Tips to Solve Error: '.ost is already in use by the maximum number of applications'

An Outlook Offline Folder (.ost file) allows users to access Exchange mailbox data even in offline mode and then synchronize the changes at next secure connection with Microsoft Exchange Server. This efficiency of Outlook is quite useful in scenarios of low or inappropriate connectivity. But similar to other files, an OST file can also get corrupt. Such situations necessitate that you either restore from backup or use a Convert OST tool that retains the capability of converting a corrupt OST to PST file and thus recover ost file.

Following is an instance of such probable events in Microsoft Outlook. Consider a user using Microsoft Outlook 2003. At one point of time, it might come across the below error message:

“The file OST_File_Path\outlook.ost is already in use by the maximum number of applications. Close some of the applications, and then try again.”

Outlook user receives this error repeatedly.

Cause :

The above error is encountered due to following possible reasons:

• As suggested by error message, Outlook OST file is being accessed by different applications.
• You are trying to access a corrupted OST file.

Solution :

Below are the solutions to the above discussed issue:

• If the file is opened by various other proceses, you need to close those programs. Restarting the computer should completely resolve this issue, if this is the only reason.
• Microsoft Outlook installation includes a utility called OST Integrity Tool that can be used to correct corruption problems with OST. To run the tool, follow the below steps:

• Exit Outlook.
• Click Start | Run and type the following path in open box:

drive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanost.exe

Where, LocaleID is the local identifier of your MS Office installation.

• Click OK and click 'Scan all folders'
• Select 'Repair errors' check box and click 'Begin Scan'

If OST Integrity tool doesn't resolve OST file corruption, you need to use a third party tool that can repair and later Convert OST to PST. The file converted in PST can be directly used within Outlook. A Convert OST tool is easy to use and can run safe scanning procedures to extract data from Outlook offline folders.

How to Convert Encrypted OST file to PST file

Sometimes we encrypt our OST file with password to authenticate the access to the important or confidential data saved in the OST file. As a particular OST file stores important emails or data and this is the only way to ensure that only authorized users can access and work on the OST file. Sometimes it happens that we encrypt an OST file with a password and forget it when try to access it later.

The problem with the encrypted OST file occurs at the time of performing OST PST conversion. As many of the convert ost to pst tools available are not able to convert the password protected or encrypted Outlook OST to PST file. One should be very careful while using any 3rd party software, it should not intact the original file and demo version should provide the 100% preview of required result with WYSWYG approach in both full and demo version of the software.

Convert OST PST has the resolution of such complexity, as it is an efficient and easy to use tool to convert password protected or encrypted Outlook OST to PST file. Advance Convert OST to PST tool effectively convert Outlook ost to pst and supports Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2010, 2003, 2002 and compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003

How to Resolve "Exchange is currently in recovery mode" error

MS Exchange Server and MS Outlook collectively provides an efficient and in-demand e-communication environment to the corpoate as well as home users all over the world. But, Instead of globally accepted the occurance of various errors hits the communication channel of the users.

Consider a practicle situation wherein you try to get connect with MS Excahnge Server 2003 via MS Outlook client, but it results an error meassage:
"abode the users"
"Exchange is currently in recovery mode. You can either connect to your Exchange server through the network, work offline, or cancel this logon"

Reasons of occurance of above error message :

    Cached Exchange Mode is enabled and running
    Client mailbox has been migrated to another Exchange Server version

 In any of the above situations the authentication key created for the mailbox does not match with the OST file. To resolve this issue perform the following steps.

In first case where Cached exchange mode is enabled and running resolve the situation by disabling the Cached Exchange Mode, To disable the Cached Exchange mode, follow the instructions:

   1. Go to Tools menu >>Email Accounts >> View or change existing Email Accounts. Click Next to continue
   2. In Outlook processes e-mail for these accounts in the following order list, select the Change option
   3. Disable the Use Cached Exchange Mode option under Microsoft Exchange Server
   4. Restart Outlook


In case where mailbox has been migrated to another version of server you can resolve the issue by creating new Outlook profile. Follow below mentioned steps to create new Outlook profile.

