How to Import Exchange OST to IMAP Server Account? – 100% Verified Solution!
Summary: If you want to know how to import exchange OST to IMAP server account but are unsure of the best procedure, we will offer you with direct techniques (both manual and automated) in this post that will work perfect for you.
Users use a variety of programs for communication, including Outlook. This desktop email client enables users to send and receive emails. For emailing, it provides users with a number of advanced functions.
Outlook also enables users to save the information from their email profiles to their local storage. Users’ information is automatically saved in OST files by MS Outlook while setting an email account. The Outlook OST files keep all emails, contacts, calendars, and other data.
But occasionally, users have a number of issues using the Outlook application. As a result, users may need to know how to import exchange OST to IMAP-based email clients in some circumstances.
Why Switch from OST to IMAP Account?
Migrating from an OST (Offline Storage Table) to an IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) account can be beneficial for several reasons:
- Platform Independence: OST files are specific to Microsoft Outlook and can only be accessed within the Outlook application. On the other hand, IMAP is a standard protocol supported by various email clients and platforms, such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and mobile devices. By migrating to an IMAP account, you can access your emails across different devices and email clients, providing more flexibility and convenience.
- Synchronization: OST files are typically used in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server, allowing you to work offline and synchronize changes with the server when you connect. However, if you switch to a different email provider or server that doesn’t support OST, you may lose the ability to synchronize your emails. IMAP, on the other hand, is designed for synchronization, ensuring that changes made on one device or client are reflected across all devices accessing the IMAP account.
- Storage Optimization: OST files can take up a significant amount of storage space on your local machine, especially if you have a large mailbox with many attachments. Migrating to an IMAP account allows you to offload the storage responsibility to the email server, freeing up space on your device. You can access your emails on-demand without requiring all messages to be stored locally.
- Enhanced Collaboration: IMAP supports collaboration features such as shared mailboxes, shared folders, and folder sharing permissions. This can be particularly useful in a team or business environment, where multiple users need access to the same mailbox or specific folders. Collaborative features are typically more robust and widely supported in IMAP compared to OST.
- Disaster Recovery: If your local machine experiences a hardware failure or data loss, OST files can be challenging to recover. On the other hand, IMAP accounts store your emails on the server, providing a form of backup and disaster recovery. You can easily configure a new device or client to access your IMAP account and retrieve all your emails.
Overall, migrating from an OST to IMAP account offers greater flexibility, cross-platform compatibility, synchronization, storage optimization, collaboration features, and improved disaster recovery options. However, it’s important to consider any specific requirements or limitations of your email service provider or organization before proceeding with the migration.
Manual Techniques to Import OST Files to IMAP Server
To import an OST file to an IMAP server, you typically need to follow these common steps:
Step 1: Convert OST file to PST Since IMAP servers usually do not directly support importing OST files, you’ll first need to convert the OST file to PST (Personal Storage Table) format, which is more widely supported. There are third-party tools available that can help you convert OST to PST.
Step 2: Configure Outlook with IMAP Account to import the converted PST file to the IMAP server, you’ll need to configure Microsoft Outlook with the IMAP account credentials.
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- Click on “File” in the top menu.
- Select “Add Account” or “Account Settings.”
- Select “Manual setup or additional server types” and then select “Next.”
- Select “IMAP” and click “Next.”
- Fill out the required fields, including your name and email address.
- Fill in the IMAP server settings provided by your email service provider. This typically includes the incoming and outgoing server addresses, port numbers, and encryption settings.
- Authenticate the account by entering your username and password.
- Once the account is set up, close and reopen Outlook.
Step 3: Import PST File to IMAP Account Now that Outlook is configured with the IMAP account, you can import the converted PST file to the IMAP server.
- In Outlook, go to the “File” menu.
- Select “Open & Export” or “Open.”
- Choose “Import/Export.”
- Select “Import from another program or file” in the Import and Export Wizard, then click “Next.”
- Select “Outlook Data File (.pst)” and then select “Next.”
- Click “Browse” to locate and select the converted PST file.
- Select the desired options for handling duplicates and importing folders.
- Choose the IMAP account as the destination for the imported data.
- Click “Finish” to start the import process.
Outlook will begin importing the contents of the PST file to the IMAP server. The time it takes will depend on the size of the PST file and the speed of your internet connection. Once the import is complete, the emails and folders from the PST file will be available in your IMAP account, accessible from any device or email client configured with the IMAP account.
It’s worth noting that the exact steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Outlook you are using. Additionally, some email clients or servers may have different methods or tools for importing PST files to an IMAP account. Therefore, it’s recommended to refer to the specific documentation or support resources provided by your email service provider for detailed instructions.
Limitation of Manual Methods –
While manually migrating from an OST to an IMAP account is possible, there are certain limitations associated with this approach:
- Time-Consuming: Manual migration methods can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with a large number of emails or multiple folders. Exporting OST data to a PST file and then importing it to an IMAP account can take a significant amount of time, particularly if you have a slow internet connection or if there are network interruptions during the process.
- Risk of Data Loss or Corruption: Manual methods involve multiple steps, such as exporting OST files to PST and then importing PST to the IMAP account. Each step introduces the risk of data loss or corruption if not executed properly. Human errors during the process, software glitches, or compatibility issues may result in missing or damaged data.
- Limited Metadata Transfer: Manually migrating from OST to IMAP may not fully transfer all metadata associated with emails, such as read/unread status, flags, categories, or custom folder properties. These metadata attributes may not be preserved during the migration process, requiring additional manual effort to recreate or reapply them in the IMAP account.
- Limited Support and Guidance: Manual methods often lack comprehensive support or guidance from software vendors or service providers. Troubleshooting issues or resolving errors during the migration process may be more challenging without readily available technical support.
Professional Solution to Solve How to Import Exchange OST to IMAP Account
With the help of the CubexSoft OST Converter Software, users can seamlessly move/import OST to IMAP-based webmail clients like Gmail, AOL, ZohoMail, and others.
With this smart technique, users can upload one or more OST files to an IMAP server in a single step. Only your account information and your OST files are needed for migration. It will safely transfer every component from the OST to the IMAP account, including emails, contacts, calendars, etc.
Some Advanced Features of OST to IMAP Tool
- Single or many OST files can be moved to an IMAP account.
- Before migration, inspect all internal data items and directories from OST files.
- Selective OST folders can be exported to an IMAP Server account.
- To save the contents of an OST file in an IMAP account, make a new folder with a personalized name.
- Make a log file that contains information about all software usage and migration phases.
- Provides advanced filters to extract emails from OST that only contain the necessary dates.
- Supports OST migration to all IMAP-based email services, such as ZohoMail, Godaddy Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.
- Additionally, the Demo edition enables free IMAP account import of up to 25 items from each OST folder.
Wrapping Up
I hope this post has given you more knowledge about OST files, their storage location, and how to import them into IMAP. The manual approaches will unquestionably assist you in importing OST files to IMAP Server. If not, we advise using the automated OST to PST converter tool we previously covered. You may swiftly and effectively learn how to import exchange OST to IMAP server account with its assistance. For a better comprehension of the program, use its free trial version.
