How to Open OST Files in Outlook 2016 — Top Tips
Summary: OST (Offline Storage Table) file is a Microsoft Outlook data file that stores a copy of the mailbox data on your local computer. This file is used when you work offline or when the Exchange server is not available. If you want to access the mailbox data in the OST file, you need to convert it into a PST (Personal Storage Table) file format. In this article, we will discuss how to open an OST file and convert it into a PST file format.
Step 1: Use Microsoft Outlook to Open the OST File
The first step to opening an OST file is to use Microsoft Outlook. Follow the steps below to open the OST file using Microsoft Outlook:
· Launch Microsoft Outlook and go to the File menu.
· Click on the Open & Export option and select the Import/Export option.
· In the Import and Export Wizard, select Import from another program or file and click Next.
· Choose the Outlook Data File (.pst) option and click Next.
· Browse to the location of the OST file and select it.
· Choose the desired options for handling duplicates and click Next.
· Select the destination folder where you want to save the data and click Finish.
· Once you have completed these steps, the OST file will be opened in Microsoft Outlook, and you can access the mailbox data in it.
Step 2: Convert the OST File to PST Format in Outlook 2016
If you want to convert the OST file to PST format, you can use the Export feature in Microsoft Outlook. Follow the steps below to convert the OST file to PST format:
· Launch Microsoft Outlook and go to the File menu.
· Click on the Open & Export option and select the Import/Export option.
· In the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file and click Next.
· Choose the Outlook Data File (.pst) option and click Next.
· Select the folder that you want to export. If you want to export all folders, select the top-level mailbox folder.
· Choose the desired options for handling duplicates and click Next.
· Browse to the location where you want to save the PST file and click Finish.
· Once you have completed these steps, the OST file will be converted to PST format, and you can access the mailbox data in it using any version of Microsoft Outlook.
Step 3: Use Third-Party Tools to Convert the OST File
If you are unable to open OST file using Microsoft Outlook, you can use third-party tools to do so. There are many tools available in the market that can help you open and convert OST files to PST format. Some of the popular tools include:
DRS OST to PST Converter: This tool can convert OST files to PST format and recover mailbox data, including emails, contacts, attachments, calendars, tasks, and notes. It supports all versions of Microsoft Outlook and can handle large OST files. This software is ideal to convert OST to PST and several other file formats and email clients such as MSG, MBOX, EML, EMLX, PDF, HTML, TXT, Office 365, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, IMAP, etc. The software supports all the MS Windows and Mac versions.
MigrateEmails OST to PST Converter: This tool can convert OST files to PST format and recover mailbox data, including emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, and notes. It supports all versions of Microsoft Outlook and can handle large OST files.
CloudMigration OST to PST Converter: This tool can convert OST files to PST format and recover mailbox data, including emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, and notes. It supports all versions of Microsoft Outlook and can handle large OST files.
Conclusion
Opening an OST file is easy if you have Microsoft Outlook installed on your computer. You can use the Import/Export Wizard in Microsoft Outlook to open and convert OST files to PST format. However, if you are unable to open or convert the OST file using Microsoft Outlook, you can use third-party tools to do so. These tools can help you recover mailbox data and convert the OST file to PST format.
