Trick to Copy OST File to PST File

In many cases, Microsoft Outlook users face the situation in which they are not able to access their OST files. The most common reason for inaccessibility of OST files is downtime of Exchange Server, due to which users cannot use its content for a long duration. One way to access such files is to convert them into PST files. The newly generated PST files can then be easily accessed in any MS Outlook account.

Conditions that could lead to inaccessibility or corruption in OST files:

Improper shut down of Exchange Server.

Different hardware and software failures.

Interrupted synchronization between Exchange Server and OST file.

Deletion of Exchange mailbox to which the OST file is associated.

Method To Copy OST File to PST File

This section considers the methodology to copy OST email to PST email. There are basically two ways for such file conversion.

1.Manual Trick

The export feature of Outlook allows the user to convert OST file to PST file. The steps to be followed include:

a) Launch MS Outlook and go to File Menu

b) Choose “Import and Export wizard”.

c) Click the “Export to a file” option and select the file type “Outlook Data File (.pst)”.

2. Drag and Drop

User can simply drag and drop OST files into PST folder by following steps:

a) Create a new PST file in Outlook.

b) Drag all the necessary items from OST to be converted into the PST file.

c) Dragged OST items can then be viewed easily.

Limitations Of Manual Procedure

a. Server Connectivity: Manual conversion is directly associated to server connectivity. User needs to be connected to Exchange Server. Otherwise, it will lead to orphaned state of OST file and this OST file cannot be converted to PST.

b. Restricted Company policy: The company may have restriction policy due to which user would not be allowed to create a new PST. In such case, it becomes very difficult to convert the OST into new PST file.

3. Alternative Trick

Several automated software are available in the market that provides an efficient conversion of .ost files. One of the well-known software is OST Email Recovery, which simplifies such file conversion. It lets user to easily convert the inaccessible or corrupted OST file into healthy PST file. It offers the complete recovery and conversion independent of Outlook. It supports both compressible and high level encrypted files. Even the meta data like read status, subject are available in the generated PST file. It allows the splitting of bulk-sized OST file into smaller size PST files, as specified by the user. The user interactive feature makes the software more convenient to use.

Conclusion:Considering the various aspects of file conversion, we conclude that manual OST conversion methods are not easily feasible to everyone. So, third party applications like Microsoft Exchange OST Converter tends to meet the requirements for the reliable conversion of OST files to PST without much effort.