What is an OST or Offline Storage Table file?
OST (Offline Storage Table) is a file format used by Microsoft Outlook to store mailbox data when you're working in an offline mode. The OST file is created when Outlook uses Cached Exchange mode. In case of a system crash, corruption, or an accidental deletion, the OST file can be a lifesaver. But what if you want to open the Outlook OST file on another computer or use it with a different email client? In this article, we will explain how to import OST files into Microsoft Outlook step by step, so that you can easily access your mailbox data.
Common reasons to import OST file into Outlook
There can be several reasons why you may need to import mail items from an OST file into Microsoft Outlook. Here are some of the common ones:
- Migration to a New Computer: When you switch to a new computer or reinstall your operating system, you may need to import the OST file into Microsoft Outlook to access your mailbox data.
- Exchange Server Crash: In case of an Exchange server crash, Outlook may fail to synchronize your mail items with the server. To resolve the synchronization issues in Outlook you may need to load the OST file into access your mailbox data
- Recovery of Deleted Items: If you accidentally delete an email or other mailbox items from your Microsoft Outlook profile, you may be able to recover them by importing an old OST file. See how to restore deleted items from an OST file.
- Corruption of Mailbox: Sometimes, your mailbox data in Microsoft Outlook may become corrupt due to various reasons such as hardware failure, software issues, or virus attack. Outlook may display an error message such as ‘Outlook data file cannot be accessed’. In such cases importing the OST file can be a useful option to recover your mailbox data.
- Switching to a Different Email Client: If you want to switch to a different email client other than Microsoft Outlook, you can convert the OST file to PST format and then import it into the new email client. Learn how to save emails from Outlook 365 to a hard drive.