Outlook 2003 - one user suddenly suddenly cannot access mailbox, please help

M

Mizugori

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
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When one user tries to run Outlook, this error comes up:

outlook.ost cannot be accessed because it has been configured for use with a different mailbox
Click to expand...

It won't even let me get into Outlook to check settings because when I fail to browse to the file, it closes Outlook. Why is this happening? How to resolve?
 
thank you for that obnoxious and completely useless answer. As a long-term member of the forum, I of course googled first before posting here. Why don't you read the answers that come up, and see how useless they are before you repost them here and waste everyone's time

*edit* to clarify even further, the pc review on that comes up is a different issue, a guy didn't back up properly and now can't get into his box, and the solution is different as a result. it basically ends up leading you to a microsoft article for outlook 2002, not 2003, explaining how to use offline files. This is not an offline files issue I'm familiar with that. The expert exchange link is useless to me as I'm not a member. etc. I could keep going but I think I made the point.
 
Some things that have worked for me in the past....

***Try make sure Outlook is closed (check task manager)
browse into the users local user directory, local settings, app data, yada yada..and delete the OST file. (or rename the extension if you need to feel safe)

When connected to the network...launch Outlook..it will create a new one fresh from scratch.

***Another attempt at getting rid of it..mixing in combo with the above....when Outlook is closed, do into the mail settings..and uncheck "Cached Mode".
 
Glad it worked for ya.
Sounds like the .OST had gotten corrupted. I've seen it happen several times. Blowing it away, Outlook will create a fresh one the next time you open it up.
 
I wish Outlook one day becomes a plain old text file instead of a compressed binary non-standard file format. There are so much pain dealing with Outlook, but users LOVE it!
 
requiemnoise said:
I wish Outlook one day becomes a plain old text file instead of a compressed binary non-standard file format. There are so much pain dealing with Outlook, but users LOVE it!
Click to expand...

Just about every program in the world use their own methods. Microsoft is no different.

To the OP: For future reference, another method of repairing corrupted OST and PST file is to run SCANOST.EXE or SCANPST.EXE from C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX
 
I hate dealing with MS arguments, but that isn't a true statement. Many email clients use the open standard, so there are tons of apps to fix any issues that rise.
 
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