Quick way to open OST file in Outlook

Ashish Singh

Updated On - August 13, 2024

Outlook is one of the most prevalent platforms for conducting daily email interactions. Over the years, Microsoft Outlook has launched different versions, such as 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, & 2007, to become more user-specific with their advanced algorithms and robust features.

Configuring your account to be associated with IMAP, Exchange, or Office 365 will automatically create the OST file that is used to store mailbox items such as emails, notes, contacts, attachments, tasks, and others. It has several benefits over other files, which make it preferable among users. Let’s look at them:

Recover lost mailboxes: OST files enable you to recover the lost mailboxes (in case of any damage that might have occurred to the Exchange Server or in case the server is down).

Automatic synchronization: If there is a connection issue between the user and the email server, it will not hamper your work with the OST file.. It will sync automatically as the connection is restored.

Stored in secondary storage: The OST file is a replica of the Exchange account’s mailbox stored on your computer’s hard drive. Hence, any damage done to the Exchange Server will not impact an OST file.

Access without an internet connection: This file allows you to access its content even if your internet connection is unstable.

Security and Reliability: Your OST file can keep your email data safe even if the server crashes or the Exchange Server has a problem.

These are the primary advantages of OST files that make them prominent over others. Users are usually concerned about accessing or opening the OST file in different versions of Outlook as per their requirements. Hence, we have covered the solution for opening the OST file in two sections: One with the same Outlook account and the other with a different one. Let’s look at the ways to implement it:

Manual method to open OST file in Outlook

We have provided solutions based on the users’ different concerns. Follow the same procedure to get satisfactory results.

Concern 1. For the same Outlook account in different versions

Accessing the OST file in different Outlook versions with the same Outlook account can be possible by just opening the Outlook account whose content is stored in the file you want to open. Once you log in, all the contents will be automatically restored from the Exchange server.

Concern 2. For different Outlook accounts in different versions

Since the OST file is neither directly accessible for other Outlook accounts nor supports exporting them, you need to convert it into a PST one. Due to PST easy shareability & accessibility, it helps users to access the OST file content in different Outlook accounts easily. If you are concerned with this, follow the given steps with utmost care to open the OST file even in the different versions:

1. Open the Microsoft Outlook application and click on the File option.
2. Go to the Open & Export and choose Import/Export option.
3. From the Import and Export Wizard, select Export to a file & Click on the OK option.
4. Choose file type as Outlook Data File (.pst), followed by the Next option .
5. Now, Select the folder to export from; Click Next.
6. Browse the location for saving the exported file after considering the given Options. Then, click on the Finish option to initiate the exporting process.

Note: As an optional step, you can provide a password to protect the exported PST file .

Now, after exporting, follow the simple steps to open the PST file on different Outlook versions with different Outlook accounts.

1. Open the Microsoft Outlook application again.
2. Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export options.
3. Choose Import from another program or file option from the next window. Then, Click on the Next option.
4. Select file type to import from as Outlook Data file(.pst) & Click on the Next option .
5. Browse the File to Import. Finally, click on the Finish option. In this way, your OST file open in Outlook successfully.

How do you access the OST file in case of a corrupted OST file or a missing Outlook account?

Through the above process, you can open the OST file in Outlook either for the same account or a different one corresponding to different versions. However, they might not be applicable or supportive in case of a corrupted OST file or a missing Outlook account.

In that case, you should rely on third party specialized tools to view or open OST file in Outlook different versions without any restraints. Recoveryfix OST viewer is one of the most recommended tools in this category. It allows you to open or view your healthy or even corrupted OST files in the same structure. Its powerful algorithms make it simple and compatible with all Exchange Servers and Outlook versions. It even operates without connecting to the Exchange Server and recovers accidentally deleted items.

However, if you want to access the content of your OST file for future purposes or any specific use, you can use advanced tools like Recoveryfix for OST to PST Converter as an instant resolution for repair & recovery. It converts your corrupted or inaccessible OST file into desirable formats, including PST of any number or size, without hampering its data integrity or hierarchy.

Conclusion

This article has given you valuable information on OST files and convenient methods to open them. We have discussed a manual approach to open OST file in Outlook. However, due to their unsuitability in case of a corrupted OST file or a missing Outlook account, we have recommended the advanced tools accordingly. For hands-on experience, you can explore their trial version.