Need to convert an .OST file into a .PST file.

B

bobk

How can I convert a user's .ost file into a .pst file? The mailbox has NOT
been deleted., if that matters.

Thanks!
 
A

Allen M

Nothing to convert. Just create a new pst file. Just make sure the ost file
been synch first.
 
B

bobk

OK, so do you mean that I can a new POP3 account which will download
everything to a pst file? And then I can just remove the cached Exchange
account?
 
D

Dirk-Thomas Brown

Curious if this works. Will your Outlook open offline in cached mode? If so
try to export the mailbox as a PST locally. Then do what ever it is you are
trying to do and import the PST you created back in or choose open PST file
and choose the one you created the open it. Sorry if I missed something...

Dirk-Thomas
 
M

Mark Arnold [MVP]

Curious if this works. Will your Outlook open offline in cached mode? If so
try to export the mailbox as a PST locally. Then do what ever it is you are
trying to do and import the PST you created back in or choose open PST file
and choose the one you created the open it. Sorry if I missed something...
Click to expand...
That would work and wouldn't require the tool I mentioned in the
earlier crossposted entry.

If you do have an orphaned OST file that's lost its MAPI profile then
you would need the aforementioned recovery tool.
 
B

bobk

Thanks Mark. I think that will take care of it. If you have time, I'd
appreciate advice on what it takes to screw things up so bad that someone
would HAVE to actually convert an .ost to a .pst file. I've recently been
told that deleting a mailbox would do it. What other things do I need to
make sure that I don't do?

Thanks for the help!
 
A

Allen M

Maybe I'm missing something here. Is this an .ost that is no longer
associated to a valid email account? If you can log onto your network and
open Outlook then synch your .ost to your Exchange server then exporting to
a .pst file should be all that simple. Should it not? Why does he need a
third party tool to do this?
 
B

Brian Tillman

bobk said:
How can I convert a user's .ost file into a .pst file? The mailbox
has NOT been deleted., if that matters.
Click to expand...

If the mail profile is still there, just set Outlook to Work Offline. It
will then access the OST as though your connected to the Exchange server.
Create a new PST and copy all the folders to it. All done.
 
H

Henry Craven [SBS-MVP]

See:

XCLN: OST and PST Quick Reference
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=161889

Because an OST is stamped with a mailbox's unique ID, if a user's
mailbox is deleted and re-created on the computer running Microsoft
Exchange Server, the OST file does not synchronize with the new mailbox.
The only way to recover the data in the OST is to use the following
steps exactly before starting the client online: 1. Start the Microsoft
Exchange Client in offline mode, using the same profile that was used
before with the OST.
2. Add a PST to the profile.
3. Copy the messages to the PST.
4. Create a new profile that connects to the new mailbox.
5. Move the messages from the PST to the new mailbox.
 
M

Mark Arnold [MVP]

Like Henry said, if you end up with an OST file and no mail profile
that it belongs to then your OST is effectively screwed. Well, the OST
isn't screwed but the fact that there's no MAPI profile means that
it's no longer of any use in it's current form.

Yes, that happens, with depressing regularity!
 
J

Jim Nugent

bobk said:
How can I convert a user's .ost file into a .pst file? The mailbox has NOT
been deleted., if that matters.
Click to expand...

I haven't used Exchange for a while, but a couple of tricks come to mind:

1. See if there's anything on the Import/Export menu (you've probably
already thought of that).
2. "Archive" the entire .OST file (perhaps by temporarily adjusting your
archive setting to "everything, every day"). The result will be a .PST file.
(Can't remember if I've tried this but it should work...)
3. Brute force drag everything from you online mailbox to a Personal Folder.
(may not be pleasant but it works --- I've done this.)
 
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