Open OST file in Outlook

It is important to note that the OST file is specifically tied to the Exchange Server mailbox profile. As a result, you cannot simply load an OST file into Outlook or open it with a different Exchange Server mailbox profile. If you create a new Exchange profile, Outlook generates a new OST file, leading to the complete loss of unsynchronized changes from the previous file.

In this article, we will delve into how to open an OST file in Outlook and how EdbMails can help you open, preview, and convert an OST file to a PST when it becomes orphaned or corrupted.

How to locate an OST file in your computer?

Here are the default locations of OST files in different versions of Outlook:

1. For Outlook 2019 and 2016:

   The default location of OST file in Outlook 2019 and 2016 is:

   C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

2. For Outlook 2013:

   The default location of OST file in Outlook 2013 is:

   C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

3. For Outlook 2010:

   The default location of OST file in Outlook 2010 is:

   C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

4. For Outlook 2007:

   The default location of OST file in Outlook 2007 is:

   C:\Users<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Note that the actual location of the OST file may vary depending on the configuration of your system and the settings of Outlook. If you are unable to find it in the default location, you can locate the OST file from within Outlook as follows:

• Step 1: Go to the File tab in Outlook
  • Open Microsoft Outlook on your computer
  • Click ‘File’ in the top left corner of the screen

    

• Step 2: Navigate to Account Settings
  • Click ‘Account Settings’, then select ‘Account Settings’ again from the dropdown menu.
• Step 3: Click Data Files and open the OST file location
  • In the ‘Account Settings’ window, go to the ‘Data Files’ tab.
  • Choose the OST file you want to open and click on the ‘Open File Location’ button, which opens the folder where the selected OST file is located.

    

Method 1: Convert OST to PST and open the PST in Outlook

• Step 1: Launch Outlook and go to Import Export Wizard
  • Open Outlook and click on ‘File’ tab in the top menu bar
  • Click on ‘Open & Export’ and select ‘Import/Export’ from the options

    

• Step 2: Select the option to export to a PST file
  • In the Import and Export Wizard, select ‘Export to a file’ option and click ‘Next’
  • Select ‘Outlook Data File (.pst)’ option from the list of file types and click ‘Next’

    

• Step 3: Select the folders and subfolders to export
  • Choose the options as per your preference, such as whether to include subfolders or not
  • Click on ‘Next’ to continue
• Step 4: Choose the export location and convert the OST to PST
  • Choose the location where you want to save the exported PST file
  • Choose the options as per your preference, such as whether to replace duplicates or not
  • Click on ‘Finish’ to complete the export process
  • The OST file will be converted to a PST file and saved to the location you specified.

    

• Step 5: Open the exported PST file in Outlook
  • After the OST to PST conversion is complete, you can import and open the PST file in Outlook.
  • Open Outlook and go to the Import/Export wizard again
  • Select ‘Import from another program or file’ and follow the steps to import all your email data into Outlook.
  • That's it! You have opened the OST file contents in Outlook.

  Note: This method is only applicable if the OST file is in good health. If the OST file is severely corrupted, encrypted or rendered inaccessible due to an Outlook crash, Outlook will fail to convert the OST to PST, and you will need to use EdbMails to repair the Outlook data file and extract all of your email data.

EdbMails OST to PST Converter tool can be useful in scenarios where the manual methods to open an OST file in Outlook may not work. Here are some specific scenarios where the converter application is useful:

1. OST file corruption: If the Outlook OST file is corrupted due to various reasons such as hardware failure, software crash, or virus attack, it may not open in Outlook. In such cases, EdbMails OST to PST Converter can be used to recover the data from the corrupted OST file and convert it to PST format.
2. OST file encryption: If the OST file is encrypted with a password, it cannot be opened in Outlook unless the password is entered. EdbMails can be used to recover the data from the encrypted OST file and convert it to PST format without the need for a password.
3. Unsupported OST file version: If the OST file was created in an older version of Outlook that is not supported by the current version of Outlook, it may not open in Outlook. In such cases, EdbMails OST to PST Converter can be used to convert the OST file to a PST format that is supported by the current version of Outlook. Click here to learn how to copy outlook emails to the hard drive.
4. Convert large OST file size: If the OST file is too large, it may take a long time to open in Outlook or may become corrupt. EdbMails converter for OST can help you split an oversized OST file into multiple PST files for better manageability and for reducing the file size during the conversion.