Category: OST to PST Converter

If you are using an Exchange account or Office 365, all data in Outlook such as email messages, calendars, contacts etc. are saved in the form of an OST file. This feature allows you to access emails and other data in Outlook even without an internet connection.

The OST file gets bigger and bigger as and when you send or receive messages, add contacts or calendar information and so on. But it is important to understand that like all other file types, OST files also have a certain size limit. If this limit is exceeded, the file may get corrupt. Following are the symptoms of corruption in OST files.

Corrupt OST files may show symptoms such as

• Outlook application pauses
• Data cannot be added to the OST file
• Difficulty in syncing with the Exchange server when the internet is connected

Now let us see the methods you can use to reduce the size of your OST file.

Solution 1: Compact OST file

Before you compact the OST file, it is a good idea to clear unwanted items from Outlook and also empty deleted items folder. To do so, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Go through your emails and other data in Outlook

Before you compact your OST file, go through your emails, calendars and all folders in Outlook and delete what you don’t need. Although this directly doesn’t reduce the size of your data file, it can still help to clear out items from your Outlook.

Step 2: Empty deleted items folder

It is also a good idea to empty the deleted items folder before you compact the OST file. So go ahead with the steps below to empty deleted items folder.

1. Click on File in Outlook and select Tools
2. Select Mailbox cleanup from the drop-down menu under Tools
3. In the dialogue box that opens, click on Empty
4. You will be asked to confirm if you want to delete the items permanently from Deleted Items folder
5. Click on Yes to proceed

Now your deleted items folder will be deleted and you will have some space freed up in Outlook.

Step 3: Compact the size of the OST file

Once you have cleared unwanted items from Outlook and emptied Deleted Items folder, you are ready to compact the OST file.

1. Open Outlook and click on File in the menu bar
2. Select Account Settings > Account Settings
3. In the Data files tab, select the .ost file you wish to compact and click on Compact Now
4. Then click Ok

Solution 2: Archive items from the OST file

Of course, another option is to archive items from the OST file so its file size is reduced. To archive the file,

1. Open Outlook and click on File in the menu bar
2. Select Cleanup Tools and in the drop-down menu, select Archive
3. In the archive window that opens, select a folder to archive and also select ‘to archive items in that folder that are older than a specific date’.

Once you have made these choices, click Ok to begin the archive process. After the process completes, you will have an OST file of relatively less size.

Conclusion

These steps described above can be used to reduce the size of the OST file and prevent corruption. However, if your file is already corrupt, you can use a tool called Remo OST to PST converter to convert the corrupted OST to a healthy PST, using which all contents like emails, contact, calendars etc. can be recovered.

Once the file is repaired and items recovered, you can archive or compact the file regularly as a precaution to prevent corruption issues in future.

PST and OST files are data files that store Outlook data such as emails, contacts, calendars, appointments etc. PST files are used with POP accounts whereas OST files are used when you use an Outlook Exchange account or Office 365. OST files are mainly used if you want to work offline or in the cached exchange mode.

Working offline means you can work with Outlook even without an internet connection by means of an OST file. For instance, you can read and type email messages in offline mode, but the messages will be sent after you connect to the internet. Also note that as and when you’re connected to the internet, the OST files get updated with data on the server and remains in sync.

If these files get corrupt or damaged, you may have trouble using Outlook or accessing your account. In such cases, you will need to repair the OST file or get a new copy of the file.

Since these OST files are a replica of data on the mail server, you can easily get a new copy of the file at any time. So, let us now see the steps to create an OST file.

Steps to re-create an OST file

1. Open Outlook
2. Select File menu > Info
3. Click on Account Settings > Account Settings
4. In the Email tab, select Microsoft Exchange and click on Change
5. Clear the checkbox next to Use Cached Exchange Mode
6. Select More Settings and on the Advanced tab, click Offline Folder File Settings
7. Select Disable Offline Settings and click on Yes in the dialogue box that opens
8. Click on Offline Folder File Settings again and click Ok and then click Yes in the dialogue box
9. Select the checkbox next to Use Cached Exchange Mode under Cached Exchange Mode Settings
10. Click Ok and then click Finish

This will create a new OST file and you should be able to use Outlook without issues.

