Does anyone know where this file is?  I have checked everywhere specified, run multiple searches.   How can I fix the outlook.ost file if I cannot find it !!
Thanks
Avatar of Andres Perales
Andres Perales
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under the folder options have you selected do not hide hidden folders option, or in the options for your search select search hidden files and folders.
By default the file in question is stored at

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

You should see any .pst and .ost files listed in here...

FYI: Other user settings for outlook are located here...

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
Like peralesa had noted in his comment, you will need to go to Control Panel > Folder Options > View Tab > and select show hidden files and folders to allow you to see/search your computer for those hidden files and folders.
Avatar of SpencerKarnovski
SpencerKarnovski

ASKER

Hi guys - thanks for the info, but I'm sure I have selected show hidden files, and I still cannot locate them.  

I'm at home at the moment, and I cannot even locate these files on my XP Home version of 2007 - just did a *.ost  and *.pst file search, and I still cannot locate them.

By chance the ost and/or pst files are not located on the MS exchange server are they?  Sorry for my lack on knowledge.

Thanks for your help here, this error is taking up too much time..

Spencer
they are not on the exchange server, and you will only find an .ost file if they have offline files viewing enabled and .pst file if you have personnal folders enabled.
Hi Peralesa

Thanks for the info, you are the first person, or the first source, that has pointed out that the files will not show unless they have the offline files viewing enabled.

Sorry to be a pain, but where would one find that option - I have just run a quick search, but could not find anything.  Sorry to be a pain.

Thank you
Outlook > Tools > Account Settings > (double-click) Microsoft Exchange > More Settings > Advanced > Offline Folder File Settings.

There should be a path there to your .ost.
Ok, but how can I access those tools when I cannot start outlook?

Thanks
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USAF_The_One
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Outlook won't even open...period? If that is the case, go to the Control Panel and click on the mail icon...the choose "email accounts".
you can also view that from the control panel
mail icon and the select your profile , Account Settings > More Settings > Advanced > Offline Folder File Settings.

then set it for offline, should open after that.
and for you pst you will need to go to file > data file management that is where you can add a personal folder.
Thanks folks - will try this first thing in the morning.

And no MrLondaB, Outlook will not even start - just shows the error that is in the screen shot.  However, I know for a fact that I can access the email settings.

I know for a fact that it is set to use Cached Exchange Mode.  Will report back tomorrow with my progress.  Now, sleep time.

Thanks.
Also try this link to see if you can do a profile repair on your Outlook profiles using a series of these Outlook switches found here. This is just done by going to start run typing "Outlook.exe /switchname"

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HP012185891033.aspx