It never feels great to run into an error message, especially if you’re in the middle of an important task. If you’re experiencing the "Outlook data file cannot Fix Outlook And Office 365 Errors 2025 be accessed" error and can’t find the fix, SecureData has you covered. Our Outlook Express file repair software is designed to help you repair your files and recover your data, so you don’t lose access to anything you need. How your data is synched also depends on the type of account you have. POP accounts store information directly on your computer in Outlook .pst files.

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 online Outlook email repair utility Recovery Services. He specializes in various topics in the data industry, including data recovery technology, storage devices, and digital forensics.

• This could happen if, for example, OneDrive backs up your Documents folder to the cloud and includes the Outlook Files folder where the file is located.
• 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.
• On the other hand, accounts through Office 365, Exchange Server, Outlook.com, and IMAP store information offline in Outlook data files (.ost files).
• The Lost and Found folder contains any folders and items recovered by the repair tool that Outlook can't place in their original structure.
• Sometimes, rather than keeping a backup it actually takes the files off your system and moves them up to the cloud.
• Then, in the next window, make sure you're on the tab marked \"Sync and backup\".
• You need to configure your OneDrive to not back up the directory where your Outlook data file resides.
• This might happen due to a power failure or improper shutdown, hardware issues, or viruses and malware.

Stack Exchange Network

By default, the Outlook data file resides in your local user's \"Documents\" folder. So you'll want to make sure OneDrive is not syncing that folder. By default, the Outlook data file resides in your local user's "Documents" folder. 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. Although the repair process might recreate some of the folders, they may be empty. The Lost and Found folder contains any folders and items recovered by the repair tool that Outlook can't place in their original structure.

What Our Users Say

During the syncing process, OneDrive locks the file, which prevents Outlook from accessing it, resulting in the "Outlook data file cannot be opened" error. You can try to repair Outlook data files to fix the error. This is a good solution if you think your data file might be corrupted. MS Outlook stores all the information related to your email account both online and in a local file on your computer.

Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost)

From single external hard drives, SSD’s, mobile devices to enterprise NAS, SAN, and RAID failures, we are ready to help recover from digital disasters, anywhere. When you want to replicate a copy on the cloud, manually copy the PST in the OneDrive folder. This will result in one copy in the folder in OneDrive being used for backup purposes, and another copy in your Outlook client that can be kept open by Outlook. Outlook 2013 and 2016, users of both have reported this issue.



On the other hand, accounts through repair corrupted OST in Outlook Office 365, Exchange Server, Outlook.com, and IMAP store information offline in Outlook data files (.ost files). One of the major reasons for the "Outlook data file cannot be accessed" error is corruption in the Outlook data file (PST). You can repair the corrupted PST file using the built-in Inbox Repair tool (also known as SCANPST) in Outlook. That is almost definitely the problem and it's very common unfortunately. You need to configure your OneDrive to not back up the directory where your Outlook data file resides. It is not possible for Outlook and OneDrive to both try to access the data file at the same time.