The automated way to repair OST file

However, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of the manual process described above, which can be risky and time-consuming, you can easily repair your OST file using Remo OST to PST converter. Once the file is converted to PST, it can be imported into Outlook and all attributes such as emails, calendars, appointments etc. can be recovered.

Remo OST to PST converter can be used to repair corrupt, inaccessible or damaged OST files. The software uses a read mechanism, so the original content and structure of the file remain unaltered after conversion.

The software is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Exchange from 5.0, 5.5 to 2016 versions.

When is the conversion from OST to PST helpful?

• When your OST file is corrupt or damaged, you can easily repair the file by converting it to PST.

OST files don’t allow import options, so you can convert the OST file to a PST and import all Outlook items such as emails and contacts easily

If you’re using Microsoft Exchange Server or Office 365, all your Outlook data will be saved as a .ost file in your computer. This .ost file is a replica of data stored on the mailbox server and is mainly used to use Outlook without internet.

These .ost files get updated with data on the mail server when an internet connection is established. This is how data in the .ost file and data in the server remain in sync automatically without the user having to do anything about it.

But in certain situations, you may encounter issues with .ost files synchronizing with the mail server. In this article, let us see what you can do to repair such synchronization issues.

Solution 1: Enable Cached Mode

For .ost files to sync properly, cached mode needs to be enabled in Outlook. To enable cached mode, follow the steps below.

1. Log in to Outlook and click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings
2. Select your account and click Change
3. Under the Offline Settings section, check the box next to Use Cached Exchange Mode
4. Restart Outlook

Enabling Cached Exchange Mode should help you fix errors with syncing your .ost file. If it doesn’t help you, try syncing your .ost file manually as explained in the next step.

Solution 2: Synchronize folders manually

You can also sync your folders manually by following the steps below.

1. In Outlook, Choose the folder you wish to sync
2. Click on the Tools menu and select Send/Receive and select This folder to synchronize a particular folder. Click on Send/Receive All to synchronize all folders.

Solution 3: Set up automatic synchronization

You can also set up your Outlook to automatically synchronize all folders each time you are online and each time you close Outlook. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and click on Options
2. Click on Mail Setup
3. Go to Send/Receive section and click on the checkbox next to Send immediately when connected
4. Choose Send/Receive
5. In the Send/Receive Groups dialogue box that appears, select the option Perform an automatic send/receive when exiting

These solutions explained above should help you resolve synchronization errors in most cases. However, in some cases, if only one of your Outlook folders, for instance, your Inbox folder is not synchronized; chances are your .ost file may be corrupt.

In such cases, you can repair the .ost file using Remo OST to PST converter. This software converts your corrupt .ost and converts it to a PST file. Once the file is converted to PST, all Outlook attributes such as emails, contacts, calendars etc. can be recovered easily.

The software works on a read-only mechanism that helps you retain the folder structure and formatting after the conversion process. So, you don’t have to worry about changes to your original PST file.

The software works with all versions of Outlook including Outlook 2016 and all versions of Windows including Windows 10..

The main advantage of OST file is that you can work with Outlook offline, even when there is no connection with the Exchange Server. And when the connection is reestablished, the OST file gets synchronized with the Exchange Server. However, there are times when OST file can get corrupted and you are unable to work in Outlook.

You need to fix the file to get back to work. So how to fix OST file? The first thing you would do is to use ScanPST.exe (Inbox Repair tool) provided by Outlook to fix issues. But then, it is not suggested to use ScanPST tool on a corrupt OST file. Why is that so? Read on to know…

One Outlook user had issues with OST file and used scanpst.exe to scan the file. ScanPST tool found some issues with the file, but it was not capable of fixing it. So even after using scanpst.exe, the problems seem to appear in OST file. Why is this happening? This happens because apart from some IMAP configurations in Outlook 2013 and 2016, the remaining only consists of cached data. Thus, you shouldn’t repair OST file with scanpst.exe.

So what next? Well, you need to start with a fresh cache rather than trying to repair the OST file.

