How to Recover Deleted OST File Data in Outlook 2010?

While using MS Outlook with Exchange Server offline folders replica of user accounts can be created on the client end called OST files.OST files are the replica of mailboxes data stored on Exchange server. OST file consists of entire mailbox contents like Mails, Contacts, Calendars, etc.When user is working offline, they can make any changes in OST file data, they can add, delete, and change the content of OST file. When the network is available, users can synchronize the OST file with Exchange server, which will update the changes on the server end.

For Example- When users write an email without Exchange connectivity, email written is saved and lined for the Exchange. Once a user connected with the network emails are automatically sent to the destination.

As OST file is a cached copy of Exchange mailbox data, it has all-important mailboxes of Exchange account. Sometimes user may delete their data intentionally or unintentionally which causes a huge loss. In the same way, loss of OST files may also cause a big damage to an organization.

Sometimes it's easy to recover the deleted files, but many times it becomes very tedious task. There are two types of deletion that causes the loss of important data from OST files:

1.Soft Deletion: When the data of OST file is not deleted permanently from the system is called Soft Deletion. User can easily find out the deleted data from the system.

2. Hard Deletion: Hard deletion takes place when content from OST files are permanently deleted and user can restore their data from Deleted Item folder,it's get very difficult to find or restore the deleted items.

Ways To Know How to Recover Deleted OST File Data in Outlook 2010

Recovering Soft Deleted OST File Items

When user deletes any data from OST file such as; emails, contacts, texts, calendar, etc., it will move to Deleted Items folder in mailbox. User can easily recover the item by going to the Deleted Items folder and move the deleted content to the desired folder.

Recovering Hard Deleted OST File Items

Hard deletion can happen due to listed reasons:

1. Permanent deletion of item using Shift + Delete

2. Deleting items from Deleted Items folder

Hard deleted items cannot be recovered from Deleted Item folder, as in this case, the data, which has been deleted,is not present in the Deleted Item folder. When user permanently deletes the data of OST file, it moves to the dumpster (owing to the file's connection with Exchange) from where it can be recovered using the Recover Deleted Item option provided on Outlook.

NOTE: This option is only available when the retention policy has been applied by server admin to the respective user account. User can get their data from Recover Deleted Items. The data user recovers from Recover Deleted Items will directly move to the Deleted Items folder from where user can restore their data to desired folder of their mailbox.

IMPORTANT:

Retention period defines the time limit for which Exchange maintains the permanently deleted items.Recover Deleted Item option is disabled in two situations; first is when the user is working in offline mode and second when the user is not using an Exchange account.

In order to overcome the shortcoming of manual method for recovering OST file in Outlook 2010, Recovery tool for Microsoft OST to PST is apt. The tool not only recovers the deleted data but also recover the damaged OST file.Required data must be present in Recover Delete Item.One can use this tool even when they are not working in connection with Exchange server, i.e. the cases where Recover Deleted Items option fails.