Industries using Exchange environment often have orphan .ost files on their system. These may have been configured due to the last migration of some system security or backup policy. Often the need arises to access email conversations stored in the offline data file. One looks for solutions online to import OST file into Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007. These are easy steps which can be performed manually at any time. The guide for this is described in this post. It lays out all the techniques necessary to make the upload as easy as possible. To find out other details go on reading the following segment.
Use Import/Export Feature: This is an inbuilt facility provided by Microsoft Outlook. It can be used to extract a single folder and save it in a personal data file. It can be used to extract OST to PST file. This utility is located at File » Open and Export » Import/Export. Then, run the tool to export a .pst file to the desired location.
Archive Feature: This is a backup facility provided by the Microsoft Outlook. It archives all the mailbox data by default in an Archive.pst file. Users can configure this tool to convert OST to PST. It can be used to extract multiple email folders to a .pst file. This feature can be usually found in File » Cleanup Tools » Archive. One just needs to select the directory and set an appropriate date before which data needs to be moved. Then, click on Archive button.
Move To Folder: Users can always create a new PST file by going to Home » New Items » More Items » Outlook Data File. Then, drag and drop the important conversations directly to this file.
Reasons to Import OST into Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007
Following are some of the common grounds that enable many users to extract their offline cache to personal file:- Transfer data to another computer or client.
- Import OST file to Office 365 cloud servers.
- Migrate Exchange offline data as part of a recent company merger or acquisition.
- Company policy change or upgrade to a new client can also enable this change.
Import OST File into Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 Manually
Here are the steps to extract offline data and save in a personal data file for extraction and upload it to another system or computer:Step 1: Import OST in Outlook 2016
There are three ways to perform this migration. All of which have been mentioned below:Use Import/Export Feature: This is an inbuilt facility provided by Microsoft Outlook. It can be used to extract a single folder and save it in a personal data file. It can be used to extract OST to PST file. This utility is located at File » Open and Export » Import/Export. Then, run the tool to export a .pst file to the desired location.
Archive Feature: This is a backup facility provided by the Microsoft Outlook. It archives all the mailbox data by default in an Archive.pst file. Users can configure this tool to convert OST to PST. It can be used to extract multiple email folders to a .pst file. This feature can be usually found in File » Cleanup Tools » Archive. One just needs to select the directory and set an appropriate date before which data needs to be moved. Then, click on Archive button.
Move To Folder: Users can always create a new PST file by going to Home » New Items » More Items » Outlook Data File. Then, drag and drop the important conversations directly to this file.
Step 2: Import PST to Outlook
- First, launch the desktop client and go to File » Open » Export » Open Outlook Data File.
- Then, go to the folder path where the .pst file is saved and select it and Open.
Limitations of Import Outlook OST File into Outlook 2016 Manually
- Very tricky and confusing to follow without any mistakes.
- Not chosen as a professional method to backup or extract important conversations.
- Is impossible to migrate mailbox data of each user in a large company with hundreds of employees.
- Not for a non-technical business person for whom manual techniques sound like jargon.
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