How to Solve OST File Issues?

To resolve issues of the OST file, just rebuild the file instead of repairing it. You need to rename the OST file to .old when Outlook is closed, and then rebuild the OST file from the server again.

• So first close Microsoft Outlook, and go to the OST file location
• OST file default location is as follows:

For Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista:

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\

You can paste this into the address bar of Explorer to open the folder location.

• Once you find the location of OST file, rename the OST file
• Now run Outlook, let it rebuild OST file

If rebuild is not a feasible option because the mailbox is large, and your internet connection is slow, then you can try using ScanPST.exe. However, as said before, ScanPST tool cannot fix severe OST file problems. Under such a situation, you can use this OST to PST converting software. It will convert the corrupt OST file to PST, and repair it safely. You don’t need any assistance to run the tool as it comes with a user-friendly interface. So you can repair corrupt OST files with ease. Moreover, it is a read-only application which will not harm the original file throughout the repair process.

MS Outlook is the forever top priority for emailing purpose. And, basically, two type of data file formats are used in Microsoft Outlook namely PST and OST to store mailbox information. These data files contain all Outlook information like emails, contacts, notes, tasks, calendars, and more.

Compared to other emailing apps MS Outlook has a major pro that it allows you to work offline. And, working in offline mode is achieved through OST file (Offline Storage Table file).

An OST file is a copy of your entire Exchange mailbox. It is an effective way to access your Exchange Server mailbox data when you have no internet connectivity. And, the changes made in offline mode will be updated automatically when the internet connectivity establishes.

Thus, OST makes offline work possible for Outlook users. Yet, OST files are vulnerable to many concerns like,

1. If Exchange Server crashes, then it leads to inaccessibility of mailbox. And, if the user works in offline mode using the OST file in this instance then, offline work will not be synchronized with Exchange Server.
2. Under regular maintenance, a user cannot access MS Exchange Server. Thus, if you need to access Exchange Server during maintenance, then it becomes a difficult task.
3. A user can access the OST file present on a computer on which it is created originally. Hence, migration of mailbox from one system to another system or profile is not possible via OST.
4. Corruptions in OST file is really a tough task to fix. This is because there is no reliable solution available to repair a corrupted OST file.

To avoid or to get rid of all such consequences, you may want to convert OST to PST. And, you need to look for an efficient third-party tool to complete OST to PST file conversion process. But, why not the manual method to convert OST to PST? Well, here is the answer.

5 Valid Reasons to Avoid the Manual Method to Convert OST to PST:

Even though Outlook has provided a manual technique to convert OST to PST, there are some downsides of using the manual method that you may encounter.

1. You Cannot Convert Corrupted OST File: Outlook email application cannot open a corrupted OST file. When Exchange is despondent, you cannot even recreate the OST file to replace the damaged/corrupted one. In such circumstances, the manual method to convert OST to PST is almost impossible.
2. You Cannot Recover Exchange Mailbox from an Orphaned OST: Orphaned OST file is nothing but an OST file which is not connected to Exchange server. After disasters like Exchange server crash, your OST file is the only source of mailbox data that you regain.

Unluckily, there are manual methods only to convert Exchange server connected OST file to PST format and, there are no manual approaches to convert an orphaned OST file into PST format.

3. You Need the Same Exchange Account: You cannot access an Exchange OST file with a different account. An OST file can be accessed only with its Exchange account (which you used to create it).
4. You Need to Spend More Time: Since, various Outlook editions have diverse locations of OST files, naturally, it is not an easy task to locate them in less time.

Also, the methods for retrieving OST file or to convert an OST file to PST differs based on the version of Outlook you are using. In sum, it is time-consuming as well as onerous procedure.

5. You Require Sound Technical Knowledge: Even though the manual way of converting OST file to PST is simple, you need a good knowledge of Outlook. Typically, experienced Outlook users or technical experts try manual method to convert OST to PST.

So, How to Convert Your OST To PST? No Worries! An Alternative to Manual OST to PST Conversion Is Here.

