Outlook is a prevailing email client launched by Microsoft. OST and PST both file formats are used to save the data of Outlook. Outlook saves the data in OST file format when connected with Exchange Server. You can work in offline mode with Outlook and the changes you made in OST file are updated when Exchange Server connection is established. PST file contains the complete data including emails, contacts, notes, calendars, journals, etc. and save it on your computer system.

With this blog, we have come up with the solutions to convert OST to PST. Before this, know the reasons to perform this conversion.

Why is OST to PST Conversion needed?

Get reasons why need to convert OST data to PST format –

Exchange Server crash – If Exchange Server crashes or there is a system failure, virus attack, etc. you will not be able to connect to Exchange Server.

This kind of situations can affect your work, therefore, by converting OST data to PST, you can avoid such a situation.

Data Migration – You can simply migrate data from one machine to another by converting OST file to PST file format. This is really helpful for organizations when they are planning to shift their data between machines.

Exchange Server maintenance – Due to the maintenance of Exchange Server, you still need to access the mailbox items. Therefore, converting OST file to PST format is a good idea in such a situation.



Accidental data deletion of Exchange Server account – If your Exchange Server account gets accidentally deleted or there is any data loss. The data can be recovered by converting OST file to PST file format.

Methods to convert OST to PST

There are various manual solutions available to convert OST file to PST file format. Here we are discussing few manual solutions to perform this conversion.

Method 1. Import and Export mailbox as PST

You can import and export the mailbox items to PST file format. For this, you must have Outlook installed and connected to Exchange Server on your system.

Open Microsoft Outlook application and click on File menu.
Select Open and Export option.
Click on Import/Export option.
Under choose an action to perform, select Export to a file and click Next to proceed.
Choose Outlook data file(.pst) and click Next button.
Now, choose the folder to export from. Select the files that you want to export and hit Next to continue.
Choose options to allow/disallow items and click the Finish button.
You will find that OST file is automatically saved to PST format at desired location.
Method 2. Archiving mailbox items

Using the Archive feature, you need to enable archive settings so that OST files get saved into PST file in the system. This feature keeps the mailbox size at optimum level.

Below mentioned steps are there to create archive mailbox –

Open Microsoft Outlook and click on File menu at the top left corner of Outlook.
Click options and go to Advanced option.
Click Auto Archive settings.
Provide the number of days for which you want to Auto Archive.
Provide the desired location by using the Browse button and click OK to continue.
Method 3. Professional solution

If you don’t have MS Outlook and Exchange Server connectivity, then use Softaken OST to PST Converter that performs OST data to PST conversion without facing any kind of trouble. The software easily performs the conversion without causing any data losses.

You can export complete OST file or desired items from OST file to PST file format. With a friendly interface, both technical and non-technical persons can operate the tool with full comfort.

Let’s see the working of Softaken OST to PST Converter –

Download, install and launch the software on your Windows system.
Add OST file using the Browse button.
Check the complete data of OST file and select items to convert.
Select Convert to PST under output format.
Click on the Browse button to provide location to save PST file.
Press the Convert Now button to commence the conversion.
Why choose software solution over manual solution?

There are various reasons to choose software solution over the manual solution –

There is no surety of data safety.
It needs Outlook and Exchange Server connection.
Difficult to handle by novice users.
Needs technical expertise to understand the process.
Lengthy and time-consuming process.
Final Words

You have got manual as well as automated solutions with this blog to perform OST to PST conversion . You can pick any of the methods for this conversion.

However, manual solutions are not suitable for all users. Therefore, professionals recommend to go for third-party tool to get accurate and instant conversion results.

Before investing in the software, one can get free demo and access the performance of the application.

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