   1. Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Mail
   2. Select Show Profile, Click Add and type desired profile name and click OK
   3. Follow on-screen instructions to complete the process

In this case, you can not access your previous mails and other data that is stored in your previous mailbox. To recover and access the emails and data on previous mailbox, you need to convert OST to PST file by using some advanced third party ost to pst converter such as Stellar Phoenix Convert OST PST. This OST to PST tool scan the entire .ost file to repair and convert OST to PST file, the resulting .PST(personal storage) file is directly accessible with Outlook. Convert OST to PST tool is very easy to use and has the ability to convert password protected or encrypted OST file components. The tool is compatible with MS Outlook 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002.

Related articles

• How to resolve "File *.ost is not an offline folder file." OST file Error
• How to resolve "object could not be found" Error

How to Resolve synchronization errors after migrating MS-Exchange mailbox

Migration of Exchange mailbox can be done with the ExProfre.exe tool. But at times, when the ExProfre.exe tool migrates the Exchange Server user profile, it results in numerous synchronization problems. Synchronization error messages appear in the event log. In such pathetic situations, you face problems while converting OST file into PST file. To overcome these situations a third-party OST to PST converter is needed. With the help of a converter, you are able to convert OST to PST with much ease.

Let's discuss what kind of synchronization problems occur when you use Exprofre.exe (Exchange Profile Update Tool) to migrate a user profile of Microsoft Exchange Server:

Numerous synchronization errors appear on screen. You can see these errors in synchronization log.

Synchronization of organizational forms does not occur. As a result, messages requiring organizational form get displayed without form data.

Synchronization of security settings of MS-Outlook doesn't occur So, if new public folder applies new security settings, then these settings remain unavailable.

Synchronization of favorite folders of Public Folder cannot be done. All the Items that are contained in that folder remain unsynchronized.
Synchronization log contains the below events in it:

“12:03:52 Synchronizer Version 11.0.6352
12:03:52 Synchronizing Mailbox 'move six'
12:03:52 Synchronizing Hierarchy
12:03:52 Synchronizing server changes in folder 'Outlook 10 Security Settings'
12:03:52 Error synchronizing folder
12:03:52 [80070057-501-80070057-550]
12:03:52 The client operation failed.
12:03:52 Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store
12:03:52 For more information on this failure, click the URL below:
12:03:52 http://www.microsoft.com/support/prodredirect/outlook2000_us.asp?err=80070057-501-80070057-550
12:03:53 Synchronizing server changes in folder 'Outlook 10 Security Settings'
12:03:53 Error synchronizing folder
12:03:53 [80070057-501-80070057-550]
12:03:53 The client operation failed.
12:03:53 Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store
12:03:53 For more information on this failure, click the URL below:
12:03:53 http://www.microsoft.com/support/prodredirect/outlook2000_us.asp?err=80070057-501-80070057-550
12:03:53 Error synchronizing folder
12:03:53 [80040115-514-0-5C0]
12:03:53 Network problems are preventing connection to the Microsoft Exchange Server computer.
12:03:53 Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store
12:03:53 For more information on this failure, click the URL below:
12:03:53 http://www.microsoft.com/support/prodredirect/outlook2000_us.asp?err=80040115-514-0-5c0
12:03:53 Synchronizing Forms
12:03:53 Error synchronizing folder
12:03:53 [80070057-501-80070057-550]
12:03:53 The client operation failed.
12:03:53 Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store
12:03:53 For more information on this failure, click the URL below:
12:03:53 http://www.microsoft.com/support/prodredirect/outlook2000_us.asp?err=80070057-501-80070057-550
12:03:53 Done
12:03:53 Microsoft Exchange offline address book
12:03:53 Download successful”

Root of the issue:
Above problem occurs due to entryid values. Entyrid values are the values that MS-Outlook application uses to locate public folders. But the values get changed when you migrate mailbox. OST file do not get updated using ExProfre.exe tool. Thus, new entry id values are not found by the OST files.

Resolution:
You can easily disregard this issue if the below conditions are true:
Organizational forms are not used by the clients.
There is no need for customized security settings of Outlook.
Favorites stored in public folder are not used by the clients.

Otherwise convert outlook ost to pst file manually and then connect it to MS-Outlook profile. It is possible to use a third party OST to PST converter tool. With the aid of these tools, you can Convert OST to PST data easily and quickly. Your unusable OST file gets converted into usable PST file.