Techniques to Resolve Exchange Error 0x8004010f and Recover PST from OST File

Error 0x8004010f code is one of the most commonly faced errors when Outlook is used in conjunction with MS Exchange server environment. It is a MAPI error and occurs in several situations such as while downloading the Offline Address Book (OAB) files, while synchronizing OAB, while send/receive execution, corruption in OST file, etc. It is also a commonly encountered error when a new account is created on Exchange server. It has been found that if an organization running Exchange owns an offline list of address generator server, the particular error is usually received. This restricts any further synchronization, send/receive operation and it may also result in inaccessibility of OST file. In such situations, it gets necessary to develop any technique to resolve Exchange error 0x8004010f and recover PST emails from OST file.

Occurrence

• When it is tried to synchronize the offline address list or OST file in Outlook with cache mode in enable state in Exchange, the below mentioned error message occurs in the folder or directory of Sync Issues. The lines of the error are as displayed below:

• When it is endeavored to synchronize the .ost file or offline address book in Outlook with cache mode in disabled state in Exchange, the error message mentioned below is a common one.

Further, even after receiving error 0x8004010f if it is tried to transmit mails, the error: “Task ‘Microsoft Exchange Server’ reported error (0x8004010F): ‘The operation failed. An object could not be found’” occurs. With this, the synchronization between OST and Exchange server stops, restricting connection to Exchange mailbox and further conversion of OST file into PST format on the local/ client machine.

Recommendation

It generally takes about 24 - 48 hours for Exchange to generate the OAB for newly formed accounts. In the mean time, if any Outlook client tries to download the OAB then the error 0x8004010F pops up which indicates the failure of the download process. Therefore, new users should not attempt to download the Offline Address Book manually in Outlook. However, if the problem exists even after 48 hours manual download should be performed.

Resolutions

1. To fix the error users can view the Properties in Address list, check the settings of the Exchange server System Manager and verify the validity of address book. If the list is not valid then a new list should be added. The other way is to view Properties in Offline Address Book list and check the settings of Exchange System Manager. Thereafter, the validity of OAB in the Offline address list can be confirmed.
2. The error 0x8004010f can also occur while offline address list synchronization, if the client PC with Outlook has proxy settings and Internet Explorer browser is utilized. To eradicate the issue, Internet Protocol (IP) address of Exchange server 2007 Client Access Server should be listed in the exclusion list by utilizing the steps given below.

• Open Internet Explorer (IE) web browser
• Click the tab Tools, then click button ‘Internet Options’
• In Internet Options window click Connections tab
• In the LAN settings section, click LAN settings button
• In Proxy Server section of LAN settings window, check ‘Bypass proxy server for local addresses’ box and then click Advanced
• Then enter FQDN of Exchange 2007 CAS server and click OK
• Thereafter restart Outlook program

Some more steps should be executed and are mentioned below:

• On Exchange server, ensure if the offline address list generator server is running or not.
• On the local PC, configure one proxy for and uncheck the box ‘Bypass proxy server for local addresses’.
• Try to download OAB manually because the error occurs while downloading the OAB file also. Then check if the error has been fixed or not.

Most probably, the above mentioned techniques to resolve Exchange error 0x8004010f and recover PST emails from OST file are pertinent enough. But it may not be so and in that case an external recovery tool comes as a solution to the problem.

3. If none of the above recommended methods work out, then the cause of the error points to corruption in OST file. In such situations any professional application should be used to recover data items such as emails, calendars, contacts and others from the damaged and inaccessible .ost file. This is because the built-in OST Integration check tool (scanost.exe) that are present in other releases of Exchange has been removed in 2010 edition of Exchange server. Moreover, if executed in other releases it causes data loss. As a suitable alternative, a third party tool called Exchange OST to PST Recovery solution can be adopted without fear. This is because it recovers data corrupted .ost file and exports them in Outlook PST as well as other formats like EML and MSG. It proves as one of the most appropriate techniques to resolve Exchange error 0x8004010f and recover PST emails from OST file type.

