[Error Solved]: Outlook 365 Windows Search Exited Without Properly Closing Outlook Data File (OST)
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Written By Shelly Bhardwaj
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Approved By Kuljeet Singh
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Updated on 3 Jun, 2024 -
Min Reading 6 Min - Share
Summary: The "Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without properly closing Outlook Data File (OST)" error message appears when the users try to search for emails in Outlook. In this blog, you will learn the reasons behind the error and the methods to troubleshoot and fix the error. You will also learn about an OST to PST converter tool that can extract and restore your emails from Offline Outlook data files (OST), if it becomes inaccessible or orphaned.
Microsoft Outlook is a preferred and default email client and calendaring application for Microsoft 365, Exchange, and IMAP email accounts. However, underlying issues with the Outlook client, the data file, and the system may lead to errors. One of the common errors is “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without properly closing Outlook Data File (OST).”
This error can appear when Outlook crashes while the user is trying to search for a message or mail item using a query in the Outlook search bar. It may also appear when the user tries to open a mail folder in Outlook.
Below, we have discussed the reasons for this error and the solutions to resolve it. We have also shared some quick tips to prevent such errors and issues in Outlook.
What Causes the Outlook 365 Windows Search Exited Error?
The error “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without properly closing Outlook data file (OST)” may occur due to several reasons, including:
- Outdated Outlook version
- Inconsistent offline Outlook data file (OST)
- Damaged or corrupt MS Office (Outlook 365) installation files
- Incompatible add-ins
- Conflict with other software, such as antivirus
- Corrupt Outlook profile
- Corrupt or damaged Offline Outlook data file (OST)
- Abrupt or force closing of Outlook
- Windows Search service terminated unexpectedly
Methods to Resolve the Outlook 365 Windows Search Exited Error
Follow the methods shared below to troubleshoot and fix the “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without properly closing Outlook Data File (OST)” error.
Method 1: Restart the System
Sometimes, various temporary issues in the system caused by storage, memory, or program can also lead to such an error. So, before you do anything else, try to restart your system. This may resolve the underlying issue.
If the system reboot didn’t help, follow the next solution.
Method 2: Check for Outlook Updates
You can check and update your Outlook, and see if this resolves the Outlook error. To do this, you can follow these steps:
- Open Outlook and click on File > Office Account > Update Options.
- Click on Update Now.
- If there’s a new update available, install it and restart Outlook.
- Check if the error persists.
Method 3: Disable Add-ins in Outlook
Faulty or incompatible add-ins may also lead to the Outlook 365 Windows Search exited error message. You may try disabling the add-ins to fix the error.
The steps are as follows:
- Close Outlook and press Windows + R.
- Type Outlook.exe /safe and click OK.
- Press the ‘Enter’ key. It will start Outlook in Safe Mode.
- Once Outlook starts in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-ins. Then, click on the Go button.
- Uncheck all the add-ins and click OK to disable all the add-ins.
- Now select the add-ins that are not required and click on Remove
- Restart Outlook normally.
If the error does not appear, you can continue to follow the below steps to find and remove the faulty or incompatible add-in(s).
- Go to File > Options > Add-Ins and click the Go button.
- Enable one add-in at a time and restart Outlook.
- Continue doing this until you see the error and then remove the faulty add-in.
- Once removed, the error should be permanently resolved.
Method 4: Rebuild the Outlook Search Index
If the Outlook error still persists, you can try rebuilding the Outlook search index. For this, follow these steps:
- Open Outlook and click on the File > Options > Search.
2. Under the Sources section, click on Indexing Options and then click on Advanced.
3. Click on Rebuild and then wait for the rebuild process to complete.
4. After the process is complete, restart Outlook and check if the error is resolved.
Method 5: Create a New Outlook Profile
Sometimes, a corrupt and damaged Outlook profile can prevent Outlook from performing certain tasks or operations, leading to a variety of errors in Outlook. In such a case, you can try to create a new Outlook profile.
The steps are as follows:
- Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Mail.
- Click Show Profiles > Add
- Type the new profile name and click OK.
- Follow the setup wizard instructions to configure your same email account under this new profile.
