The article gives an overview of OST Conversion Process using OST to PST tool and the challenges associated with them. In addition to this, the method by which a user can retrieve data from an inaccessible OST file has also been discussed.
MS Outlook has become a common name in organizations, when it comes to email clients used for everyday communication purposes. Not only it supports both IMAP and POP3 accounts, it also enables the users to connect with Exchange Server. This is the scenario when OST or Offline Storage Table comes into existence. Whilst PST file stores the data when Outlook is used with IMAP/POP3, OST file stores the data when Outlook is used in conjunction with Exchange Server.
Even though both the OST and PST files belong to MS Outlook, their functioning and data storage varies to great lengths. Whilst PST files can be easily accessed in any other machine and in any Outlook account, the same does not hold true for OST files.
An OST file is deputed to store an exact replica of data stored on Exchange Server. When an OST file is created, an encryption key is generated, which binds the OST fie to the profile for which it is created. This encryption key prevents the OST file from being accessed with any other Outlook profile. Therefore, OST file can only be accessed in the same machine and that too in the same Outlook profile in which it is created. http://www.ostfile.co.uk
As discussed in the above section, the encryption key puts a restriction on the OST file, making them inaccessible in any other machine. Therefore, in case the profile to which the OST file belongs is deleted somehow, the OST file cannot be accessed by the user, making the file orphan.
Another dominant reason, which corrupt OST files and in turn leave it inaccessible in Outlook is synchronization issue. Since OST file is associated with Exchange Server, every time some changes are made in it while offline, they are reflected in Exchange Server when the connection is resumed. Any interruption or issue in this synchronization process turn the OST file into a corrupt state.
In addition to this, other factors such as virus intrusion, size related issues, etc. also play a significant role in inaccessibility of OST files.
Considering the limitations associated with the OST file, a user faces a lot of difficulty in accessing the file in case of any corruption. Whilst manual utilities such as scanost.exe can be deployed, they are not considered convenient owing to the data loss that results due to their usage.
Therefore, in such scenarios, commercial utilities are chose. One such utility is OST to PST Converter software. The solution aims at recovering the data from a corrupt OST file and converting it into a healthy PST file. It enables flawless recovery of OST file data and supports OST to PST conversion without any data loss. It is the most effectual utility, which a user can deploy for performing OST conversion. http://www.ost-to-pst.com
