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If you are among millions of people who use Outlook applications for email communication, you may have come across of OST and PST files. These data storage files save the mailbox items such as email messages, calendars, contacts, and notes. Both these files are stored in your personal system and are helpful in recovering mailbox items when any corruption occurs.
MS Outlook is a part of the MS Office Suite and works as an e-mail client application with mind-blowing features like a calendar, task manager, contact manager, journal, and a lot more. This application offers several innovative features that make it unique from other options. But many Outlook users are still confused about the data files included in it, i.e., OST and PST. They don’t know exactly what it is actually and what the difference is between OST and PST. Now, you need not worry; this blog will guide you to get detailed information about both data files.
OST (Offline Storage Files) allow access to mailbox data offline on the local machine upon registration with Exchange Server using Microsoft Outlook. This file gets automatically created after establishing connection with the server and is saved in a system with .ost extension. If you are facing any issue with your local OST file location, you can simply change the location of the OST file in Outlook.
Suggested software to access OST file’s data in Outlook. Try Kernel for OST to PST Converter to covert OST file to PST format.
PST (Personal Folders file) is an Outlook data file that stores your messages and other items on your computer. It is the most common file in which small organizations and single users use information in Outlook. They may have one or more email accounts. The most common types of accounts are referred to by their Internet protocol named POP3. In POP3 configuration, data is stored as a PST file with a .pst extension. In addition, these files are also secured from unauthorized access with a password.
Now it’s time to know the differences between the OST and PST files data files in Outlook.
If you are still confused between these two data files, you need not worry, as here we listed the top differences between OST and PST files.
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Criteria | OST | PST |
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Dependency | This can’t be moved from the Exchange server independently. | Possible to move and separately make a database Outlook file. |
Server Support | It supports mainly an Exchange server | It supports Exchange Server and other mail servers also |
Security | Encrypted using MAPIEntryID GUID key | Not encrypted and is easy to access through a third-party tool |
Error or Damage | Hard to get damaged | Easily get corrupt or damaged |
Import | Only access using the original MAPI profile | Easy to import into any Outlook account |
Online/Offline | It supports offline access to the mailbox | It does not support offline access to mailbox items |
Portability | Server dependent and can’t be ported | It is portable and can be saved anywhere on any local system |
Synchronization | Data automatically get synced after restoring the internet connection | Not possible to sync automatically |
Benefits | Users keep working with domains irrespective of server availability | It works great when users want to have a backup |
To access OST files, you can convert OST files into PST. Then you can easily access the mailbox items. Using the third-party OST to PST converter tools is a reliable option to do so as it can save OST emails to Gmail, Outlook.com, and other IMAP servers efficiently.
PST files are very easy to access. To save the data from theft or corruption, you can use this PST converter tool which converts the PST files into various file formats such as DBX, MBOX, MSG, EML, TXT, RTF, HTML, and MHTML. It easily converts corrupt OST files to the desired formats. In addition, you can also recover your deleted emails with this tool.
Whether it’s OST vs PST, MS Outlook keeps all information using both these file formats. OST has its own importance as it allows offline access to mailbox data; one can easily send new messages even when the system is offline or disconnected from the Exchange Server. OST files are highly encrypted, whereas PST files are easy to access without a password by using a third-party tool. Still, one can access the OST file and convert OST to PST format or export it to live Exchange or Office 365 by using a Kernel for OST to PST Converter.
A- To choose any one among both these data files, you must be clear about your preferences. If you want to back up Outlook items on your system, you must use PST files. But, if you have an Exchange account and want to work offline without network connectivity, you must prefer OST files.
A- The OST files store the entire mailbox items of MS Outlook. It is synchronized with the exchange server, and if you want to access your mailbox items in the case of exchange server downtime or maintenance, it is required to export OST to PST and then import it to Outlook. This conversion becomes important if your organization is shifting and you want to migrate data to a different system.
A- It might be possible when multiple Outlook IMAP profiles are configured with the account. Note that this file generates every time you log in to your Outlook account. There can be other reasons responsible for generating the OST file, such as a corrupted profile or Active Directory account, access to a shared account, etc.
A- The overall size of the OST and PST files for the latest Outlook version is 50 GB. If you bring changes to the Windows registry, you can increase or decrease the file size limit. Also, note that the large-sized OST and PST files result in abrupt Outlook behavior and performance issues.
A- There will be no data loss if you delete the OST file from your system, as it can download from the exchange server again. If you plan to do so for any reason, your exchange profile must be in good condition. Also, many professionals recommend keeping a backup of files.
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