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Repair an .ost or .pst file in Outlook February 27, 2008

Posted by paragonhost in E-Mail, Hosted Exchange, Internet, Network 101, ParagonExchange, ParagonHost.
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Bit off topic from Web Hosting but it does related to mail clients such as Outlook. 

Source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010563001033.aspx 

The file path below may be MSMAPI vs MAPI 

If you are keeping Outlook data on your computer, you are using a Personal Folders file (.pst) or an Offline Folder file (.ost). To prevent data loss, you need to know how to repair these files.

If your .pst file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem without your switching to a backup copy. This tool, the Inbox Repair Tool, is installed on your hard disk when you install Outlook.

If your .ost file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem. This tool, the OST Integrity Tool, can scan and repair .ost files. If that doesn’t completely solve the problem, you can disable the .ost file and create a new one.

Repairing a Personal Folders file (.pst)

You may need to use the Inbox Repair Tool if you open your Outlook .pst file and receive this message:

Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:Documents and SettingsuserLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlookOutlook.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

Note  The path to the file specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

HideTo repair the .pst file

  1. On the Start menu, click Run.
  2. In the Open box, typedrive:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMapiLocaleIDscanpst.exe

    where LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.

  3. Click OK.
  4. In the Enter the name of the file you want to scan box, type the path and file name given in the error message above.Note  You may not be able to use the Browse button to locate this file because it is located in a hidden folder.
  5. To change the options for logging errors during the scan, click Options. If you choose Replace log or Append to log, the log file is saved to the same directory as the .pst file.
  6. Click Start.
  7. When the file scan is completed, select the Make a backup of scanned file before repairing check box.
  8. Click Repair.

If the file is successfully repaired, you will see a Repair complete message. If the Inbox Repair Tool was unable to repair the file, you will need to use a backup of your file.

HideTo begin using your backup file as your new primary file

  1. Start Outlook.
  2. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
  3. Select the .pst that is damaged, and then click Remove.
  4. Click Add, select Personal Folders File (.pst), click OK, and then select the .pst file you want to use as the new primary file.
  5. Click OK.

Important   You should not rely solely on the Inbox Repair Tool for disaster recovery. A system of regular backups of your .pst file is an important part of preventing data loss. You can back up the file in several ways, including copying it to another location, backing up all of the files on your computer, or by using the Personal Folders Backup utility, available on the Microsoft Office Online site.

Repairing an Offline Folder file (.ost)

You may want to scan and repair your .ost if you:

  • Encounter a large numbers of conflict items.
  • Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline.
  • Receive unexpected synchronization error messages (as shown in the synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder).
  • Receive the message:Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:Documents and SettingsuserLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlookOutlook.ost. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

    Note  The file path specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

In addition, you might be able to open folders in the .ost but get synchronization error messages that do not go away. This happens when a single e-mail message is damaged and the synchronization process cannot correct it. You can use the OST Integrity Tool to fix damaged messages or to move them so you can synchronize successfully.

Important  You may need to run scanpst.exe (see the first procedure above) first if the OST Integrity Tool cannot open the .ost file.

HideTo scan and repair the .ost file

  1. Close Outlook.
  2. On the Start menu, click Run.
  3. In the Open box, typedrive:Program FilesCommon FilesSystemMapiLocaleIDscanost.exe

    where LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.

  4. Click OK.
  5. Click either Scan all folders or Choose folder to scan. If you click Scan all folders, this may take several minutes.
  6. Select the Repair errors check box.
  7. Click Begin Scan.

Details of actions performed during the scan and repair are saved as a message in your Outlook Deleted Items folder with the subject “OST Integrity Check.”

If the Offline Folder file cannot be repaired, you can disable it and create a new one.

HideTo disable the .ost file and create a new one

  1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts, click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
  2. In the list, click Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Change.
  3. Click More Settings.
  4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Offline Folder File Settings.
  5. Click Disable Offline Use.
  6. In the File box, type the path to the file you want to use as the new .ost file. The default file name is outlook.ost. If this file name already exists, you are prompted for a new name.

OWA and Windows Vista - body of message shows X (broken image) February 22, 2008

Posted by paragonhost in E-Mail, Hosted Exchange, Hosting News, Internet, ParagonExchange, ParagonHost, Security Focus, Technology News, Windows, scripts.
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Digital Ink Content Is Displayed as a Box with a Red “X” in Messages That You Send by Using Outlook Web Access

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Article ID : 820278
Last Review : October 25, 2007
Revision : 2.4

SYMPTOMS

When a recipient opens a message that you sent by using Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA), and the message contains digital ink notes that you copied and pasted from another program (such as Microsoft Windows Journal on a Tablet PC), a box that contains a red “X” is displayed in the message instead of the digital ink content.

You do not experience these symptoms when you compose and send the message by using Microsoft Outlook.
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CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the digital ink content is not included as part of the message when you send it by using OWA. When you copy digital ink notes from a source program, the digital note content is created as a temporary .gif file. Although the message appears to contain the image when you paste the digital ink content into the body of the message, the image is not included in the message when you send it.

Although you can add attachments to the body of messages in Outlook, you must install the Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) Control on the computer before you can do so in OWA.
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WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, download and install the S/MIME Control in Outlook Web Access. The S/MIME Control permits you to add attachments to the body of messages in OWA. To install the latest version of S/MIME on your computer:1. Start Outlook Web Access, and then click Options.

2. Under E-mail Security, click Download.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the S/MIME Control on your computer.

After you install the S/MIME Control, OWA includes the digital ink content in a message that is made up of multiple parts and sends it to the recipient. When the recipient opens the message, the image is displayed in the message. Note that in addition to the image, the message also contains a box with a red “X.”

Fifteen Free Tools that Make an IT Manager’s Life Easier February 9, 2008

Posted by paragonhost in Content Watch, Hosting News, Internet, Internet Protection, Network 101, ParagonHost, ScanDefense.com, Security Focus, Technology News, TheSpamBusters.com.
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BinaryManaging a small or medium sized network can be challenging, over the years I have found these free tools that provide solutions to common IT problems:

  1. Spiceworks - Inventory, monitoring and help desk.
  2. OpenDNS - Reliable, secure outbound DNS that blocks phishing sites and gives you the power to block adult sites, proxies and individual domains.
  3. SSL-Explorer Community Edition - An open-source, browser-based SSL VPN solution that can authenticate against Active Directory and give your users remote access without installing any client-side software.
  4. VMware Server - Server virtualization allows you to test and deploy new servers quickly and easily. Virtual appliances allow you to trial/run complex applications without having to go through the full install proces.
  5. GenControl - A simple desktop remote control program that can temporarily install VNC and connect to another machine on your domain in a matter of seconds.
  6. PaperCut Print Logger - A free print logging application for Windows systems designed to provide real-time activity logs detailing all printer use.
  7. CrossLoop - Simple and secure screen sharing, great for when you have to help out the boss with his home computer.
  8. Hamachi - Instant, zero configuration VPN for when you need more than simple screen sharing.
  9. Montastic - Free website monitoring service.
  10. Sysinternals - An assortment of utilities to help you manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows systems and applications.
  11. PacketTrap pt360 - Network management tools with real time reporting.
  12. Clonezilla or g4u - Hard disk cloning.
  13. Knoppix - A bootable live Linux operating system on CD or DVD complete with troubleshooting and diagnostic utilities.
  14. SyncToy, RoboCopy or rsync - Move those files around.
  15. DNSstuff Tools - DNS, WHOIS,and other network tools.
Source: http://anchorite.org/blog/2008/02/05/fifteen-free-tools-that-make-an-it-managers-life-easier/
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