Extract Email Address From OST File: Different Manual Solutions

Offline Storage File (OST) is an offline folder. It is basically used for the data of the exchange server. Offline storage file can be used when a user is connected to the server. Sometimes users want to extract OST file containing emails, calendars, email address but Exchange files can only be accessed through the account through which it is created.

Consider a Scenario:

"The users of MS Outlook who wants to take mail, contacts or calendars while leaving their company do one of the two things, either they delete their profile of Microsoft Exchange account or they take all the offline Outlook data file with them. In both of the cases, they can not have access to OST file because that can be opened by using the account, which created it."

This type of situation in which a user need to extract OST files data or email address from offline Outlook file. To perform this conversion a user can either use manual method or can convert all OST file to PST. To export email address from OST file or and other from offline storage file, the best solution is to convert it to PST because there is no such manual method available to export data directly.

Need of OST to PST Conversion

There are various reasons available to convert offline storage file to PST, which are mentioned below:

A user can easily recover any lost data or accidentally deleted data from the exchange server by converting OST to PST format.

To extract OST file data in case of MS Exchange server crash due to any power or software failure, it's better to move.ost file to PST format.

In the case of any migration like leaving a company, one can convert.ost file data by exporting it to PST format.

When the Exchange server is under maintenance and a user want to access OST file data in that case also it is better to move to data to PST format and then import to Outlook application.

How To Extract OST File Data?

To export email address from OST file, a user needs to convert the OST file to PST format. Now to perform this conversion, various manual methods are available. A user can choose any of them and they are mentioned below:

Method 1: Export Outlook emails using Import/Export method

First, you need to open MS Outlook on your computer

Now, go to File option and click on Import and Export option

From the list, click on the Export to a file option and then press Next button

After that, you need to select Personal File Folder (.pst) and then press Next button

Now, go to Parent root and tick Include sub-folders option

In last, select the target folder by browsing and click Finish button

Method 2: Use Archive Option

To move data from OST to a PST file, archive option is used. A user need to follow the below-mentioned steps:

First, a user needs to open the MS Outlook Application on the system

After that, go to File and then click on Archive option

Now, select the folders or files for archive

To save the archived files into PST, select the location by browsing

In last, click on Finish button

All OST files are migrated to PST except contacts, using this method

Method 3: Forward Email

If a user is not having much items to move, can email only the selected items to personal email address by following the steps written below:

First, you need to select the items, which you want to keep

Now, right-click on the item and select Forward option

In case of many items, drag them to a single folder and compress them to zip file

Now, you can forward them to any of your personal email accounts

Method 4: Move to new PST

Move mailbox items to new PST using this method. Follow the steps mentioned below:

Open your MS Outlook application

Now, In your Outlook profile, you need to create a new PST file

After that, drag the folders, which you want in new PST file

With the help of all these methods, a user con converts OST file to PST and extract email address from offline storage file or any data in the OST file.

Advantages of Exporting OST File to PST Conversion

It is always beneficial to perform this conversion. A user can have many advantages to converting OST file to PST, which are mentioned below:

The most important advantage of conversion, it allows users to extract OST file data in an efficient and convenient manner.

In a case of any Exchange failure, a user can easily recover OST file data.

A user does not require exchange server always to access offline storage file data.

Easy to export data anywhere because PST file is easy to open on any Outlook application irrespective of the exchange server.

In any case, users email profile is damaged or delete, a user can still access OST file after conversion.

Limitations of Extracting OST File to PST Manually

There are many limitations of manual procedure available such as when user try to export OST file, Exchange server must be present at that time. The archiving method does not allow to export contacts also. The manual procedure does not allow to drag default folders like Inbox, Contacts to PST. All these limitations force users to move towards any other alternatives to extract OST files to PST.

Alternative Procedure to Extract OST files to PST

To overcome these problems a user can also go for any of the third party tools available online. One such tool is OST to PST converter, this tool allows users to export OST files to PST in a very efficient way.

Benefits of OST to PST Converter: There are various features of this present, which helps users in exporting OST file to PST format.

It helps in recovering permanently deleted offline storage file items

It provides two different scanning modes such as advance & quick scan for corrupted file

Allow users to export all data items like email, contacts, calendars, etc.

It maintains the original formatting of emails.

Supported by Outlook versions 2013, 2010, 2007 and 2003.

Conclusion

Most of the users face many problems when they need to extract OST file to PST file. They always try to access offline storage file without their Exchange server in some other profile, which is not possible with OST file. It can only be accessed by the account, which created it, by keeping all these problems in mind, we have suggested some manual procedure also. There are some limitations also present to extract OST file manually. Therefore, to have a permanent fix to this problem a user need to go for some third party solution such OST to PST converter.

As author of MS Outlook Tools, Peter has experience more than 21 years in IT industry and he is now working with an expert data recovery firm. He has quality expertise in Microsoft Outlook & love to solve users query by providing excellent solutions.