Best Practices to Open OLM Files

Read time 4 minutes

Outlook for Mac’s 2011 edition introduced the OLM file format as the primary repository for Mac Outlook data, capable of housing a wide range of information, including emails, contacts, calendar events, tasks, notes, and more.

OLM stands for “Outlook for Mac,” and it uses a file format that isn’t inherently compatible with any other desktop email clients, including Microsoft Outlook for Windows. The reason for this incompatibility is that most email clients do not natively support the OLM file format. Consequently, users often find it challenging to access OLM files without the Outlook application. Nevertheless, this article will explore various recommended methods to open OLM files.

How do I Access OLM File in Windows?

If you’re on a Windows computer rather than an Apple device, it’s clear that you won’t be able to access Mac OS-specific files and applications, such as OLM files and Outlook for Mac.

There is no straightforward approach or specific method available to directly open OLM files. When it comes to finding workarounds, there are several options, but utilizing these alternatives often requires additional time and technical proficiency to ensure they work correctly. Consequently, the most practical choice is to employ third-party software, which enables you to quickly view OLM files without encountering any challenging steps.

When creating an account in Outlook for Mac, the user is not responsible for manually generating the data file. Instead, the application automatically generates a file in a designated location. You can locate these files using the following paths:

• Outlook 2019 for Mac: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/Main Profile
• Outlook 2016 for Mac: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/Main Profile
• Outlook 2011 for Mac: ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity

When it comes to third-party software, users prioritize robustness and reliability, and the Kernel OLM Viewer excels in both aspects. This software is freely available for download and can be effortlessly installed on any Microsoft Windows version.

The Kernel OLM Viewer offers a range of intelligent features, including advanced filters, real-time previews, comprehensive search capabilities, and compatibility with both healthy and corrupted OLM files. This versatile tool supports OLM files from all versions of Outlook, making it suitable for viewing large OLM files as well. It’s important to note that while the OLM viewer allows you to view OLM files, it doesn’t provide an option to save them. To convert OLM files to PST format and retain them, you can explore free conversion methods available convert OLM to PST.

Additionally, with Kernel OLM Viewer, empowers users to generate comprehensive file analysis reports, enabling in-depth examination of OLM files to extract valuable insights.

To effortlessly access the OLM file in OLM Viewer, simply adhere to the following instructions:

1. 1. Download and launch the Kernel OLM Viewer.

1. Once the software is open, the UI will be the same as below; click Select File.
2. Click Browse to select the OLM file and click Next.
   
   Note: If you wish to open multiple OLM Files at once, you can do that by clicking on the + icon.
3. Read the information given and proceed, click Finish.
4. Once the OLM file is loaded, all data inside will appear as below.
   
   Note: Expand a folder to unveil its items. And to preview items, click on each; the preview will be generated as shown above.
5. As above, you can preview other items present inside folders and subfolders inside the OLM file.

Kernel OLM Viewer allows you to exclusively view OLM files. If you wish to convert and migrate OLM files to different formats and locations, consider acquiring Kernel for OLM to PST, a renowned utility designed for efficient OLM file conversion and migration.

Wrap

To unlock the full potential of OLM files, opting for a professional software tool emerges as the optimal choice. This user-friendly solution is equipped with intelligent features that simplify the process. Before delving into opening an OLM file, it’s imperative to ascertain its location in Mac Outlook, which you can learn more about by referring to this guide on OLM file location in Mac Outlook. Subsequently, you can utilize Kernel OLM Viewer to effortlessly access and peruse the contents of the OLM file.