Outlook won’t work after activating OneDrive

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As recommended in a recent news letter, I downloaded, installed and activated OneDrive. My intention in doing this was to have the “cloud” backup in addition to my local Macrium Reflect one. Immediately after setting up OneDrive, both my and my wife’s Outlook stopped working. When we attempt to start it, we get a Send/Receive Error “Outlook data file cannot be accessed (0x8004010F).” Upon checking our Data Files in Outlook Account Settings I found that the .pst file location for both accounts was changed to …OneDrive\Documents\Outlook Files. This is shown as the default Data File location and doesn’t work. Previously, they were both located at C:\Users\xxxx\Documents\Outlook Files. This option no longer appears in either Data File settings. How can I restore the local location as default and, if possible, still backup the .pst files to OneDrive? I tried the steps in the document Fixing Your Outlook Data Files from Office for Mere Mortals without success.

Help!!!

 

D. Eager

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I think the outlook referred to in the newsletter was the “Outlook” mail program that comes with the Windows operating system.
It is not the same as the “Outlook” in Microsoft Office for PC 2019. Microsoft Ofice 2019 is a stand alone program separate from the Windows operating system. My version contains Word, Exel, Power Point and Outlook.
Others I’m sure will be able to help you more. There are some expert Office people here. I don’t even know if you can mix the Windows “Outlook” with Office “Outlook”. But I’m pretty sure they are not the same mail program.

HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0050 – 64 bit
Windows 10 Home Version 22H2
OS build 19045.5608
Windows Defender and Windows Firewall
Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019
-Version 2502(Build 18526.20168 C2R)

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Have you tried to manually open your .pst files under File – Open&Export – Open Outlook Data File (or maybe Import)?

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Try How to remove an Outlook .pst data file from OneDrive

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I looked at this document and believe it MIGHT be something I can try. However, there are the following potential issues:

1. The third step involves copying the .pst from the OneDrive folder and placing it into another folder other not under OneDrive. I would probably place it into the existing folder C:\Documents\Outlook Files. However, I already have the previously-working .pst there.  My problem is that Outlook refuses to let me specify the path to the old non-OneDrive file but keeps changing it to OneDrive. If I can just get the old path to be included in the Data Files List in Outlook, I think I could simply make it the default to solve the problem.
2. I’m not sure that I want to eliminate the .pst from being backed up to OneDrive, I just want to use the local copy for daily use and only use the OneDrive copy in the event that the local copy doesn’t work for some reason. Is this even possible? If not, I’d prefer to NOT store the .pst to OneDrive at all since I have other copies of them on backups.

Still no access to Outlook after 3 or 4 days. Am using my AOL email instead of  Outlook which is not only inconvenient but doesn’t allow access to saved email or calendars.

Please continue to provide assistance if you can.

 

Don E.

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You could turn off / remove OneDrive to see if that fixes it.
Then research OD before reactivating.

cheers, Paul

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I uninstalled OneDrive through the Control Panel. However, I still found a Microsoft a OneDrive folder at C:/Program Files which I tried to delete but received an error message that the folder was open in another program. Then tried deleting the items in the folder with the same result. Scanned Task Manager but didn’t see anything related to OneDrive.

Went into Outlook and manually added the the known pst file location to the Data Files list. Tried to change the default location from OneDrive to the added one. Would not allow me to do this. Highlighted the correct location and tried to reopen Outlook. Will not open at all now, so can’t work on changing file location anymore.

Ran SCANPST for the pst file. Errors were found which were supposedly corrected. Still can’t start Outlook.

This just keeps gettting worse!

 

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Did you unlink onedrive before uninstalling? Also, shot in the dark but worth a try – Launch Outlook with right-click and run as administrator then try adjusting the path to .pst

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I don’t know what “unlink” means or how to do it. Can you explain further?

Also, tried the run as administrator, but didn’t work. Immediately got error message, “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. An unexpected error has occurred.”

 

Thanks,

 

Don E.

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It’s on the account tab of settings
https://www.makeuseof.com/unlink-onedrive-microsoft-account-windows/

These links may help you out.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/unlink-and-re-link-onedrive-3c4680bf-cc36-4204-9ca5-e7b24cdd23ea
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

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I thin that ship has sailed. I uninstalled Onedrive so I’m not able to address its settings.

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I would like to close this thread. I was able to repair Outlook so that both my and my wife’s accounts can send and receive email, our saved email folders and calendars are accessible, our settings are restored. Thanks so much for all who responded to my post.

I do have some minor problems with Outlook which I’ll address in a new post soon.

Don E.

 

 

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How?

cheers, Paul

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I really wish I could tell you, but I didn’t keep a record of all the things I tried. Just kept fiddling with settings until I hit it.

Sorry!

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See prior post.

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