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Oftentimes, Microsoft Outlook users who are leaving their current employer want to take their mail, calendar, or contacts with them and do one of two things: delete the Microsoft Exchange account from their profile without realizing the Contacts are stored in the Exchange account or they take the OST file with them, not realizing it can only be opened using the account that created it.
If you have the OST file but no longer have access to the computer that created the OST or you don't have a restore point, you'll need to use a tool to recover the contents of the OST. A list of these tools is below.

Beginning with Outlook 2013, Outlook was designed to permanently delete the OST data file when the account is removed from Outlook. If you deleted the account from Outlook and did not export the contents to a pst file or copied the OST file, your chances of recovering data is not good. You will need to use software to undelete files from your hard drive, but successful recovery depends on how much time has passed between deleting the account and running the undelete software as Windows will overwrite the deleted files. To see if the OST exists, type or paste %localappdata%microsoftoutlook into the address bar of File Explorer. Many of the companies that have OST to PST recovery software also have file recovery software.

There are number of file recovery programs available, including these utilities from our sponsors: DataNumen NTFS Undelete (Free), DataNumen Data Recovery, Kernel for Windows Data Recovery, and Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery

If your company uses a group policy that blocks PST creation, your choices are limited to exporting calendar and contacts to CSV (or Excel, if you have Excel at home). If you don't have many calendar or contacts, you can forward them to a personal address. If using Outlook 2007 or newer, you can send your entire calendar as an iCal.

Check company policies before taking home the contents of your mailbox.

Restore Exchange Account

If you deleted the Exchange account, you may be able to recover the account if your operating system supports system restore and you only recently deleted the account. If too much time has passed you are less likely to have a restore point available.

This method will also work with IMAP accounts in Outlook 2013 and up IF you have a copy of the IMAP data file.

Outlook 2013 and up automatically delete the account's OST file when the account is removed from Outlook. The only way you'll be able to use this method is if the OST file exists (because Outlook failed to delete it. It's rare, but it does happen.) To check, look for the OST at %localappdata%microsoftoutlook before doing a restore.

1. Open the System Restore application. In Settings or the Search field on the taskbar or Start menu, type restore then select Create a restore point in the search results. Click the System Restore button to open the System Restore wizard. You can also open it by typing or pasting rstrui.exe in search field or in the Run command.
   
2. Pick a date just before the profile was deleted then follow the steps in the wizard.

When Windows restarts the account will be back and you can move or export the contents of the OST to a PST. Then either delete the account or run restore again to return to the point made before the restore, after backing up a copy of the newly created pst file.

Method 1: Archive

You may be able to use Archive to move or copy many items to a PST. Users Exchange online archive mailboxes will not be able to archive to a pst.

Autoarchive works best when you want to move almost everything in your mailbox, however, you cannot archive Contacts. You'll need to move or copy contacts to the pst file or use Export.

Set the AutoArchive default in File, Options, Advanced, AutoArchive and apply the settings to all folders. (The AutoArchive button the Folder ribbon allows you to set a specific archive setting for the current folder.)

Then go to File, Tools, Cleanup, AutoArchive to run it.

AutoArchiving uses the last modified date so you'll need to use a low number of days when archiving recent items. In Outlook 2007 and newer, you can force AutoArchive to use the Received Date. See Using Microsoft Outlook's Autoarchive feature

If you use this method and also need the Contacts, you'll need to move them to the new data file.

Method 2: Export to a PST

Although Export is not usually recommended, it works well for moving content from an OST to a PST file. You can export all content from the OST to a PST or just the calendar and contacts. If your company blocks the creation of PST files, export Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks to CSV or Excel format.

You'll use this method if you are moving to a new server and need to migrate your own email (or if the server died and there are not backups). Make sure you start Outlook offline so that you don't connect to the new server; connecting to the new server has the potential to delete the mail in the offline file. Export everything to a pst then remove your account and use auto account setup to add it back to your profile.

Method 3: Move the items to a new PST

Create a new PST in your profile and drag the folders you want to take with you to the PST. This method will preserve custom views and forms published to folder.

Dragging default folders, such as Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts, brings up a message that you can't move default folders. The contents will be copied instead, with the folder named Inbox (1), Calendar (1), etc.

Method 4: Forward by E-mail

If you don't have too many items you want to keep, you can email them to your personal email address. Select the item(s), right click and choose Forward or click Ctrl+F. If you have a lot of messages you want to keep, you could drag them to a folder in Documents, then zip the folder and email the zip file.

If you forward the messages to an account that is opened in Outlook, you can drag attached messages from the incoming message and drop it in the Inbox or another folder.

If you are using Outlook 2007 or newer, you can email the entire calendar as a single iCal, provided you use Outlook or another calendaring application that supports multi-event icals at home. Outlook 2003 and older versions of Outlook do not support multi-event icals.

