Top 5 Ways to Fix Outlook Data File Cannot Be Accessed Error on Windows

The Microsoft Outlook application on your computer creates PST (Personal Storage Table) files to store email messages, attachments, and other related data. If Outlook fails to access these files, it may crash and prevent you from sending or receiving emails. Receiving emailsWhen this happens, you may encounter the message “The Outlook data file cannot be accessed” and error code 0x8004010F on your Windows 10 or 11 computer.

But don't worry. This guide lists some effective solutions that will restore Microsoft Outlook access to your data files in no time. So, let's take a look.

1. Change the default mail delivery location

One of the most straightforward ways to fix the "Outlook data file cannot be accessed" error is to configure Microsoft Outlook to save your emails to a different location. So, let's start with that.

Step 1: Open an app Microsoft Outlook Click on the menu "a file" in the upper left corner.

Step 2: in the tab "Information", Click "Account settings" and select "Account settings" from the resulting list.

Step 3: Switch to tab Data files and click Option "addition".

Step 4: Select your preferred location and click OK.

Step 5: Select the newly created data file and click Set as default.

Restart Outlook and check if you can send and receive emails as before.

2. Change ownership of an Outlook data file

Microsoft Outlook may fail to open or configure a data file on Windows if your user account lacks the necessary permissions to access the file. To fix this issue, You need to take ownership of the Outlook data file. on your computer.

Step 1: Click icon Windows search located on the taskbar to launch the menu "never", Type control panel in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu in the upper right corner to change Display type to large icons. Then click Mail (Microsoft Outlook).

Step 3: Click the button Data files.

Step 4: Select a file Outlook data Your and click option Open the file location.

Step 5: in window File Explorer Which opens, right click on Outlook data file and select Properties.

Step 6: Under the tab "Safety" Click the button "Advanced Options".

Step 7: Click an option Change Next to the owner's field.

Step 8: Locate yes when you appear User Account Control Claim (UAC).

Step 9: Enter your username in the text field and click the button. Name verification. Then click OK.

Step 10: Click on "Application" ثم "OK".

Try using Outlook again and see if you encounter any errors.

3. Run the Inbox Repair Tool

Microsoft Outlook may fail to access data files due to corruption. Fortunately, Outlook offers a tool that can Automatically fix data file problemsHere's how to turn it on.

Step 1: Press the keyboard shortcut Windows + E To open File Explorer And move to the next folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Step 2: Double-click a file SCANPST.EXE.

Step 3: Click START YOUR To start the scan.

Step 4: If the tool finds any problems, click on repair.

After completing the above steps, check if the error occurs again.

4. Create a new profile in Outlook

Your Microsoft Outlook profile contains your email accounts, data files, and other important settings. If this profile becomes corrupted, you may encounter the error. “The Outlook data file cannot be accessed.” On a Windows computer, your best option is to create a new Outlook profile and start over.

Step 1: Click icon Windows search on the taskbar to open the Start menu, and type Control Panel In the search bar, then tap Enter.

Step 2: Change the display type to big icons and click Mail (Microsoft Outlook).

Step 3: Click the button Show profiles.

Step 4: Click the button "addition", Enter a name for your new profile, then tap "OK".

Step 5: In the Add Account window, enter your account details and click next one.

Step 6: Select your new profile using the drop-down menu and press Application.

5. Run the Office Repair Tool.

Microsoft includes a dedicated tool to repair problems with all Office applications, including Outlook. So, if nothing works, you can run the Office Repair Tool to fix the error. Here's how.

Step 1: Press the keyboard shortcut Windows + R To run the Run command, in the Open field, type appwiz.cpl Then press Enter.

Step 2: In the Programs and Features window, select Microsoft Office Suite Or Microsoft 365 Click on the change option.

Step 3: Locate Quick fix and click the . button Repair to follow.

Wait for the process to complete, then try using Outlook again. If you don't get any errors, repeat the steps above and perform the online repair. This may take a little longer, but it will likely resolve the issue.

No more Outlook problems

Confrontation can lead to Microsoft Outlook issues This can disrupt your workflow and take up your time. Hopefully, this is no longer the case, and one of the tips above has fixed the error. “The Outlook data file cannot be accessed.” On a Windows 10 or 11 computer.