How to Open OST File Without Outlook? Easy Methods

So what happens when Outlook is not installed, profile is deleted or the OST file becomes orphaned. In such cases, users want to open OST file without Outlook to retrieve emails, contacts, and calendar data from an OST file but no longer have access to the original Outlook environment. In this guide, we will explain all tried and tested processes to open Outlook OST files without Exchange.

OST stands for offline storage table and it is created automatically on default location when Exchange, Outlook.com or IMAP account configured with Outlook. However, accessing the contents of an OST file without Outlook can be challenging especially if the file becomes orphaned due to profile corruption, account deletion or uninstallation of Outlook.

Reasons to Open Outlook OST File without relying on Outlook

• If an Outlook profile is deleted or becomes corrupted, the OST file associated with it can no longer be accessed through Outlook.
• When an Exchange account is removed or disabled by an administrator, the OST file loses its sync connection and becomes unusable in Outlook.
• If Windows or Outlook reinstalled, a user migrating to a new machine without following the correct OST procedure can corrupt the OST file.
• Removing Outlook without backup can turn OST files orphaned.
• If the system is no longer part of the same domain or user credentials are unavailable, Outlook cannot authenticate and access the OST file.
• Server-side issues such as Exchange server crashes or downtime can cause sync issues, leading to inaccessible OST files.

Methods to Open OST Files Without Outlook?

If no longer have access to Outlook profile or OST file get orphaned. You can still view content of an OST file by following alternative methods as we have explained below:

Method 1. How to Open an OST File without Exchange?

If you want to preview an OST file without Outlook then we recommend you to choose RecoveryTools Free OST Viewer as it allows all components of the OST file such as emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, journals, notes and all other available content in the OST file. This software comes in a prime role for all forensic investigation and examination of OST files.

Steps to Open Outlook OST Files without Exchange

1. Download and run Automated Software on your desktop.
2. Now, Click on Add file to browse OST file to convert.
3. Select the OST mailbox folder as you wish to preview.
4. Now, Click on Message preview and Attachments as per needed.

Useful Features of this Automated Software

• It allows users to preview OST emails with embedded objects and attachments.
• You can also open individual or batch OST files at a single process.
• Also supports the double click feature to copy and save OST email as RAW HTML file.
• This software offers advanced functionality to preview like header information, meta properties, hyperlinks, images etc.
• With this tool, You can preview both UNICODE or ANSI OST files and forensic experts can also read password protected and encrypted OST files.

Method 2. How to Open an OST File without Outlook?

In this approach, you need to opt RecoveryTools OST to PST Converter to export all OST files data in Outlook PST extension to easily import it in any Outlook account without depending on any specific profile.

1. Download and open Professional Tool on your system.
2. Click on Convert configured Outlook mailbox data or let me select the OST file as needed.
3. Preview to select OST mailbox folder or subfolder as you wish to export.
4. Choose the PST file in the list of Saving features.
5. Separate PST per user, split PST, and set language as per required.
6. Browse destination path and select advanced filter as needed.
7. Press Next to start exporting the OST file to Outlook.

Top Benefit to Choose an Automated Solution over Manual Method

• This software can also import OST to Outlook, Thunderbird, Maildir, Microsoft 365, Gmail and all IMAP Supported platforms.
• With this software, you can also use advanced filters such as date range, from, to, subject, exclude folders, organizer, root folder, exclude empty folder, mails, calendars, contacts, create exception log and many more.
• This software also restore and convert orphan, corrupted, inaccessible, and or oversize OST file without facing any restrictions.
• With this tool, you can also convert OST to PDF, MBOX, EML, CSV, and 28+ Saving features.

Common Queries

How can I Read OST files without Outlook?

You can easily OST file by using Free OST File opener that can easily open orphaned or inaccessible OST files.

Is it OK to delete the Outlook OST file?

Deleting an OST file is safe only if your mailbox is synced with Exchange Server or Outlook.com. Outlook will recreate the OST file when you reopen it. However, if an OST file is not synced or orphaned, deleting it may result in data loss.

How to Open Outlook items without Outlook?

To open Outlook items without Outlook you need to use Free OST Reader as we have mentioned in the upper section to easily access OST items such as emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, journals, notes, and all other items.

How to Compact OST File without Opening Outlook?

To compact an OST file without opening Outlook, use a professional tool as it can export in PST file and also allows splitting the resultant PST file to easily access and import any Outlook profile.

Best Practices for Handling OST Files

• Keep maintained OST file integrity by regularly backup OST files, keeping Outlook and related tools updated, avoiding shutdowns during use and using OST Repair Tool to fix file corruption.
• Regularly backup your OST file and ensure Outlook and related software are updated to the latest version to prevent data loss and maintain smooth synchronization.

Takeaway

In this tutorial, we have explained all effective methods to open an OST file without Outlook. As Microsoft officially states, there is no way to access an orphaned OST file, which means no manual approach works. Therefore, we have mentioned all trusted and reliable utilities to easily preview all OST content without losing any information.