Bearing the difficulties of manually converting OST to PST in mind, many Exchange administrators and Outlook users grab third-party tools for OST to PST conversion. And, Remo OST to PST Converter is a such and, most used tool to convert your OST file into PST format without any difficulty. The app can even convert corrupt OST to PST without any complications. It is a simple, user-friendly, and quick manner for changing your OST file into PST. So, try it to overcome limitations of the manual method of converting OST to PST.

Microsoft Outlook is well-known email client in today’s era, which is used by almost every corporate and organizational people. It is widely used as it allows you to work even in offline mode. And, all the offline work gets saved in OST folder. This OST folder will be synchronized to Exchange Server when the connection is available. Although it gives many unique features, this too has some disadvantages which might trouble you while using it.

Here I have listed out most common challenges you may encounter when working on Outlook OST file and solution to fix the issues-

Issue #1: Missing OST File

Sometimes, it happens you can’t find your Outlook OST file in Outlook. OST file might get missing from your Outlook due to some reasons. Most of the time, your OST file goes missing due to on-premise Exchange Server.

Solution:

Use any reliable data recovery software and locate your missing OST file. Once you find the missing OST file, access it by using the Outlook Profile on which it was configured.

Issues #2: Deleted Outlook Profile using Which OST File is Created

You might aware of the fact that OST file can’t be accessed if Outlook profile on which it is created got deleted due to any reason.

Solution:

You can access OST file only by converting it into PST format. After OST file converted into PST format, you can access it using any Outlook profile. Make use of efficient OST to PST converter and I will suggest Remo OST to PST converter as it won’t alter OST file during conversion. You have to convert OST to PST as it not possible to directly access OST file from different Outlook profile.

Issue #3: Orphaned OST File

OST file becomes orphan if associated Exchange Server is unavailable or deleted. MS Exchange Server is unavailable if it crashes or due to severe virus infection.

Solution:

The only possible solution to deal with this kind of problem is converting OST into PST file using third party software. As I said above, you can use Remo OST to PST converter to complete the

conversion task.

Issue #4: OST File Conversion

There are many possible reasons due to which your OST file might get corrupted. Most common reasons are Exchange server crash which synchronizing OST to it, corrupted storage drive on which OST file is stored, Outlook crash, etc.

Solution:

To fix OST file, you can use third-party software. Remo OST to PST converter also helps to fix damaged PST file. It extracts content from corrupted OST file and saves it in healthy PST file.

Issue:

Whenever I try to open Outlook, I get this error:

“Outlook is using an old copy of your Outlook data file (.ost). Exit Outlook, delete the file, and restart Outlook. A new file will be automatically created the next time you initiate a send/receive.”

Cause for the error:

You will encounter the above message when Outlook is unable to open latest OST file due to an issue with Outlook Email client or Windows OS.

Resolution:

One of the easiest ways to resolve this error is to delete old Offline Storage Tables or OST file. OST or Offline storage Tables are located in C-Drive of your computer: C:\Users\<your login
name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.

Do not forget to backup your OST file in the form of PST file, before its deletion for the simple reason that in case there is data loss, you can retrieve data in MS Outlook through the backed up PST file. OST to PST file conversion is easily possible with Remo OST to PST Converter software.

To delete the OST file, follow these steps

• Go to the Computer or File Explorer window,
• Navigate to C:\Users\<your login name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
• Delete files with .ost extension
• Take care to not delete any file with .pst extension

Restart Outlook; the OST file will be recreated.

If you still stuck with the same problem even after deleting the old OST file, below mentioned steps will help resolve the error Outlook is using an old copy of your Outlook Data File (.ost). Exit Outlook Delete the file:

• Go to Computers. Click on Control Panel and open the Mail item
• Select show Profiles and select your Profile, followed by Properties
• Click on Email Accounts
• Select View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next
• Go to Microsoft Exchange Server Account and select Change
• A dialog box appears with that features Mailbox server and Username; click on More Settings
• In Microsoft Exchange Server dialog box, click on Security tab
• Select Encrypt data between Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server check box, and then click OK

Once the steps are completed, the error message “Outlook is using an Old Copy of Your Outlook Data File (.OST). Exit Outlook Delete the File” should resolve.

