Exchange server works us a back-end for the Microsoft Outlook email client. It allows users to save their email files on the server and synchronize them with OST files to keep the files updated. Microsoft Outlook allows users to not only send and receive emails, but also create contact lists, work calenders and tasks. Sometimes, when Outlook goes into Exchange Recovery Mode, accessing and synchronizing OST files becomes impossible. The following methods can be undertaken to get Outlook out from the Exchange Recovery Mode.
Microsoft had introduced the Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook 2003 and newer versions in order to improve the viewing of offline storage files. The feature also enabled better synchronization between the Exchange server and the offline files. Cached Exchange Mode can also be used for exchange recovery of OST files, when they get deleted from the server. In earlier versions, when Cached Exchange Mode was not available, when the OST files get reset or there is variation between the OST files and mailbox on the Exchange server, the Outlook would have created a new OST file for the newly created mailbox but the old OST files did not get deleted. However, even when the old OST files did not get deleted, their data became inaccessible to the users. When the old mailbox gets restored then the old OST files, which were previously inaccessible, become open to the users. However, the restored mailbox will lead to the new mailbox becoming inaccessible. This can pose bit of a problem when performing exchange recovery as neither is inaccessible when other one is. In newer versions, the ones with Cached Exchange Mode, this does not happen, but instead Microsoft Outlook goes into Exchange Recovery Mode. The Exchange Recovery Mode forces the users to chose between two options, offline mode or online mode. When the users select to work offline in the offline mode, then they can only access the OST files and not the ones on the exchange server. When users select to work online in the online mode, then they are able to access the mailboxes stored in the server but not the offline files in the old OST file. The Exchange Recovery Mode in the Cached Recovery Mode allows users to access the files alternatively, making things less cumbersome. However, the problem of alternatively accessing the old and new OST files can be solved by converting the old OST file to a new PST file. Converting the might solve the problems of alternatively accessing the old and new files but it would make Outlook free from the Exchange Recovery Mode. Outlook will only exit from the Exchange Recovery Mode when the old mailbox with the old OST files in available once again. However, when the mailbox gets permanently damaged or when it gets inconsistent with the old OST files then, exiting Outlook from the Exchange Recovery Mode becomes vital. Exchange recovery by exiting the ERM can be done by first accessing the the Microsoft Outlook application and selecting the ‘Connect’ option. Then go to the ‘Tools’ menu and click on the ‘Email Accounts’. From here, users can either click on view or click on the change email accounts options. After that, select the Microsoft Exchange Server Account and click on change. After clicking on the change option, access the More Settings options and then click on Advanced. A window will open with the advanced settings options. From there, uncheck the ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode’ checkbox and click on ‘Apply’. After this, click on the Offline Folder File Settings and then click on the ‘Disable Offline Use’ button. After doing this, click on yes on the prompt which appears next and then click on OK, Next, and Finish. Restart Microsoft Outlook and then enable the Use Cached Exchange Mode from the advanced settings options on ‘More Settings’ that was accessed earlier and restart Outlook. Users not wishing to go through this process can also opt for the Advanced Recovery Tool to exit the Exchange Recovery Mode on Outlook.