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How Can I Dissolve Synchronization Error Between OST File and Exchange Server Mailbox?

The main error that comes up while working with Outlook profile configured with Exchange Server mailbox is the synchronization error. This error takes place when the OST file (offline file) does not get synchronized with Exchange account when the connection is retrieved.
The inappropriate synchronization might occur due to availability of unreliable internet connectivity between the client and the server machines. To dissolve synchronization error between OST file and Exchange Server mailbox, it is required to perform several operations.

Methods to Dissolve Synchronization Error

Resolution #1: Re-Synchronizing Folders:
Once failed, synchronization can be maintained again between Outlook and Exchange account via two methods:

• Manual Synchronization; and
• Automatic Synchronization.

Let’s discuss both the techniques in details to get better understanding about them:

Manual Synchronization:

For synching the folders manually, the below mentioned procedure can be implemented:

1. Click on the folder that needs to be synchronized from the ‘Folder List’ pane.
2. For this, click on ‘Folder List’ available in the ‘Go’ menu (if the option is not available or accessible).
3. On ‘Tools’ menu; click on the ‘Send/Receive’ button and then click on the folder (Microsoft Exchange Server) to start synchronization among incorporated offline folders.
4. Alternatively, click on ‘Send/Receive All’ to synchronize entire offline folders.

Automatic Synchronization:

To enable automatic synchronization each time the connection is retrieved between Outlook and Exchange Server; following stated steps can be executed:

1. Go to the ‘Tools’ menu and click on ‘Options’.
2. Select the ‘Mail Setup’ tab.
3. In ‘Send/Receive’ segment, click on the checkbox associated to ‘Send immediately when connected’.
4. Click on ‘Send/Receive’.
5. In the then appeared ‘Send/Receive’ Groups dialog box, ensure that the option ‘Perform an automatic send/receive when exiting’ is been selected.
6. Next, click on ‘Close’ and click on ‘OK’.

Resolution #2: Create New OST File & Initiate Sync Operation:
This can be done by renaming the existing OST file and then synching both accounts. Following procedure can be implemented for renaming the existing OST.

• Exit all running programs.
• Click on ‘Start’ menu and then click on ‘Search’; further select ‘For Files or Folders’.
• Click on ‘All files and folders’ in the ‘Search’ dialog box,
• Type ‘*.ost’ in the ‘All or part of the file name’ tab.
• Leave the file box corresponding to ‘A word or phrase’ as default.
• Click on the hard disk option in the ‘Look’ section.
• Then, under ‘More advanced options’, enable the check box associated with ‘Include subfolders’ and further click on ‘Search’.
• In the existing ‘Name’ column, you can see the OST file.

The default location for the OST file storage is as follows.
“C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook”
Note: This applies to MS Windows 2000, MS Windows NT, MS Windows XP and MS Windows Server 2003.

• Right-click on the appropriate OST file and further select ‘Rename’ option.

Note: Rename the file with different file extension, for e.g., (.pre) file extension instead of (.ost) file format.

• In the ‘File’ menu, click on ‘Close’.
• Start MS Outlook, click on ‘Send/receive’ on the ‘Tools’ menu, and then click on ‘Send/Receive All’.

Note: The above said workaround methods requires technical expertise; as it involves the possibilities of file corruption and data loss.

Alternate Solution to Dissolve OST Synchronization Issue

If the error message corresponding to OST Synchronization takes place, the major risk that may rises as an aftermath is data loss due to OST corruption. The above mentioned procedures are lengthier and complex as well. Therefore, to recover data from the corrupted OST file; Exchange OST to PST Recovery software can be used. It can dissolve synchronization error between OST file and Exchange Server mailbox.

The tool can extract data from mail, contacts, tasks, journals, calendars and other mailbox folders and restores them back in the form of PST files. It is supported over MS Outlook 2013, 2010, 2007 and 2003 versions.

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