Summary: Are you searching for the best methods and trusted solutions for converting OST files to Outlook PST? If so, this blog will help you solve your query. It describes manual methods and professional OST to PST Converter to convert OST to PST with attachments. Now, we will see some basic concepts about the files, and the reason for their conversion.
OST and PST files are both categories of Microsoft Outlook. OST files are the offline copies of the mailbox data saved from an Exchange Server, while the PST files store data in personal folders. However, if you want to transfer offline OST file data to another machine, you must set up the email client to connect with the server to create a new Outlook OST file or convert it into PST.
Reason to Turn OST into PST
There are various reasons for converting OST files to Outlook PST, which are given below.
- The mail data becomes inaccessible when the exchange server crashes unexpectedly and displays errors. Therefore, OST to PST Conversion helps you to recover mailbox data.
- Protects and saves the files from malicious activities and harmful websites.
- Converting OST to PST lowers the risk of data loss.
- OST files can’t be shared, but PST files are very easy to share.
- To deal with the frequent errors while working.
Quick Ways to Convert OST to PST files
There are four best reliable solutions for converting OSTfiles to PST format. It contains three manual and professional methods. The following are the ways to import Outlook OST to PST.
- Convert Outlook OST to PST using Import and Export.
- Import the OST file to PST by Archiving Process.
- Convert OST file to PST using Drag and Drop.
- Professional way to change OST to PST.
Method 01: Convert OST to Outlook PST using Import/Export
In this method, we will use the import and export feature of Microsoft Outlook. Follow the steps given below to perform the conversion.
- Open MS Outlook on your local device.
- Click on the File option and choose Open & Export.
- Now, press on the Import and Export options.
- Select Export to a File and tap the Next button.
- After that, choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
- Select all of the files you want to export and enable the function Include Subfolders. Hit the Next.
- Click on Browse and choose the destination of your output file.
- After that, all of the OST mailbox data will be imported into PST format.
Method 02: Convert the OST file to PST using the Archiving Process
In this method, we will use the auto-archiving method to import Outlook OST to PST format. Follow the below steps.
- Open Microsoft Outlook on your system.
- Select the File and then options.
- Now, choose Advanced and click Auto Archive Settings.
- Select the number of days you want to conduct Auto-Archiving. Pick the folders to keep the archived file.
- After that, hit the OK button.
Method 03: Drag and Drop Feature
- Launch the MS Outlook application.
- After that, create a blank PST file in Outlook.
- Now, by using Drag & Drop, move the desired OST mailbox items into the newly blank created PST file.
We saw manual methods to convert OST to PST file format. On the other hand, there are certain limitations associated with it. Now, let us discuss what these limitations are.
Limitations of the Manual Methods
We saw three different methods under the manual approach. However, these methods have various disadvantages, which are as follows:
- The manual method takes very much time because it can only transfer one mail item at a time.
- Any single mistake during the process may lead to data corruption.
- You should have a good understanding of the technical concepts.
- The process will automatically stop if the OST file size is large.
To overcome these disadvantages, you should go with the professional tool to convert OST files to PST with attachments. In the below section, we are going to discuss this approach.
Method 04: Professional Method to Convert Outlook OST to PST File Format
One of the best solutions to import Outlook OST to PST is OST to PST Converter. This software is very helpful for users who do not have any technical knowledge and, additionally, offers a simple and interactive graphical user interface. Moreover, the tool converts OST to MSG, EML, MBOX, EMLX, and other file formats without needing to install MS Outlook on the local device. Also, it supports all the latest versions of the Windows OS and Outlook. Further, the tool migrates OST mailboxes to Gmail, Office 365, Thunderbird, AOL, and other email clients.
Steps to turn OST into PST File Format
- Download and run the Aryson OST to PST Converter on your local machine.
- Open the software and select the OST files or folders from your device.
- After that, press the Next button and Preview OST file mailbox folders.
- Select the Save As option and select saving format as PST(.pst) format. In addition, you can opt for other filters and features.
- Hit the Convert button to convert OST files to PST.
Conclusion
In this blog, you read about two different methods for importing OST files to PST and other various file formats. However, the manual approaches are not suitable for large files, and on the other hand, the professional method efficiently and securely allows to convert OST to PST in bulk without needing to install MS Outlook on your local system. Moreover, you can try the free demo version of the software for a better understanding