Learn More About the Exchange Recovery Mode in Outlook 2003

The combination of Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook is very popular amongst users of network services because of the ease of use, flexibility and versatility that they offer. However, there are also enough stories about users who have lost all the data in their mailbox because of a number of factors. Accidental deletion of the server-based mailbox is one very common reason. Sometimes, a network administrator removes it to resolve some discrepancies. At times, there are problems with the hardware or software that lead to errors cropping up in the mailbox and making it impossible for it to revert to an earlier state. Working with Offline Storage Folders (OST files) makes it possible to carry out an OST recovery and restore Exchange data even if the mailbox has been deleted.

However, users who work with Outlook in the offline mode tend to treat the Offline Storage Folders (OST files) almost as mailbox backup. They are therefore not too worried about accidental deletion of mailboxes, as they believe that they can always connect to a new server-based mailbox and use their OST files to synchronize all the data. However, the problem is that if the original Exchange profile has been changed to point to a new mailbox then the old OST file becomes virtually inaccessible. For security purposes, Microsoft Outlook provides every OST file a special key that determines which mailbox it can access. If the old mailbox is deleted and a new mailbox is indicated in its place, then Outlook immediately creates a new key. The user is no longer able to use the old OST file to access the data and carry out any OST recovery.

For this very purpose, Microsoft Outlook now carries a feature called Exchange Recovery Mode. If you have chosen to work with Outlook in an Offline mode then when you connect to the Exchange server and Outlook finds that the old mailbox has been changed, it will immediately notify you of the same. Further, it will give you two choices. You could either choose to work with the new mailbox, rendering the old OST file inaccessible. Else, you could continue to work with data in the old OST file but without having the ability to make any changes that will be reflected in the server-based mailbox. Obviously this means that you will not be able to send or receive any messages with the old OST file. However, you will be able to carry out an OST recovery by saving all the data from the old OST file. You can then choose to modify your profile so that it points to a new mailbox and use the old data in your new OST files.