A lot of users who have MS Outlook 2010 installed in their machine look for the solution to import archive OST files in MS Outlook; so that they can view the content in it. To import archive files, it should be first compatible with MS Outlook, which is quite troublesome. It is because it is an orphan file, and you do not have access to the associated server.
Thus, to import the archive OST file, you first need to learn how to open an archive OST file in MS Outlook. That will help you in viewing and accessing the OST file data in a hassle-free manner.
Ways to Open OST File in MS Outlook 2010?
As you might know, MS Outlook 2010 stores the mailbox content in data files. Depending upon how you are using MS Outlook, MS Outlook creates two types is data files. One is a PST file, and another one is an OST file.
One can smoothly open an OST file in MS Outlook until it is connected to some active server, and if the server becomes inaccessible or corrupt, your OST file will also not open. You might also get various OST file error messages. On the other hand, the PST file has no such dependency. MS Outlook creates a PST file when you configure it with any IMAP mail service like Gmail; to open and view your emails offline. And even if Gmail becomes inaccessible, the PST file will remain accessible until the PST file itself gets corrupt.
Thus, whenever there is an archive OST file or the OST file becomes inaccessible due to any reason, OST to PST file conversion is the final solution to import and open OST files into MS Outlook 2010.
Ways to Convert OST File into PST File Format?
To convert the OST file into PST file format, you can opt for various methods depending upon what suits you best. Here is the list of all the possible options:
- If; you want a free method and have the technical expertise to perform the job smoothly, then opting for the manual conversion method is good. In this, you need to follow multiple steps involved in the conversion process. The only drawback this method has is that it is not for non-technical people. If you have several archive OST files to convert, then it will be very time-consuming.
- Another way out is to opt for some free OST file viewer tool. This tool is available free of cost and allows you to open OST files. In this way, you can at least read the OST file without saving them into the PST file if you do not want to. The only limitation is that you cannot access the data stored in it.
- The next option is to remove the inaccessible OST file and re-launch the MS Outlook. Then connect it with the server. That will recreate the OST and synchronize all the data present on the server to the MS Outlook profile. In this way, you can get back all your data and open the OST file in MS Outlook without importing. But for that, you should have access to the server to which that OST file belongs.
- When everything else doesn’t work, go for an OST to PST conversion tool. It let you migrate complete data from the OST file into PST file format by keeping the folder structure intact. Once the conversion finishes, you can simply import the PST file in MS Outlook 2010 easily. The only thing that might not work for you in this method is that it is not free of cost. You need to buy the tool and then perform the conversion.
Once you decide which way to go, you are all sorted. If you choose the OST to PST conversion method, you can simply import the OST in MS Outlook to open it, or if you go for other options, the OST file will become accessible to you. That fairly nullifies the need to import OST into MS Outlook 2010.
