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Repair Outlook mail profile

Outlook mail profile serves as a “container” for different settings and configurations that relate to the user email accounts. The Outlook mail profile saves or keeps all of the user information that relate to a different type of mail services such as: “Internet mail services” (POP3\IMAP4 services) and Exchange service.

For example, an Outlook mail profile keeps information about the Exchange Online server name, the Outlook Anywhere settings, information about access to other recipient mailboxes etc.

By default, the Outlook mail profile is created by using the AutoDiscover service that is used for retrieving all of the required information from the Exchange Online server. Additionally, the AutoDiscover service can be considered as an “active service”, that access the Exchange server from time to time to get information about changes, updated etc.

In some scenarios, the Outlook mail profile contains corrupted information or doesn’t contain updated information about changes\updated that happened on the Exchange server side.
In this case, we can use a useful option that describes as: “Repair Outlook mail profile”.

It’s important to emphasize that the option of Repair Outlook mail profile doesn’t recreate new OST file (cache file) but instead, just scan the current setting, access the Exchange server to check for new\updated settings and update\correct the existing Outlook mail profile respectively.

A common scenario in which we will need to use the option of- “Repair Outlook mail profile” relate to Outlook 2007 client that doesn’t include all of the required software updates. Office 365 environment (Exchange Online) consider as a “dynamic environment” in which the user mailbox could be “shipped” from one Exchange Online to other Exchange Online server.

Outlook client should be able to “catch on” these changes and, update the Outlook mail profile accordingly. Sometimes, this process doesn’t work quite well. In this case, we will need to use the option of “Repair Outlook mail profile”.

Generally speaking, I advise to use the option of “Repair Outlook mail profile” when we have outlook problems because it is a very quick and effective method and, it doesn’t consider as “dramatic step” such as the option of creating a new Outlook mail profile that download from scratch of the user mailbox content.

Repair outlook mail profile – Outlook 2007

Step 1

on the Tools menu, click Account Settings.

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Step 2

In the Account Settings dialog box, on the E-mail tab, select your account, and then click Repair

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Step 3

Follow any prompts from the repair wizard

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Step 4

  • Click on the Finish option
  • When the repair is done, restart Outlook 2007
Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Step 5

Sometimes, after the “repair process” Outlook enter into “Offline mode”. We will need to bring Outlook back to Online mode.

On the right bottom corner of Outlook choose the Offline icon and uncheck the option of: Work offline

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Step 6

Now we can see that outlook is connected to the Exchange server

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2007

Repair Outlook mail profile – Outlook 2010

The settings for “Repair Outlook mail profile” are quite identical for Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013 clients. In this section, we will display the required steps base on Outlook 2010 screenshots.

Step 1

On the File tab, click the arrow next to Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2010

Step 2

In the Account Settings dialog box, on the E-mail tab, select your account, and then click Repair

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2010

Step 3

Follow any prompts from the repair wizard

Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2010

Step 4

  • Click on the Finish option
  • When the repair is done, restart Outlook 2010
Repair outlook mail profile-Outlook 2010
o365info Team

o365info Team

This article was written by our team of experienced IT architects, consultants, and engineers.

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