Restore Deleted emails from an Outlook OST File

Reasons for OST File data deletion

There could be many reasons for OST file data deletion, but in practice, it can be categorized into two different types.

• Soft Deletion: In this situation, the email data is not permanently deleted from the system. It is moved to the Deleted Items folder in Outlook and then you can restore the data to retrieve these deleted items.
• Hard Deletion: In this situation, the OST file data is deleted permanently. And you cannot recover the data from the Deleted Items folder.

Reasons for permanent deletion of OST file data

1. When the Shift+Delete key is pressed for deleting an item, it leads to permanent deletion.
2. When the Deleted items folder is accidentally emptied without backing up the data.

You can use ScanOST for Outlook to retrieve and export the deleted emails from the Deleted Items folder. But if the OST file cannot be opened or if the mail items are permanently deleted from this folder, the only option is to restore your emails from a backup OST snapshot.

Practical situations of deleted email recovery from Outlook files

Here are some real time scenarios where recovering deleted email items from an OST file can be necessary:

• Accidental Deletion: An email can be accidentally deleted by a user, which may result in the permanent loss of important data. In such cases, EdbMails can help to recover deleted mailboxes or items from an OST file and export them to a PST file.
• Corruption: OST files may get corrupted due to unexpected system shutdowns, malware infections, or hardware issues, making some emails inaccessible or causing them to be deleted. EdbMails helps in such situations by repairing the damaged OST file and recover deleted emails or items, ensuring you can retrieve important mailbox data without relying on Outlook or the original server.
• Malware Attacks: Malware attacks can cause significant damage to OST files, resulting in data loss. EdbMails can recover deleted emails or items from an infected OST file, ensuring that important data is not lost.
• Accidental Modification: Users may accidentally modify or overwrite important email items, which can result in data loss. EdbMails can help to recover deleted mailboxes or items from an earlier backup of the OST file.
• Exchange Server Crash: An unexpected Exchange Server crash can make mailbox data inaccessible or lead to the deletion of important emails. EdbMails enables you to recover those deleted items directly from the OST file, without any connection to the original server. You can also export recovered Outlook emails to an external hard drive for safe, long-term storage and easy access.

• How to recover deleted mailbox items from an OST file?

  Step 1: Download and install EdbMails application on your computer

  • Download and install the EdbMails application on any Windows-based computer.

    

  • Launch the EdbMails application on your system.
  • Enter your registered email address and password, then click ‘Login’. If you’re a new user, select ‘Start Your Free Trial’ to proceed with the trial version.
    Note: The Free Trial allows you to explore all major features and export up to 30 items per folder. To access unlimited exports and the complete feature set, a valid license must be purchased from the EdbMails website.

    Click here to purchase the license from the EdbMails website.

    Once the purchase is completed, close and reopen the EdbMails application, then log in using the same email address and password used during the purchase to successfully activate your license.

    

  • Select the product ‘OST Recovery and Migration’.

    

  • Select the recovery option as ‘OST to PST’.

    

  • You can retain the default job name or click the ‘New Job’ button to change the job name.
  • Then, click ‘Next’ to continue.

    

  Step 2: Select the OST file for the recovery

  • Click ‘Browse for OST file'.

    

  • Select the offline OST file from your local drive, then click the ‘Next’ button to continue. You can also share the OST file on a network with read and write permissions assigned.

    

  • Click ‘Browse’.

    

  • Select the destination folder to save the exported PST files, and ensure the drive has enough free space to complete the export.

    

  • EdbMails scans the offline OST file and recovers mailbox data, even when the file is damaged or corrupted. During the process, the tool analyzes the file structure and contents to extract emails and other mailbox items. The time required depends on the file size and the level of corruption, so wait until the scan completes to ensure full recovery.

    

  • After the recovery process finishes, the application displays all OST file data while preserving the original folder and subfolder hierarchy. You can expand any mailbox folder to easily explore its contents. When you select a specific folder, such as Emails, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, or Calendar, all associated items are listed and shown with a clear, detailed preview panel. Additionally, EdbMails OST to PST Converter allows you to open OST files without requiring Outlook to be installed on your system.

  Step 3: Preview and select the deleted mailbox

  • Check the ‘Show All the folders’ option and expand the mailbox.
  • Locate the ‘Recoverable Items’ folder, expand it, and then open the ‘Deletions’ subfolder to view deleted items.

    

  Step 4: Export the mail items from Outlook OST to PST to recover deleted emails or items.

  • EdbMails OST to PST converter ensures fast and accurate conversion of offline OST files to PST format. Review the selected mailboxes and folders for the export operation, ensure the ‘Action’ is set to ‘Export’, and then click the ‘Start Export’ button to begin the export process.

    

  • The export process has started, and you can track its progress through the status bar. The interface shows the mailbox and folder being exported, the destination PST file location, and the count of items successfully exported. When the export is complete, EdbMails will display a message confirming that the operation has finished.