How to Migrate OST to PST File Step-by-Step Guide

Akash Singh
4 min readFeb 23, 2021

The Outlook is a world popular email client application established by Microsoft. MS Outlook supports two types of file format one is OST, and another one is PST besides this, the PST file is a primary data file of Outlook and can be retrieved on any computer.

Difference between OST and PST

OST — An OST file is the local copy of the Microsoft Exchange server’s mailbox and configures MS Outlook. Once the OST file gets disconnected from the MS Exchange server, you can’t get data from the server. When you need to sync your mail, you should be connected to the internet.

PST- The PST is designed for storage. It is an excellent option to backup your large files. Whenever you do modifications in the PST file, edits automatically synchronized to the server.

We understand the ost and pst file format; there are many reasons and benefits of migrating OST to PST file.

Why do you need to Convert OST to PST files?

  • Sometimes OST files are corrupted, damaged.
  • In those scenarios, you can’t access the OST file in Outlook if you are offline.
  • There are many problems with OST file corruption, such as System failure, Network problems, virus attacks, and a lot more.

User frustrated by the above problems, and they change their email client also. We want to check the convenient way and best way to convert your file format because the exchange OST file does not synchronize all mailbox data.

How to Convert OST to PST files?

To convert an OST file to PST file format, You have to follow the below-mentioned solutions.

Method 1: -Using Import/Export Feature of Outlook

  1. First, you need to open a Microsoft Outlook application on your PC.
  2. Press on the File menu left corner of your application.
  3. Click on Import and Export option.
  4. Then, press the Export option, now you can select your .ost file.
  5. After that click on next and save your file in .pst format.
  6. Select the filters, To, From, Subject, etc., and other filters.
  7. Now, you can see the display of split the .pst file after a specific size.
  8. Browse the destination path and click the finish.

Now, you successfully migrate OST to PST file. If you find any trouble, save ost file as pst file. I also discussed the second method you can apply; the steps are given below.

Solution 2: Using Archive Feature

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook email.
  2. Click File and press on Info. From the left corner of your application.
  3. Now, Select the Clean-up tools.
  4. Press the button on Archive.
  5. Then, you can see the display with the option of Archive items older than there.
  6. Browse to define the location where you won’t save a .pst file.
  7. You can see the .pst file along with its location in the edit box.

These are some possible solutions to convert OST to PST file format. Moreover, These solutions come up with some limitations or restrictions.

Limitations of above solutions

There is some limit to using the manual method. I didn’t recommend the free method because it consumes your time.

  • It is a very basic tool that only converts limited formats.
  • If you use the free migrate method, nobody assists you.
  • In the conversion process, it does consume more time.
  • You can’t convert multiple files in one click.
  • You can’t maintain folder hierarchy.

Transfer OST to PST file using third-party software

You can migrate a .ost file to a .pst file using third-party software. The reliable software is the best choice to fix corrupt files or migrate OST to PST files. By third-party software, you can quickly save ost file as pst file format, and whether the users will need to use Microsoft Outlook information in another format, the tool gives a choice to make this possible.

By using this method, you could easily migrate Outlook OST files into various file formats together with all emails, contacts, attachments, contacts, meetings, and activities.

These are the steps for changing the .ost file into a .pst file using reliable software.

  1. Install the OST to PST converter software.
  2. Launch the application and select single or multiple files.
  3. Browse the .ost file and click on next.
  4. Press the next button application and start scanning the file.
  5. Now, you can mark the folder to preview the content and attachments hit the next button.
  6. From the Drop-down menu, select the .pst file format.
  7. If you want particular date data, you can choose the start date and end date from the task filter to specific mailboxes.
  8. Now, you browse the path where you want to save your converted file and click on the open button.
  9. Click on the convert button, and the migration process will start.
  10. Now, the .ost file is successfully converted into the .pst file format.

You can download the log report also for your preference.

There are many advantages to using reliable software: -

  • You can easily migrate OST to PST format using simple steps with the help of a telephonic assistant or reading the simple guide of the tool.
  • Restore your deleted files.
  • Fix your corrupted OST files.
  • Migrate large files without the size limitations.
  • Convert multiple files in one single click.
  • It maintains data hierarchy and accuracy.
  • Simple and user-friendly interface.
  • Compatible with all versions to export OST to PST file.

Conclusion

In this post, I described how to change your file format. If you are using the manual method, you have limitations, and it’s a time-consuming method. By using professional software, you can easily migrate OST to PST with maintaining the folder hierarchy. It is the best method, which provides conversion without any data loss. It supports all versions of outlook. Thanks for reading my article and spending your precious time.

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