In such cases, the only way to convert OST files to PST is by using a specialized OST to PST converter software. Microsoft doesn't provide any OST to PST converter tool either. So, if you have an orphaned or that you want to convert to PST, you cannot do so as you cannot access or open the linked Outlook profile. Challenges Related to OST to PST ConversionĪn OST file is bound to the MAPI profile and encrypted by default with the MAPIEntryID GUID key. In such cases, you must convert the OST file to PST to access your mailbox items from another or new Outlook profile. When Exchange or mail server fails or crashes, the OST file may become inaccessible, and you may lose access to your OST mailbox items. In such cases, you must export the mailbox items in the OST file to PST to safeguard your mail data. Such OST files are referred to as orphaned OSTs. This may also happen due to security-related issues. If your Outlook profile is deleted or disabled from the Exchange server, Outlook stops synchronizing the OST mailbox with the mailbox server. This will help you troubleshoot the Outlook errors safely and avoid any data loss. If you are experiencing errors in Outlook, such as synchronization errors, mails not receiving, etc., you can back up your mailbox data stored in the OST file to PST format.
You can also create an Archive to store and access these mails on your local machine. You can reduce the OST size by moving older emails and other mailbox items to a PST file. Some of them are as follows:Īn oversized OST file becomes prone to corruption due to integrity issues. There could be several reasons why you may want to convert OST to PST file. And that's one important reason why you may want to convert an OST file to PST. Unlike OST, one can open, access, and import PST files into any Outlook profile, making it an ideal Outlook data file format for backup and migration. PST, also known as Personal Folder file, is created when you sign in to Outlook using a POP3 account. However, OST allows authenticated user to access Outlook account, draft messages, create tasks, add notes, contacts, etc., even when the system is offline. Thus, it can't be accessed or imported into other Outlook profiles.
Outlook for Windows creates an OST file when you sign in using an Exchange, Office 365, or IMAP account.īy default, the OST file is encrypted and bound to the particular Outlook profile in which it is created. Offline Storage Table (OST) and Personal Storage Table (PST) files are Outlook data files, which are used to store a synchronized copy of mailbox items such as emails, calendars, notes, tasks, etc., on the local storage.