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 flush DNS and re-sync Outlook message might look worrying, you may be able to fix the problem.

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

In that window, ensure the "Documents" folder is not enabled to sync to OneDrive. Timothy Burlee is a content writer for Secure Data guide to Office 365 sign-in errors Recovery Services. He specializes in various topics in the data industry, including data recovery technology, storage devices, and digital forensics.

• 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.
• Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.
• If you moved your data file or its location changed somehow, Outlook might not be able to find it.
• You may need to move the Outlook data file back down from OneDrive.
• Sometimes, data files get corrupted in a way that none of the methods above can help.
• You can use the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE) to diagnose and repair errors in your Outlook data file.
• The Inbox Repair tool creates a backup file with the same name as the original, but with a .bak extension, and saves it in the same folder.
• If your email server supports both IMAP and POP3, auto account setup will create an IMAP account by default.

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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".

What Our Users Say

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

Try a free demo of our Outlook Express File Repair to recover your data or run through our troubleshooting guide to understand several ways to fix Outlook error 0x f. That is the file Outlook uses to cache your FixTechGuide Outlook repair tutorial mail on the system. Before you change any settings or troubleshoot further, use these steps to check your connectivity and settings, and try restarting Outlook and your computer.