Smart Ways to Solve Exchange Server Crashes and Prevent Data Loss

There is no doubt that Exchange Server is an excellent server and works amazingly. Therefore, many organizations believe in MS Exchange Server to maintain reliable email communication. It makes communication seamless and efficient. 
Sometimes that happens, Exchange Server faces an issue when accessing OST (Offline Storage Table) files. In such a case, the user has to make a correct decision to resolve the issue of accessing OST files. The most common reason for facing issues with Exchange Server is a sudden crash. The sudden crash happens for many reasons. In this article, we discuss the common reasons for sudden crashes and how to solve this issue and recover OST files by following some methods.

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Reasons for Exchange Server Crash

Here are some common reasons for Exchange Server crashes:

• Power Failure: Power interruptions are one of the most frequent reasons behind an Exchange Server crash. Always verify that the server’s power cable is properly connected and hasn’t been accidentally unplugged.
• Network Issue: Network-related issues are among the most challenging problems because it’s hard to identify where the fault actually lies — it could be from your side, the client’s end, or somewhere in between. To minimize such disruptions, thoroughly check all your local network connections. Make sure every link is configured properly and functioning without any interruption.
• Hardware Problem: A hardware malfunction can easily cause the Exchange Server to crash or stop responding. Components such as hard drives, RAM, or the motherboard might fail unexpectedly. Conduct routine hardware checks and monitor performance to ensure there is no physical damage or degraded components that could impact the server’s stability.
• Operating System Crash: Sometimes, the operating system becomes unstable or stops responding, forcing you to reboot the server to regain functionality. While a restart can offer a quick fix, recurring issues may indicate deeper system corruption or a virus attack.

Smart Ways to Solve Exchange Server Crashes

In case of an Exchange server crash, no need to panic. You must know the right technique and tool for recovering OST files.
First, you check that your files are correct, which means they are correct, corrupted, damaged, or missing. In this case, you can easily recover the OST file by following these methods:

Method 1: Recreate a New OST File

Microsoft provides a manual way to recreate the OST file by following these steps:

• Close Outlook completely.
• Find the old OST file located here:
• Rename or remove the corrupted OST file.
• Open Outlook again; it will automatically create a new one.

Note: This works only if the Exchange Server is back online.

Method 2: Recover OST by Using ScanPST.exe

Microsoft also provides a ScanPST manual way to recover the OST file, but first, you need to install that tool to recover the files
Steps to Repair files:

• Download ScanPST.exe on your PC.
• Locate the unresponsive OST file.
• Wait for the tool to scan the OST file for any errors.
• The tool will display errors in the OST file.
• Select Repair to rectify the errors in the file.
• Open Outlook and verify that the mailbox has been successfully restored.

Note: This works only if the Exchange Server is back online, and this tool can only repair minor damage or corruption; for highly damaged systems, go for an advanced or professional tool.

Advanced Software to Recover files

If the manual method does not recover OST files and maintain data integrity, you can use FixVare OST Converter. It can easily recover complete mailbox files, whether the files are highly damaged or corrupt. It can easily scan corrupt or orphaned OST data and repair data with zero data loss. This tool is among the greatest OST recovery software available right now because of the following key features—

• Accurate Recovery of Data: When repairing or recovering emails, contacts, calendars, attachments, and other mailbox contents, the tool ensures 100% correctness.
• Batch Recovery of Files: Multiple OST files can be repaired or recovered at the same time, saving significant time for organizations handling several files.
• Selective Data Restoration: Instead of restoring the complete OST file, you can choose which folders or items to recover, avoiding unnecessary data transfer.
• No Outlook Required: Repairing, recovering, and restoring data can be performed without Microsoft Outlook installed on your computer, improving convenience and accessibility.

Simple Processor to Recover OST files

FixVare OST Converter offers a straightforward and efficient method to recover OST files by following these steps: 

1. Download the Software on your computer.
2. Import the OST file into the Software.
3. It will automatically scan the OST file to recover the data.
4. Choose the desired format to save the recovered file, such as PST & EML, etc.
5. Click the Export or Convert button to recover the OST file.

Why is this Software Perfect for every situation?

I chose that software because it can handle any type of file and is compatible with all versions of Windows and MS Outlook. It can also convert and save recovered data into multiple formats, such as PST, MBOX, or other formats, and multiple reasons why I am selecting this tool, like:

• User-Friendly Interface: Its intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface allows even non-technical users to perform complex tasks with minimal guidance. This reduces dependency on experts and speeds up the process.
• Time-Saving Solution: The tool is optimized for fast and efficient operations, reducing the time needed for repairing, recovering, or restoring OST files. This is especially helpful for urgent mailbox management.
• Advanced Filtration & Naming Convention: Users can filter mailbox items by date, folder, or type before conversion or restoration and apply custom naming rules to exported files. This helps in organizing emails systematically while saving time and avoiding unnecessary data migration.

Conclusion

This guide is designed to help you effectively tackle Exchange Server crashes and prevent data loss. In this post, we explored both manual and professional methods: the manual approach can resolve minor OST or server issues, but is time-consuming and may not fully recover all data. The professional method, however, can recover minor to severely damaged OST files with zero data loss, ensuring complete accuracy and safety.