But what if the problem still remains?

Well, the error Outlook is using an old copy of your Outlook Data File (.ost). Exit Outlook and Delete the file can be resolved if a copy of converted OST file in PST format was saved in the system before. OST cannot be accessed on any other system but Personal Storage Table or PST file can be imported to any system having MS Outlook application.

Remo OST to PST Converter enables OST file conversion to PST. Then the PST file is imported to Outlook and then Outlook content can be accessed.

How does the software work?

The three-step conversion process helps you select, scan and convert OST File to PST format to import in Outlook.

• Download and install Remo OST to PST converter. Launch the software and follow the main screen. Make use of “Open OST File” option to choose your OST file or click on “Find OST File” option to search for your OST file
• Use “Browse” button to locate the OST file which you want to convert and click “Next” to proceed further
• The next screen provides you the option to browse for the destination location to save the converted PST file. Click on “Convert” button to start the conversion process

Now import PST into Outlook and access mail contents. Remember to delete previous OST file before importing PST into that Outlook.

Many organizations rely on Outlook. If Outlook data of any user gets corrupt, the communication channel is disrupted affecting the entire team and most of the time even more. So rely on Remo OST to PST Conversion tool and resolve such errors and make your Outlook access hassle-free.

There are several techniques to transfer your Outlook data file to a new computer. And, they differ from one version of Outlook to another.

But, in general, all these methods contain two main parts. First is to copy your personal storage data file onto an external drive. And, the next part is to import it into your Microsoft Outlook application located on the new Windows computer.

Part 1: Possible Ways to Copy Outlook Data from Existing Computer

These are some of the techniques to copy your Outlook data file from your current computer that holds your Outlook profile.

Applicable for Outlook 2010 and Later Versions

Way #1: Steps to Copy Outlook Data File from Host Computer (by copying PST)

• First, close your Outlook application
• Go to Start, hold Windows and R keys together
• Type Control Panel in Run box and hit Enter key
• You will see the Control Panel window
• Go to Pick a Category page and opt User Accounts
• Click on Mail and open Mail Setup
• From Profiles segment, select Show Profiles
• You will reach Mail dialogue box
• Switch to General tab, select your Outlook profile and click on Properties
• In the new Mail dialogue box, hit Data Files key
• From Name, choose Personal Folders Service
• Go to Settings and find the location of exported PST file
• Close all Properties screen
• Copy the PST file to another drive
• Finally, copy this replica file to your new computer

Way #2: Procedure to Copy Data from Old Outlook (by copying Single Folders)

You can also try to copy single folders from Outlook. This is the another way of transferring Outlook data to a new computer.

• Open Outlook application and go to File menu
• Select Options then, Advanced
• Go to Export section and hit Export button
• In Import and Export Wizard, opt Export to a file and proceed
• In Export to a File pop-up, choose Outlook Data File(.pst) and Next
• Mark folder to copy and go Next
• Browse the location to save exported .pst file
• Use Save exported file name as and name the new .pst file
• Finally, hit the Finish, provide password and complete the process

Additional Info: In case, you are dealing with Outlook OST file instead of PST and facing any issue in your OST file, then convert your OST using Remo OST to PST Converter first, and move the newly created .pst into your new computer.

Part 2: Guideline to Transfer Outlook Data File to New computer:

The final part is to copy the Outlook PST file/Outlook data to your new computer and upload it into your newly configured Outlook application on the new machine.

So, following are the steps to import Outlook data/.pst file into new Windows computer.

• Open your Outlook application on the new system
• Go to File, select Open and opt Import
• In Import and Export Wizard, choose Import from another program or file
• Hit Next, go to the location where the newly created .pst file is saved (copied file from old computer)
• Select the copied Outlook data file(.pst) and proceed
• Opt Options and choose Do not import duplicates
• Click on Next button
• Finally, choose the folders which you need to import and Finish the process

This is the manual method of transferring Outlook data to a new computer. And, many efficient automated professional tools are available to make your job much easier. So, learn each of these techniques and decide what would be the best way to copy your Outlook data file to a new computer.