- After configuration, choose this new profile as default. At this stage, you may also remove your old profile.
- After this, start Outlook. Outlook will take some time to synchronize and download all the mail items from the mailbox server.
Note: Removing the old profile will also remove the OST file associated with the profile. To avoid data loss, backup the OST file by copying it to another folder location or drive volume.
Method 6: Repair MS Office
Sometimes, damaged or corrupt MS Office or Outlook 365 program files on your Windows machine can also lead to Outlook errors. By repairing MS Office, you can replace the damaged or corrupt files and fix the error.
The steps are as follows:
- Open Control Panel and navigate to Programs and Features > Uninstall a program.
- Select Microsoft Office from the program list and click on the Change button. Alternatively, you may right-click on the Microsoft Office program and choose Change.
- Select the Online Repair or Repair option.
- Continue following the repair wizard to repair the damaged or corrupted Outlook program files.
- After the successful MS Office repair, start Outlook and check if the error persists.
Method 7: Reinstall Outlook
If repairing MS Office didn’t work or resolve the “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without closing Outlook Data File” error, try to reinstall Outlook.
To do this,
- Open Control Panel and click Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Choose Microsoft Office and click Uninstall. You can also use the Microsoft Office remover tool. The tool completely scrubs the MS Office from the system and allows you to install it from scratch.
- To reinstall, download the setup and complete the installation wizard.
Method 8: Repair the Outlook Data File (OST)
Outlook 365 stores all the mail items, such as emails, attachments, contacts, notes, calendars, tasks, etc. in an OST file. When the OST file becomes oversized or too large, it may become inconsistent and lead to errors, including “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited.”
Follow these steps to try to repair the OST file to fix the error. The steps are as follows:
- Close MS Outlook.
- Press Windows +R, type %programfiles%/Microsoft Office and press the Enter key or click OK.
- Open the Officexx folder and then find and launch the scanpst.exe program. The scanpst.exe location may vary based on the Outlook and Windows version or editions.
- Click Browse and select the OST file. The OST file is usually located in the user’s AppData folder.
- After selecting the OST file, click Start. This will start scanning the OST file for inconsistencies or errors.
- Once the scan is finished, click the Repair button.
- The tool will start repairing the OST file.
After the OST file is repaired, start Outlook.
The SCANPST has the following limitations:
- It can’t repair a severely corrupt, damaged, or encrypted OST file.
- It may fail to repair OST files larger than 2 GB.
If the scanpst.exe crashes, stops responding or fails to fix the OST file issue, you should extract the mail items from the inconsistent OST file to an Outlook importable PST file using Stellar Converter for OST and then try recreating the OST file to fix the error.
Stellar Converter for OST comes in handy when your OST file is inconsistent, inaccessible, or orphaned and you need to extract your mail items from such OST files. It also allows you to export the mail items from OST files directly to Microsoft 365 and Live Exchange Server with complete integrity and consistency, while maintaining the original folder structure.
Tips to Avoid the Outlook 365 Windows Search Exited Error in Future
By following the below quick tips, you can prevent many Outlook errors, including Outlook 365 Windows Search exiting without properly closing Outlook Data File (OST).
- Never force close Outlook or the system.
- Before turning off or restarting the system, make sure to close Outlook.
- Download and install Outlook and Windows updates regularly.
- Never download and install unnecessary add-ins or add-ins from untrusted sources.
- Keep your Outlook OST file size under 10 GB for optimum performance and error-free operation.
- SCAN your OST file regularly with SCANPST to detect and fix inconsistencies and minor errors.
Learn more, The OST File Has Reached The Maximum Size?
Conclusion
The “Outlook 365 Windows Search exited without properly closing Outlook Data File (OST)” can be resolved by following the methods outlined in this article. Make sure to back up your mail items to prevent data loss using the Outlook Import Export wizard. If the wizard does not work due to inconsistency in the OST file, you can use an OST to PST converter tool to extract and save your mail items from the OST file to a PST file.
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NO About The Author
I am a Product Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 8 years. I write about the latest technology tips and provide custom solutions related to Exchange Server, Office 365, MS Outlook, and many other Email Clients & different flavors of OS Servers. Read More
