How to Open OST File in New Outlook? – 100% Working Method!
Everyone is talking about the new edition of Microsoft Outlook since it was released. With this release, users had great expectations and anticipated many new features. Nevertheless, it falls short of all expectations. Even though updating to the latest version of Outlook is simple, several functions from the older version are no longer available. In MS Outlook, importing OST or PST files is one of them. The changes between the two versions of Outlook should be discussed before we go into how to open OST file in new Outlook.
Complete Introduction to OST File
Before moving on to the procedures, let’s define an OST file and explain its operation:
- OST stands for Offline Storage Table.
- It’s created by Microsoft Outlook when you use an Exchange, Office 365, or Outlook.com account in cached mode.
- An OST file allows you to access your email and other Outlook items while offline, syncing changes with the server once you reconnect to the internet.
While an OST file stores the offline copy of your mailbox, it’s linked to a specific Exchange account, and can only be accessed through the Outlook profile that created it.
What is the Difference between new Outlook and Old Version?
The latest versions of Outlook, sometimes known as the “New Outlook,” offer a variety of design, functionality, and integration enhancements over the original or legacy version. Here are some of the key distinctions:
1. User Interface (UI) and Design
New Outlook: The new Outlook version has a simpler, more minimalistic interface that emphasizes modernism and simplicity, in line with Microsoft’s design philosophy across all of its products. Features are more easily accessed with fewer steps, and the navigation bar is more streamlined.
Old Outlook: The previous UI is still functional, but it has a more complicated layout with menus and toolbars that may seem crowded, especially to fresh users.
2. Cloud Integration and Microsoft 365 Ecosystem
New Outlook: Better synchronization with OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams is made possible by its smooth connection with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Calendar events and cloud-based attachments are directly connected.
Old Outlook: The old version Outlook has the ability to integrate, but it needs more human setup. Additionally, it does not support every new feature of Microsoft 365 collaboration.
3. Performance and Speed
New Outlook: The new version is optimized for cloud-based data storage and synchronization, making it faster to load and sync emails, contacts, and calendars across multiple devices. It supports a better overall performance, especially when connected to Exchange or Office 365 servers.
Old Outlook: Older Outlook versions primarily relied on local storage for emails and other data (through OST or PST files). Synchronization with Exchange or Outlook.com could sometimes take time, especially for large mailboxes.
4. Security and Privacy Features
New Outlook: The newer versions provide more advanced security options, including better support for multi-factor authentication (MFA), advanced threat protection, and stronger encryption.
Old Outlook: Older versions of Outlook supported features like two-factor authentication for Exchange accounts and basic encryption methods (e.g., S/MIME, TLS).
5. Search Functionality
New Outlook: The new version features Microsoft Search, which delivers fast and accurate search results across all your Outlook data, including emails, attachments, contacts, and calendar events. It is powered by the Microsoft cloud, improving search performance significantly. Users can filter their search results with more granularity, like by sender, date, or attachment type.
Old Outlook: In older versions, the search function was more basic, and results could sometimes be hard to filter, especially when dealing with large amounts of data.
6. Platform Compatibility
New Outlook: The updated version is compatible with the web version for seamless changes and is made to run well on macOS, Windows 10, and Windows 11.
Old Outlook: Although it is currently supported on Windows, it can eventually be phased out and not receive complete optimization upgrades for more recent operating systems.
Users want to switch to the new Outlook because these features seem to work well. OST or PST file import/export functionality is the most significant of the lost features in the updated Outlook. It’s true what you heard!
It is challenging for users to use their old Outlook data backups because they are unable to import OST files into Microsoft Outlook.
How to Import OST File in New Outlook?
At this time, the “New Outlook” does not allow the direct import of OST files, particularly orphaned OSTs, which are Outlook data files linked to a particular Exchange account or Outlook profile. OST files sync with the server while connected and are made to function offline. However, the OST file gets “orphaned” if you lose access to the original Outlook account or the related server, which makes it challenging to view or import straight into Outlook.
The only method to get your data back in this situation is:
Switching to the Classic Outlook Version: The classic Outlook version enables the conversion of OST data into a format that Outlook can read, specifically the PST file format, and provides traditional import/export capabilities.
Converting OST File to PST: An orphaned OST file must be converted to a PST file to be accessible and importable in any version of Outlook, as it cannot be opened directly. There are two primary ways to do this:
Recreate the OST file (If Source Account Access Is Available): Just add the account that was initially linked to the OST file back into Outlook if you still have access to it. Outlook will sync data from the server to reconstruct the OST.
Migrate OST File to PST (Without Source Access): To convert an OST file to a PST if you do not have access to the source account, you will require a third-party solution i.e. CubexSoft OST to PST Converter tool. Emails, contacts, calendars, and other data can be extracted from an OST using a variety of applications and saved in a PST format, which Outlook can then import.
Guide to Copy Data from an Orphaned OST File
Download and install the classic Outlook Version program.
Note: Make sure that you are utilizing classic Outlook version since the new Outlook may not support the import process.
Use Third-party Tool –
Download a professional CubexSoft OST Converter software to directly convert OST files to PST in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, and another version. This software supports various advanced features to easily and effectively export Outlook offline OST files to PST format without using Outlook.
Import Resultant PST File into Microsoft Outlook
- To import/export, select File > Open & Export in the classic Outlook version.
- Pick Outlook Data File (.pst) under Import from another program or file.
- After creating the PST file, select the destination for the data and finish the import.
Why Users Not Just Use the OST File Directly?
An OST file is encrypted and linked to the server setup and original Outlook profile. This connection is lost when the file becomes orphaned, thus it must be converted or regenerated for Outlook to function properly.
By following these procedures, you can effectively access and restore all of the data in the orphaned OST file within your Outlook account by converting it to PST.
After the import process is complete, you can revert to the latest version if necessary. You can conveniently use data from your old OST file in the new Outlook in this way.
