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Outlook data files are not shown in Outlook 2003

I have a customer who is using Outlook 2003 with Windows 7. We have 2 email accounts configured - 1 Hosted Exchange account and 1 POP account. Recently he started to see the error "0x8004010F: The operation failed. An object could not be found." on every Send/Receive. The error is annoying, but both accounts still function. The error points to not being able to access the offline address book that he does not use. It was easy enough to make the dialog box not appear, but that does not solve the real problem.

I did some more poking around and found that neither the .ost not the .pst file for the 2 accounts is visible in Outlook Data files. The only file shown is the archive.pst file. If I check in Windows Explorer, both files exist, are about the size I expect, and were accessed the last time Outlook was opened. Clicking the "Add" button in the Outlook Data Files dialog does not show the .ost file. I need the .ost file to be there because that is where the inbox for both email accounts resides.

I would rather not build a new profile and go through the pain of downloading the (large) .ost file from the server.

Is there any way other than a new profile to show the missing .ost file in Outlook Data Files so it can be designated as the default file?

Brian B

The OST file is a cache of your email. It isn't something you "open", it is simply a data file used by the program. It can even be deleted, and Outlook will rebuild it (this is a troubleshooting step if anything ever goes wrong with mail not showing on your Outlook client).

As for the first error, you didn't mention what version of Exchange server you are using, but here is the suggested fix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905813

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rhavey

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rhavey

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I found a setting in Outlook 2003 that stopped Outlook from trying to download the nonexistent Global Address Book. The Outlook data files not being listed do not seem to have much to do with anything.