PST File Corruption Due to Damaged Outlook Nickname Cache

Microsoft Outlook is a popular and widely used email application, which stores emails and other data in the form of PST (Personal Folder File). You can send and receive emails using Outlook and can use it with Microsoft Exchange Server to create a collaborative messaging environment. But sometimes when you send an email in MS Office Outlook 2003 to a recipient, which is selected from Outlook nickname cache, email address of recipient is shown as SMPT???????. This behavior might spread to other mail recipients when any recipient replies to your email. Along with this, you may also encounter some error message while opening an email or other item. This is caused by damaged PST file or Outlook profile. To work around such issues, PST Recovery is required.

Cause

This issue could occur if the Microsoft Outlook nickname cache file is damaged on sender's client computer. Particularly this behavior might take place if recipient's email address is saved as an ANSI string in Unicode PR_SMTP_ADDRESS_W (0x39fe001f) property field in MS Outlook nickname cache file.

Such type of Microsoft Office Outlook profile corruption usually takes place when the MS Exchange Profile Update Tool (Exprofre.exe) isn't run after move a cross-site mailbox. You must run this utility after moving the cross-site mailbox.

* Exprofre.exe: After moving an Exchange server mailbox across an administrative group, a MS Outlook profile that was in use for this mailbox will not function properly. Mailbox server may refer Outlook to correct server after the mailbox has been moved within an administrative group, but the process does not work properly. After such move, you must update your profile for complete and correct working. For this purpose, Exchange Profile Update tool (Exprofre.exe) has been created.

Solution

In order to sort out this issue and perform PST File Recovery, carry out below actions:

1. Apply the hotfix 921582.
2. Enable the hotfix.
3. Reset Outlook nickname cache profile.

How to enable hotfix

After applying the hotfix, you need to enable it. Follow underwritten steps to enable hotfix:

1. Exit Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.
2. Click Start, click Run, write regedit and then click OK button.
3. Locate and click below registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\O utlook\Options\General
4. After selecting the subkey, which is specified in above step, point to New in Edit menu and click DWORD value.
5. Type ValidateSmtpAddressForNNC and click Modify button.
6. In Value data box, type 1 and click OK button.
7. In File menu, click Exit to exit the Registry Editor.

How to reset Outlook nickname cache profile

Microsoft Office Outlook maintains a nickname list, which is used by both the automatic completion feature and automatic name checking features. This list is automatically generated when you use Microsoft Outlook. If this cache gets damaged, Outlook might not identify and recipients and possibly the PST file may face corruption situations. In order to reset MS Office Outlook nickname cache, go through below steps:

1. Exit Microsoft Office Outlook.
2. Click Start button and then click Search.
3. In Search Companion, click All files or folders.
4. In All or part of the file name box, type *.NK2.
5. In Look In box, click to select your hard drive.
6. Click More advanced options, select Search hidden files and folders check box.
7. Click Search button.
8. Right click .NK2 file with name of your MS Outlook profile, which you want to reset, and click Rename.
9. Rename .NK2 file to profilename.bak and press Enter key.
10. Quit Microsoft Windows Explorer.
11. Restart Microsoft Outlook.

The above process is helpful in case of corruption to the Outlook nickname file cache. But in your Outlook PST file is damaged, then you are required to repair and restore the damaged file using powerful and advanced third party PST Recovery Software.

These PST Recovery applications are capable of methodically scanning the damaged PST file using high-end scanning algorithms.With interactive and simple graphical user interface, these PST Recovery Software do not demand sound and prior technical skills from your side. Due to read-only and non-destructive nature, the PST Recovery tools are completely safe to use.