Member Avatar for Dial_tone

I have a 9 user network with Exchange 2000, Outlook 2003 and Windows 2K desktops. Since Sunday 7/17/05 one user has not been able to retrieve new mail in Outlook; nothing new shows up but the previous mail is all there. There are no errors on startup and no changes were made to the server on Sunday (at least not by us). Mail for him is coming in to the server and If he reads mail using OWA all the new mail is visible. The same holds true for mail sent within our lan as well. I tried loading his email from another computer with the same result so I don't think it's his computer. He can send mail using Outlook 2003. His mailbox is <400MB and the limit is 1GB per user so size is not the problem I don't think.

Dell 2400
Windows 2000 SP4
Outlook 2003 SP1
2.4ghz
512MB RAM


Windows 2000 Server SP4
Exchange 2000 SP3

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by arunjo

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Brief summary and conclusion from the thread: this is the classic Cached Exchange Mode / OST sync problem. ’s test (turning off Cached Exchange Mode) and ’s follow-up show the client cache was the symptom — OWA reads the server copy, Outlook (cached) was showing the stale/corrupt local view. An OST is just a local synchronized copy, so deleting or rebuilding it forces a fresh download from the server. (support.microsoft.com)

Practical, low-risk steps many admins use (non-destructive test first): 1) Temporarily set the mailbox to Online (disable Cached Exchange Mode) to confirm new mail appears. 2) If online mode shows the missing messages, close Outlook, locate the .ost (Account Settings → Data Files → Open File Location or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook), rename or move the .ost, then restart Outlook — it will create a new .ost and resynchronize the mailbox. Before deleting, export any “This computer only” folders (those are not on the server). The official Microsoft guidance describes using the Inbox/repair tools and re-creating OST files for Exchange accounts. (support.microsoft.com)

If rebuilding the OST doesn’t fix it: run the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST) on the local data file, start Outlook in safe mode (disable add-ins), verify Send/Receive folder options and any view filters or rules that could hide new mail, and consider creating a new Outlook profile (forces a full fresh sync). Antivirus/transport filters on the server can also interact badly with Cached Mode (see archived KBs describing AV-related preview/delete issues). For stubborn cases where a single hidden or malformed message is blocking sync, experienced admins may use MFCMAPI to locate/remove the offending item. (support.microsoft.com)

Note: the fastest permanent fix in most shops is to rebuild the OST or create a fresh profile — it usually restores normal delivery without touching server mailflow.

Member Avatar for runningrhino

Are you running your Outlook 2003 in cache mode? I am gussing you are. Try this it worked for me.

"Since you can download new emails when disabling the Cached Exchange Mode,
the issue is most likely caused by some corrupted messages from the last
email that was showing up in the cache mode till today. To avoid the issue
reoccurs once you re-enable the Cached Exchange Mode, I suggest you exclude
these corrupted messages from the mailbox or Send/Receive groups.

However, it may be time-consuming to find out the exact corrupted messages.
One way is to copy/paste half of the emails in the "potential problem"
period to the local PST, and then enable the Cached Exchange Mode. If the
issue disappears, disable the Cached Exchange Mode, and then copy/paste
half of the emails from the specific PST file back to the mailbox, and then
enable the Cached Exchange Mode to test the issue again. In this way, you
may finally find out the corrupted messages and then delete them and retain
all the other messages in mailbox to fix the problem. Another method is to
create a temp folder in mailbox, and then copy/paste all the emails in the
"potential problem" period to the specific temp folder, and then click
Send/Receive -> Send/Receive Settings -> Define Send/Receive Groups -> All
Accounts, and then uncheck the box beside the temp folder under the "Folder
Options" list to exclude the specific temp folder from the current
Send/Receive groups. It may be somewhat efficient than the first method.

On the other hand, you can also copy/paste all the messages or just the
messages in the "potential problem" period to the local PST file
permanently, since frequently backup is necessary and can help you avoid
unexpected data loss. For more detailed information, you can refer to the
following Knowledge Base article. Your understanding is appreciated!

287070 OL2002: How to Back Up, Restore, or Move Outlook Data
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=287070

Note: This article also applies to Outlook 2003."

Hope that helps!

Member Avatar for Dial_tone

This did turn out to be the issue. A friend helped me with it last week. Thanks for your reply.

Member Avatar for arunjo

I am facing the same problem with one user. Can you please tell me what steps you have taken to resolve this issue with the help of your friend.

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