Major or small scale, businesses are based on communication and Exchange Server best serves it. Therefore, all businesses function on client-server architecture and Microsoft Exchange emerges to be the best amongst them and resultant most common to be used by all types of organizations too. However, being dependent on network connection even Exchange Server at times faces unavailability. Meanwhile, at other times unavailability of server may be caused by downtime due to crash or maintenance purposes. Therefore, organizations are compelled to make use of offline files to continue working despite server unavailability for reasons whatsoever. This is how OST files were started being used in an extensive manner by organizational level of users and anyone who wishes to continue working despite the hurdles. However, corruption based damaged is the most common to occur with these files as they reside on the client end on regular machines which can easily be infected by malware intrusion or similar issues that end up disturbing the integrity of an OST file. The following post will be explaining some of the regular cases of OST file corruption and why to recover OST files to Outlook PST is the right way to deal with the consequences.
Damaging Elements to an OST File
OST files are like any other file type, though internally structured in a different way, they are equally vulnerable to some of the most common damaging issues. Following is a list of such reasons that lead to OST file corruption:
- Application malfunction or failure is probably the most common and trivial cause behind OST file’s corruption. The unexpected crash of application during synchronization or missing patches/upgrades causing it to function improperly could affect the offline storage.
- Loss of emails from mailbox also causes trouble for the users because unless the data is synchronized with its Exchange mailbox copy, OST is its only storage. Therefore, recovering it becomes a necessity.
- Server crash also affects the functioning of OST file as the data file is in connection from both ends; server as well as the client. Thus, malfunctioning of any one can lead to the malfunction of the file as a result.
- Storage on a bad sector can also be the cause of trouble you are facing with your offline data. OST files are locally stored, therefore its storage is also done where all the system data is stored, i.e. hard drive. Thus, if the particular sector assigned to the OST file is damaged it will eventually damage the file as well.
Tackling With the Consequences
Where there is damage, there will be abrupt consequences. Similar is the case with OST files and the workarounds commonly adopted by users include using scan OST utility. However, experts don’t suggest going with them and recommend commercial recovery tools for the same. They prefer suggesting users to recover OST files to Outlook PST using a third party application for guaranteed and successful results. OST to PST Converter serves with similar potential and ensures that users don’t have to go through any trouble during the recovery.
