Importing an OST file in MS Outlook is a common requirement of many users. Those who do not have an MS Exchange server access or someone who has an old backup of data in the .ost file; eagerly want a way out to import the OST file in MS Outlook. That will help in reading and accessing the data present in an OST file and reusing it prolifically.

However, it is not as easy as it sounds, and one needs to understand challenges in importing an old OST file in MS Outlook. Here is the list of possible hurdles:

  1. One cannot access the offline OST file in MS Outlook directly.
  2. You cannot just import the OST file in MS Outlook and open it to view the data.
  3. In order to import the OST file into MS Outlook, you need to convert OST to PST file format.
  4. There is no manual method to export OST files as PST files. And even if you find any, it is going to be very complex
  5. You cannot use PowerShell to perform OST to PST conversion.
  6. Without exporting OST to PST, you cannot import the OST file into your MS Outlook profile.

So, now that you have the possible reasons, why to import an old or orphan OST file in MS Outlook is a cumbersome job? Let us have a look at possible solutions to overcome this problem.

How to Import Old OST File in MS Outlook?

As we have already discussed, why you cannot import an old OST file in MS Outlook directly? It is clear that OST to PST conversion is the only way to do it easily. Now, the next big challenge that comes here; is how to convert the OST file into PST.

Usually, people ask for a free or manual method for doing this. But unfortunately, there is no such option available. Of course, there are a few manual tricks possible but, in most cases, that do not work if the OST file is too old or it is an orphan OST file retrieved from some old backup.

The only recommended, efficient and workable option is using an OST to PST converter. It is a paid app; specifically used to convert OST files into PST format keeping the folder structure and other associated data intact. You only need to follow a few simple steps

  1. Download, install and launch OST to PST conversion wizard
  2. Choose the OST file that you want to convert
  3. Select the path at which you want to save the converted PST
  4. Next, choose the format in which you want to save the converted file (Here you have to choose PST to form the drop-down)
  5. Next, click on the “Convert” button, and voila! You have your PST file.

Now that this process has given you the necessary PST file, all is left to do is import it into MS Outlook.

How to Import PST file into MS Outlook

Once the PST file is created, launch the MS Outlook to import it. For this, simply follow the steps shown below

  1. Launch and open MS Outlook (Any version of Outlook will work)
  2. Next, click on the file and look for Import / Export (Every MS Outlook version has a slight variation but not to worry you will find it easily)
  3. Click on Import / Export tab and a small window will pop up
  4. Here, you have to select the “Export to a file” option and click next
  5. Now, select the “Outlook Data File (.pst)” option and hit next
  6. Now, browse the PST file you want to import and click on the next button to proceed further.

In this way, by following a few simple instructions, you can import the PST file in MS Outlook and view all the content of your old OST file in MS Outlook easily. Since OST to PST conversion is the main job that you need to perform before anything else, you should be very clear about whether you want to go for a manual method to waste your precious time or opt for a paid solution to make the conversion quicker.