Resolving Email Archive Access Issues for an Oxfordshire Business
Last week, an Oxfordshire-based client contacted our IT support team with an urgent problem: they needed to access critical business emails from an old PST archive file, but Microsoft’s New Outlook was preventing them from viewing any of the messages.
The Problem: PST Files Won’t Open in New Outlook
Our Oxford client had imported an older PST file containing important historical correspondence. However, every time they attempted to open an email from the archive, New Outlook displayed this frustrating error message:
“Your message can’t be displayed right now. Please check your connection and try again.“
Despite having a perfectly stable internet connection and trying multiple troubleshooting steps, the error persisted across all emails in the PST file.
Understanding the Issue
Microsoft’s New Outlook represents a significant redesign of the classic email client, with a focus on cloud integration and modern features. However, this transition has created compatibility challenges with older PST files, particularly those created in legacy versions of Outlook and non-Microsoft applications.
The New Outlook handles PST files differently than Classic Outlook, which can cause issues when accessing archived emails.
Our IT Support Solution
After diagnosing the issue, we provided our Oxford client with a straightforward workaround that immediately resolved their problem:
Step-by-Step Solution: Switch to Classic Outlook Temporarily
- In New Outlook, locate the toggle switch in the top-right corner that says “Try the new Outlook”
- Click the toggle to switch it OFF – this reverts to Classic Outlook.
- Wait for Classic Outlook to load completely.
- Open your PST file and access the required emails.
- Extract, export, or copy the needed emails to your current mailbox or save them locally.
- Once finished, toggle back to New Outlook if desired.
Note: You may need to re-open or re-import the PST file in Classic Outlook if it doesn’t appear automatically.
Alternative Solutions for Oxfordshire Businesses
Depending on your specific needs, we also recommend these approaches for our Oxford and Oxfordshire clients:
Permanent Migration
If you frequently need to access archived emails, consider migrating important PST file contents to your current mailbox or a separate Shared Mailbox. This eliminates dependency on PST files entirely.
Export Critical Emails
For emails needed occasionally, export them as individual .msg files or PDF documents for easier access across any platform, regardless of Outlook version.
Stay with Classic Outlook
If your business heavily relies on PST archives and local storage, you may want to continue using Classic Outlook until Microsoft improves PST compatibility in the New Outlook.
The Outcome
Our Oxford client was able to immediately access their archived emails by switching to Classic Outlook. They successfully extracted all required correspondence for their ongoing project and then switched back to New Outlook for their day-to-day email management.
The entire process took less than 10 minutes, saving them hours of frustration and ensuring they met their deadline for retrieving the archived information.
IT Support Recommendations for Oxford & Oxfordshire Businesses
Based on our experience supporting businesses throughout Oxford and Oxfordshire with email migration and archiving issues, we recommend:
- Test before migrating: Before fully committing to New Outlook, test your PST files and critical workflows.
- Maintain backups: Always keep backup copies of important PST files in multiple secure locations.
- Consider cloud archiving: Modern Microsoft 365 offers robust cloud-based archiving that eliminates PST file dependency.
- Document your archives: Keep an inventory of what’s stored in each PST file for easier retrieval.
- Plan your transition: Don’t rush to New Outlook if you rely heavily on legacy features or file formats.
Need IT Support in Oxford or Oxfordshire?
If your business is experiencing issues with Outlook, email migration, PST file access, or any other IT challenges, our expert team provides comprehensive IT support throughout Oxford and Oxfordshire.
We understand that email is mission-critical for modern businesses, and issues accessing archived correspondence can have serious implications. Whether you’re a small business in central Oxford or a larger organisation across Oxfordshire, we deliver practical IT solutions that keep your operations running smoothly.
Contact us today to discuss how our IT support services can help your Oxford or Oxfordshire business resolve email issues, plan Microsoft 365 migrations, or optimise your IT infrastructure.