Simple Steps to Resolve Sync Issues in Outlook

Published On - December 21, 2023 by Prakriti Malsuni | Reading Time: 7 minutes

Outlook needs no introduction as it is one of the most prominent email clients all over the globe. Outlook has multiple advantages, and it offers a lot for better email management. Apart from the multiple facilities offered by Outlook, users also face a few issues with Outlook.  The most important issue that we will discuss in this write-up is the Outlook Synchronization issue as many users encounter this. Be with this write-up till the end to know how to resolve sync issues in Outlook.

How Will You Know That There Are Sync Issues in Outlook?

Certain symptoms show that there is some sync issue with Outlook. Some of the common ones are:

• If you have made changes in the offline mode and after the connectivity, the changes are not reflected in the mailboxes.
• If your Outlook application is closing abruptly and you are unable to access the mailbox data.
• Similarly, after giving a command, if you are getting a very slow response, then there are the chances that there are some synchronization issues.
• You will receive unexpected error messages while performing tasks with Outlook.
• Moreover, you get the issue with Outlook but not when the cached mode is on.
• There is a difference between Microsoft Outlook Web App and Outlook. I.e. Degradation in the Outlook’s performance.

What Could be the Reasons Behind the Sync Issues?

There could be multiple reasons behind the sync issues in Outlook. Some of the common ones are listed below:

• Internet Issue/Network connectivity.
• Corrupted/Improper configured Outlook profile.
• Antivirus/firewall synchronization issue.
• Incorrect IMAP/POP settings.
• Corrupted Outlook storage file.
• Outdated Outlook version.
• Improper Add-ins.

How to Resolve Outlook Sync Issues in Outlook?

There are multiple possible reasons behind the Outlook Sync issues; hence, there are multiple workarounds to resolve the Outlook Sync issue. Moreover, below, I have mentioned some of the common cross-checks/ workarounds to resolve Outlook sync issues.

1. Cross-check the Network connection   

The first and foremost cross-check is the network connection. Users can simply check it by going to Settings >> Network & Internet. Here, check the internet connection status and if it is showing “Connected” or not.

Furthermore, if you do not see the connection, then go for Diagnose and troubleshoot the network connection issue.

2. Check Sync Settings

• Open your Outlook and from the drop-down menu go for the Change Mailbox Sync Settings.
• Now turn your settings to “as items arrive” and “any time”.

 3. Set up a New Outlook Profile

Creating a new Outlook Profile gets rid of corrupt ones, and if the issue of because of it, then resolve Outlook sync issue by doing so. Hence, follow the below-given steps to create a new Outlook Profile.

• Open the Control Panel and choose the Mail option.
• Now, click on the “Show Profile”.
• Click on Add…
• Give a name to the Profile and click OK.
• Here, configure your Exchange, IMAP, or Office 365 account and click on “Next” >> Finish.
• Now, select the Always Use this Profile and from the dropdown select the newly created Outlook Profile.
• Finally, click OK and restart Outlook.

4. Change the Root Folder Path

• Open the Outlook, File >> Account Settings >> Account Settings.
• Now click on your email account.
• Next, More Options… >> Advanced.
• Must check the root folder path is set to inbox.
• If it is not, then select inbox and click
• Now exit it and restart
• Now, move to the send/receive tab and click on the update folder.

After doing all, cross-check if the Sync issue in Outlook persists or not.

5. Repair the Email Account in Outlook

• Open MS Outlook >> File tab >> Account Settings.
• In the Account Settings >> Email.
• Now select the email account and click on the Repair.
• Here, follow the given instructions for completing the repair process.

By repairing the email account, you can reset any improper settings that may be the reason behind the OST file Synchronization error.

6. Empty the Sync Issue Folder

• Open the Outlook and click on the Folder List Icon.
• Here, you will find the “Sync Issue” folder
• under the All Outlook Items tab.
• Click on the (+) and view it by expanding. Here, you will find three subfolders: Conflicts, Local Failures, and Server Failures.
• Now, the important step is to empty the Sync Issues folder.
• Exit Outlook and restart.

7. Repair the OST File

If, after trying all the above-given workarounds still, you are facing an Outlook sync issue, then it indicates the corruption in the OST file. Corrupted OST files are a major reason behind most of the Outlook issues. So, it is recommended to recover OST files. For the OST repair, Microsoft has provided Scanost.exe for Outlook 2003 and 2007; for Outlook 2010 and later Scanpst.exe.

• Find and open the Scanpst.exe tool (location may vary depending on the Outlook version).
• Click on Browse and select the associated OST file with the Outlook email account.
• Click Start, and the tool will scan the file.
• After scanning the file, it will show you the error, if any.
• Finally, click on the

It may resolve sync issues in Outlook: restart Outlook and check.

If the issue still hasn’t been solved, then use a professional third-party tool to repair the OST file, as scanost.exe and scanpst.exe do not work on severe corruption issues. These inbuilt utilities only work for minor and simple flaws. that’s why to resolve severe corruption from OST files, a professionally developed advanced tool, is a must.

An alternative solution to Resolve sync issues in Outlook

Using a professional tool to recover the corrupted OST file is always recommended. Third-party tools are meant for the recovery of severely corrupted OST files in a few clicks. Hence, for the same, the Regain OST Recovery Tool is developed. Some of its highlights are:

• It can recover severely corrupted OST files in a few clicks.
• After recovering OST files, you can save the OST items in the PST, MBOX, MSG, and HTML-like prominent file formats.
• The tool properly maintains the folder hierarchy after recovering and saving it into the desired file format.
• No restriction on the number and size of the OST files, and it can recover the deleted items.
• You can also migrate OST file data to Office 365 as well as Exchange Server.

Free Download100% Secure Buy NowPrice: $39

Steps to Repair Corrupted OST Files:

• Install and open the Regain OST Recovery Tool.
• Now, browse the OST file from your system.
• The software will scan the file and show a preview of the items present within the software.
• Where, select the file format in which you want to save the recovered OST data.
• Now click on Convert Now, and the software will save the recovered OST items within the selected OST file.
• After recovering OST files that are the root cause of most of Outlook’s errors, the problem should be resolved. You must restart Outlook and confirm that you have resolved sync issues in Outlook.

Gist of the Blog:

Multiple reasons can cause sync issues in Outlook. All the probable reasons and workarounds to resolve sync issues in Outlook are explained in this blog. A common cause is the severely corrupted OST files that can be recovered only with professional tools. Regain OST Recovery Software is one of the most used utilities for this recovery task. Moreover, a trial version of this utility is also available to download, which can give you a clear idea about the software’s efficiency. You must download and try this advanced utility.

 Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. I am not seeing changes in the mailbox even after connecting to the internet; is this because of the corrupted OST files?
Ans. There is a high possibility that corrupted OST files are behind this. But, before reaching any statement, it is suggested to try the workarounds mentioned in this write-up. In normal cases, offline work gets reflected in the mailbox as the network connects.

Q2. Can I also recover deleted items from the OST file using this OST Recovery Tool developed by the Regain Software?
Ans. Yes, along with recovering corrupted OST file items, this utility also works for the deleted OST file items as well.

Q3. To Resolve Sync Issues in Outlook, can I contact Regain’s technical support team?
Ans. Regain technical support team is 24*7 available to assist you. We welcome the customer and we will be happy to help you. You can contact us through live chat or write us at support@regainsoftware.com.

Q4. Can I check if this OST Recovery Tool can recover my OST file items; before purchasing the license?
Ans. Yes, you can check using the free demo version of the software. In other words, the software will preview the items where you can cross-check the recovered items. The demo version is just a restricted version of the licensed version.