Offline Storage Table (OST) files are one of the proprietary data files used by Outlook to store an exact copy of user’s mailbox locally on their system. These files are created automatically whenever you make a new Outlook account, and any changes made while working offline on these files are saved when the user is online again and connected to the server. In some cases, users need to import their OST files into Outlook because of some plausible reasons. This blog highlights a few ways with the help of which users can import OST files into Outlook.
What’s the need to import OST file into Outlook?
There can be several reasons why users might want to import OST files into Outlook. We’ve compiled some of the most common reasons below:
- Exchange Server issues: If by any chance Exchange Server is in recovery mode or crashes unexpectedly then your OST files can become inaccessible for a while which can create unnecessary problems for the users. Importing OST files to Outlook 365 gives users the benefit of backing up their data and preventing data loss.
- Easy migration: When migrating to a new system or a new Outlook profile, users can migrate their entire mailbox data by importing their OST files to the new device or account. This ensures you don’t lose important emails, contacts, notes, etc. while migrating your data.
- Backup and archiving data: Users can import OST files to Outlook to create a backup of their mailbox data to make sure they don’t lose their essential data.
- Corrupt OST files: In some situations, users’ mailbox becomes corrupted due to hardware failure, software crash, virus attack etc. which results in OST files becoming inaccessible. Importing the corrupted OST files to Outlook might help recover the data from them.
Locating OST files
Before proceeding with the importing procedure of OST files to Outlook, it is essential that users must know the exact location where their OST files are situated in their system. We’ve described the step-by-step procedure to locate your OST files:
- Run Microsoft Outlook in your system and click on the File option.
- Click on Account Settings and choose Account Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Under the Data Files tab, click on Open File Location in the newly opened window.
- The default location of all the OST files will open on your screen. Choose the OST file that you wish to import.
Another way users can locate their OST files is by navigating to their default location on your Windows OS. Let’s see the steps to locate OST files in Windows 8 and older versions:
- Press Win + R on your keyboard and type in drive:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook as the default location of your OST files.
- Choose whichever OST file you want to import to Outlook.
The steps to locate OST files in Windows 10 are:
- Press Win + R on your keyboard and type in drive:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook as the default location of your OST files.
- Select the needed OST files.
How to import OST files into Outlook?
After locating OST files in your system, you can start the process of importing them in Outlook. However, OST files can’t be imported directly to Outlook so it’s necessary to first convert them to PST format.
Step 1: Convert OST files to PST
With the help of a few built-in tools in Outlook such as the Import/Export wizard and the AutoArchive feature of Outlook, users can convert their OST files into PST for free. These methods to convert OST files to PST are explained in detail below.
Method 1: Using Import/Export wizard
This is probably the most effective manual method to import OST files into Outlook 365. This in-built feature of Outlook facilitates the transfer of OST files including emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, etc. to the location of your choice in either PST or CSV format. Let’s see the steps to perform this process:
- Launch Microsoft Outlook and click on the File option.
- Choose Open & Export and click on Import/Export.
- In the Import/Export wizard, select Export to a file from the list and click on Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst) as the output type and click on Next.
- Select the folder you wish to export and click on Next.
- Browse the location to save the exported files and set filters for duplicate files. Click on Finish.
Method 2: Using AutoArchive feature
AutoArchive is a useful feature of Outlook that periodically moves older emails, contacts and other mailbox items to an archive folder, thus decluttering the inbox and improving performance. With this feature of Outlook, you can easily save your OST files into a new PST file at the location of your choice. Follow the steps below to enable AutoArchive in Outlook:
- Click on the File tab in Outlook and select Options from the left panel.
- Choose Advanced in the options window and click on AutoArchive Settings.
- Enable AutoArchive option and set the specific number of days to periodically repeat the archive process. Set other filters such as the location to save the files and what all folders should be excluded.
- Your mailbox data will automatically be saved periodically in PST format at your chosen location.
Step 2: Import PST files into Outlook
Users can easily import their PST files into Outlook with Outlook’s Import/Export feature. Follow the steps below to initiate this process:
- Run Outlook and go to File.
- Select Open & Export option and click Import/Export.
- Choose Import from another program or file in the newly opened window and click Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click on Next.
- Browse the converted PST file that you wish to import and set filters for duplicate files. Click on Next.
Constraints you might face with manual methods
These manual methods have some grave limitations, some of which are explained below:
- Orphaned OST files can’t be imported to Outlook via manual methods.
- You’ll need to import every OST file individually which becomes very lengthy and time consuming.
- OST files can’t be properly imported to Outlook via the AutoArchive method.
- Users need to have expert technical expertise to attempt these methods otherwise mistakes can occur.
- Even a single missed step while attempting these methods can result in data file corruption and subsequent data loss.
Automated solution to import OST files into Outlook
While manual methods are helpful importing your OST files to Outlook, there’s a chance your data integrity might get compromised. To avoid risking your data integrity, we suggest using a professional tool like Recoveryfix for OST to PST Converter to import all your OST files to Outlook without worrying about data loss. Users can convert their healthy or corrupt OST files into multiple formats like PST, MSG, DBX, EML, TXT, etc. and saves your OST files to Office 365, Exchange Server, Gmail, Outlook, other different IMAP servers.
Conclusion
Importing OST files to Outlook is a challenging task considering there’s no direct way to import these data files into Outlook. This blog highlights a few methods to convert OST files to PST format and import them into Outlook and a few convincing reasons to do so. Additionally, we’ve also talked about an automated tool for a quick and efficient solution. Recoveryfix for OST to PST Converter converts OST files into multiple formats irrespective of the size and damage. Try its free trial today to know more.
