When working with Outlook mailbox data, one problem that can quickly become frustrating is losing access to an OST file. This can happen when an Outlook profile becomes disconnected, an Exchange account is no longer available, or a mailbox file becomes damaged. In these situations, accessing old emails and attachments can be more complicated than simply opening Outlook and exporting the...
When an employee leaves, the usual offboarding steps are to disable the account, remove the licence and delete the mailbox. The problem starts weeks later, when someone asks for an old email thread, and the only copy left is an OST file sitting on the former employee's laptop.
This guide covers what that file is, why Outlook can't open it anymore, and how to recover the data safely.
Why the OST...
Outlook users may come across an OST file when working with Exchange, Microsoft 365, or another supported account. Usually, the file works quietly in the background as an offline copy of mailbox data. The problem starts when the original mailbox is no longer available, the Outlook profile has changed, or the OST file needs to be accessed independently.
In these situations, users often look for...
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