To create the iCalendar file, you can right click on the Calendar folder and choose Share, Email Calendar. If you want to create the iCalendar file and do something with it later, select the calendar folder, then go to File, Save Calendar.

When you use Email calendar, a dialog will let you choose the date range and other options. If you are saving the calendar to your hard drive, click More Options in the Save as dialog to open this dialog.

The defaults are Today and Availability only; you'll most likely want to use whole calendar and full details. Note that some calendars don't support attachments; if you are including attachment you should save a second copy that does not include attachments.

OST to PST export utilities

If you have an orphaned OST and can't recover the account using System Restore, you'll need to use a utility to export the contents to a pst file.

The free OST2PST utility will only work with OST files created by Outlook 2002 and older. If you aren't sure what version of Outlook you used, try it; an error means the OST is not the correct type.

Tools in the Spotlight

Tools

More Information

Repair a damaged Outlook PST file
Housekeeping and Message Management Tools
Both Offline Files and Personal Folders Files Stop Accepting Data

Can anyone suggest me a truly freeware software to convert an offline OST file to PST format for MS Outlook 2010. All the so called freeware listing in Google are not truly freeware and are feature limited until I upgrade to a paid version, and I just need this for one time and therefore not ready to pay $99. I want to read the OST and just save it to a Outlook 2010 PST format.

1. Try free tool : http://answers.oreilly.com/topic/12628-ost-to-pst-converter-with-easy-to-use-portal-apps/

2. Follow the blog http://www.loveinfographics.com/categories/how-to-guides/converter-tools-for-ost-to-pst-infographic
   Here complete conversion for OST to PST given......

3. You can use ost to pst conversion tool from http://www.convertosttopstfree.com

4. HI,

   There are many solution to convert OST file to PST file, But If you have lost your email from OST file due to file corruption then conversion is not a solution. So I am sharing tool which can help to repair your damaged OST file then convert into PST file format. Download demo version from here : http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/OST-to-PST-Converter-to-33b84a13

   • Hi Marshal,
     Thanks for you suggestion. I follow your suggested and finally get successful competition in conversion process.

     Regards:
     Russell

5. Try OST Converter to easily restore emails from ost files.
   http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/17884.ost-to-pst-converter.aspx

6. yes indeed, the problem seems to be solved initially but i think you are again going with some 3rd party app..

7. Hello Raaja,

   Have a look on http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Commonly-encountered-39414c6c
   I think your problem will be solved.

   • Hello Phill,
     I referred you but it shows it is not published. I don't know the reason about broken or might be it is happening at my end so please once check & correct it.
     Being as Outlook expert, i would like to explore about ost and pst file. Both files created by ms outlook. PST with pop3 and ost with exchange server. You can export the entire data into pst format from an ost file if ost file is opening and syncing with outlook & exange. However ost file is orphan or corrupt then need of any ost pst converter is very genuine but no freebies are available so far. Here is a project that elaborates about an ost pst convert & recovery process as well as about an absolute converter tool. Hopefully, it will help you all.

8. Below you will find a link to an article that may have what you need. It goes through the various options to convert them. Plus it lists some secondary tools that can be used to accomplish your task. Good luck with the conversion.

   • This article recommends all the tools we have banned from Answers.

     Shareware vendors have been spamming us systematically. They even post questions, just to follow-up with links to their shareware crap. This includes any software from Kernel, Stellar Phoenix, or Systools, to just name the worst offenders.

9. If you remember your Exchange credentials for the file, you should be able to simply open it with Outlook (even without the Exchange server being available - after all, that is what the OST is for), create a new PST file, and copy whatever you want into it. Of course, this is assuming that you already have a copy of Outlook. You may want to create a new profile for the process so it has no chance of interfering with any other existing accounts if you are paranoid.

   • Bruce,

     That would have been the easiest way, unfortunately my friend for whom I am doing this, cannot remember his Exchange credentials.

   • Outlook 2010 won't let the OST file be 'opened' - it simply keeps saying that it isn't a mail file.

10. How can I convert my OST file into PST file?
    //www.makeuseof.com/answers/conovert-ost-file-pst-file/

    • None of them are truly freeware where I can save the OST to PST. They show the recovery preview, but all the version have the saving option disabled, until I pay. :(

    • Exactly no free tools are available so far. As it is sure that ost converter application is required to do pst to pst file conversion if exchange server is no longer available. At this time, you should go with a feature-enriched and error-free application only. Directly download free edition of a product [LINK REMOVED to protect our readers] that is able to repair corrupt ost, recover deleted emails and convert ost into PST, EML & MSG formats.

    • Sorry Adam, we do not allow direct downloads to suspicious software, which is probably shareware.