February 15, 2022 / Lily Collins

Outlook Cannot Synchronize Subscribed Folders; How to Fix?

While usually, you may not face any issue when using the Outlook email program, however, some users sometimes may experience synchronization issues in their Outlook email, especially with Subscribed Folders. If you find that Outlook cannot synchronize subscribed folders, the problem might be occurring due to a corrupted .ost file. To know how to fix the synchronization issue in Outlook, follow the instructions provided below.

Guide to Fix Outlook Synchronization Issue With Subscribed Folders

One of the ways to fix the Outlook synchronization issue with Subscribed Folders is by fixing the corrupt .ost file. Below, you can find the steps to fix the file for different versions of Outlook.

For Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007

To fix the.ost file in Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007, you will need to consider using the OST Integrity Check Tool (Scanost.exe).

For Outlook 2010 and Above Versions

As the OST Integrity Check Tool (scanost.exe) is not included in Outlook 2010 and above versions, you will not be able to fix the .ost file using it. This repair tool is only available in earlier versions. In case there is an issue with a specific folder, you can consider resynchronizing the folder in Outlook. In order to do so, follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Firstly, you will need to right-click on the folder and then select the Properties option.
• Next, you will need to select the Clear Offline Items option and then press the OKbutton.
• Then, you will need to select the Send/Receive tab on the Outlook 2010 ribbon.
• After that, you will need to click on the Update Folder option.

In case these methods don’t help you fix the problem, it is recommended that you try rebuilding the .ost file. For this, you will need to delete the .ost file and allow Outlook to download the information again from Exchange Server. However, there is an exception to this suggests that if you have local data that is not available on the server. In such a case, you can follow these steps:

• Firstly, you will need to export the data to an Outlook Data File (.pst), and then remove the .ost file.
• Next, you will need to allow the server data to download again, and then import the .pst file data through the Do not import duplicates option. In order to access this option, you will need to press the file tab and then press the Open option.

Additional Information

It is to be noted that the OST Integrity Check Tool is known for running only on .ost files and can be used to check and repair synchronization issues. It works by scanning the local copy of the .ost file and your mailbox on an Exchange Server. The tool is known for comparing items and folders in the file as well as in your mailbox and tries to fix synchronization differences between the files and the mailbox. However, the OST Integrity Check Tool doesn’t change your mailbox on the Exchange Server.

The tool is capable of recording differences in a scan log so that you can see the differences the tool scanned and resolved. The scan log is also capable of identifying any conditions where the tool couldn’t resolve and which you must fix manually. The scan log is located in your Deleted Items folder.

The OST Integrity Check Tool (Scanost.exe) is installed when you install Outlook in the below-mentioned locations, as relevant for the Outlook version that you are using.

For Outlook 2003

drive:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMSMAPILocaleID folder. Be aware that in this example, LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for the installation of MS Office.

For Outlook 2007

drive:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOFFICE12

In order to repair errors by using Scanost.exe

• Firstly, you will need to exit from Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 if it is running on your system.
• Next, you will need to double-click on the Scanost.exe option.
• In case you have configured Outlook to prompt you for a profile, the tool will also prompt you for a profile. You will need to click the profile in the Profile Name list which comprises the .ost file that you want to inspect. Click on the Connect option if you are prompted to Connect or to Work Offline.
• Next, you will need to choose the options that you want from the screen. In order to have the tool automatically resolve differences that it comes across at the time of the scanning process, you will need to press the Repair Errors check box. If this check box is not selected, the tool logs the problems. However, the tool will not make the necessary corrections.
• Then, you will need to press the Begin Scan option.

NOTE: in order to view the scan log, you will need to launch Outlook, and then open the deleted items folder. The tool is not configured to scan the Deleted Items folder. Any problems are visible in a message that has “OST Integrity Check” as its Subject.

Steps toRebuild the .ostFile

• To begin with, you will first need to find the following folder, depending on the operating system that you are using:
• For Windows XP: C:Documents and Settings\Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook
• For Windows Vista and later versions: C:Users\AppDataLocalMicrosoftOutlook
• In case the folder is not displayed, you will need to unhide the folder. To do this, follow these steps:
• Windows 8 and Windows 10: Click to select the Hidden items check box on the View tab, as well as the File name extensions check box.
• For Windows 7: Click on the Folder and search options under the Organize menu. Then, click on the View tab, and then click to select the Show hidden files, folders, and drive option. After that, select the Hide extensions for known file types checkbox.
• For Windows XP: Select Folder Options on the Tools menu. Next, select the View tab, and then press the checkbox next to the Show hidden files and folders option, After that, simply click the checkbox next to the Hide extensions for known file types option.

So, these are the steps that you will need to follow when your Outlook cannot synchronize subscribed folders.