You just opened Microsoft Outlook on your system and it shows “Can’t connect to server” or is stuck at “Connecting to server” forever, if you been in such a situation then you are at the right place. In this article we will show you why does a situation arise where OST files can’t be open? what is the solution to OST files not opening? and how to open corrupt/orphaned OST file and recover them.
What Is OST File?
To begin let us start by understanding what an “OST” file is. An OST file is a file type used by Microsoft Outlook to save user data of emails locally when an email uses IMAP protocol to receive emails from the server. These OST files are the local copies of the emails on the user’s machine.
Why Doesn’t My OST File Open?
To open an OST file, it must establish a connection to the server to synchronize its data. When Outlook can’t establish a connection with the server and the system can’t synchronize the OST file’s data with the server then the OST file is said to be orphaned. When this situation arises Outlook mail client isn’t able to access the OST file and view the emails to the user.
Why Does OST files Have to Synchronize Their Data with The Server?
Data needs to be synchronized between an OST file locally stored on a user’s machine and the mail server because, OST files are created when the email client uses IMAP protocol to receive emails from the server/exchange server. IMAP is a protocol used by email clients to receive mails from a server.
When a user sends an email to another user and when the user on the receiving end of the email uses IMAP protocol then, the email that is send is not deleted from the server after delivering it to the user. This is the reason why the data locally stored on an OST file on the user’s system needs to be synced with the server. When this data connection between the OST file and the server is broken then the OST can’t be opened.
How to Convert an Orphaned OST File?
To rebuild an orphaned IMAP OST file, we have to make use of SysTools Software to Converter OST to PST file format. A PST file is a file used by Microsoft Outlook to save email data that follows the pop3 protocol locally on a user’s system.
Steps to Convert OST to PST
To convert a file from OST to PST we must use an OST to PST converter tool. Below are the steps to convert a file from OST to PST.
Step-1: Go to the website of SysTools and download their OST to PST converter tool.
Step-2: Once downloaded install the tool by following the instructions of the setup wizard. Click Add File option and browse OST file.
Step-3: Preview complete data into software panel and click on Export button.
Step-4: Select PST radio button from the list and apply advance settings. Browse location to save exported file.
Benefits Of Using SysTools OST to PST Converter Tool
- Easily recover your OST email and files by converting them into PST files.
- OST files can be easily converted to multiple email formats such as PST, MBOX, MSG, EML, EMLX and NSF.
- Important emails once the OST files are converted to PST files can be added back to Microsoft Outlook for better management of emails.
- Import OST File to Outlook directly without Exchange profile and server connectivity.
- Export OST file into document format: PDF, TXT, HTML, vCard, CSV, DOCX, RTF, etc.
- Convert OST to PST without Outlook and Exchange Server