However, if your email server supports ONLY a POP3, auto account setup will create a POP3 account. More often than not, it’s caused by either a corrupted Outlook profile or a change in the data file’s location. And though an error just click the following post message might look worrying, you may be able to fix the problem.

Fixing 'Outlook Data File Cannot Be Accessed' Error on PC

Then, in the next window, make sure you're on the tab marked \"Sync and backup\". On the righthand side of the window, choose the button to \"manage backup\". In that window, ensure the \"Documents\" folder is not enabled to sync to OneDrive. You may need to move the Outlook data file back down from OneDrive. Fix Outlook and Office365 Sync Issues Sometimes, rather than keeping a backup it actually takes the files off your system and moves them up to the cloud.

• In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find practical methods to resolve the error and recover your data, whether you’re dealing with a corrupted file or a disconnected profile.
• That is almost definitely the problem and it's very common unfortunately.
• POP accounts store information directly on your computer in Outlook .pst files.
• The error message indicates corruption in the Outlook data (PST) file.
• This is a good solution if you think your data file might be corrupted.
• In the Folder Pane, you might see a folder named Recovered Personal Folders that contains your default Outlook folders or a Lost and Found folder.
• You will need to follow the manual steps in order to create a POP3 account.

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To make sure this is not the case, try opening Outlook and see if it found the data file. Then, in the next window, make sure you're on the tab marked "Sync and backup". On the righthand side of the window, choose the button to "manage backup".

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If repairing the file doesn’t solve the issue, you can try creating a new Outlook profile and adding your existing file to it. This could help if you’re dealing with configuration issues but the file itself is okay. I successfully moved my Outlook PST files onto my new computer. The issue I got caught on relates to the required steps in Outlook to switch files. I am transferring all my files from a Windows 10 PC to a new Windows 11 PC and am having issues moving my Outlook .PST files for POP accounts.

Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost)

You can use the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE) to diagnose and repair errors in your Outlook data file. The Inbox Repair tool checks the Outlook data files on your computer to see if they're in good shape. It can recover all the mailbox items from the corrupted file and save them to a new PST file, which you can import into your Outlook profile. It can also allow saving the recovered PST data to other file formats, like MSG, EML, HTML, RTF, and PDF.

Method 2 - Manually create an IMAP or POP3 email account

Sometimes, data files get corrupted in a way that none of the methods above can help. This might happen due to a power failure or improper shutdown, hardware issues, or viruses and malware. This could happen if, for example, OneDrive backs up your Documents folder Microsoft Outlook Email Repair Tool Online to the cloud and includes the Outlook Files folder where the file is located.