Import OST File into Windows Live Mail & Recover Offline Items

Many of you prefer using offline OST  file for the purpose of sending and receiving or storing your Outlook emails. Offline file format gives you a facility to work on your emails even when you are offline and not connected with the server. Sometimes you might be in a situation where you want to extract OST items like email messages, calendars or address into another mail client. Besides, offline files can only be accessed within the Outlook application where it was created. Basically, it means that if you want to import OST file into Windows Live Mail either you have to export OST file into PST or archive you offline files or move it a new formed PST file. Let’s cover the whole process in this particular article and help you out with such problems.

Note: The best way is to extract your data from OST file into Windows Live Mail, convert it to PST. As there is no such process available to extract files directly.

Approaches to Import OST file into Windows Live Mail

Here I will try to give certain approaches convert OST in EML format, for that you need to convert the OST data to PST format and then export PST email messages to EML by using Thunderbird(only available manual process).

Follow the steps to perform the conversion

1 Approach: Export OST files to PST format

1. From the File menu, choose Import & Export option in Outlook
2. Click on “Export to another file” from the list and, press Next button
3. After that, choose Personal File Folder (.pst) > Next
4. browse to selected PST folders and then, click on Next
5. Now select the Parent root and enable the option to Include Subfolders.
6. Finish the process

2 Approach: Archive to Move OST Data

1. On the Outlook application
2. Now from the File menu click on  Archive option
3. After that, select all the folders or files for archiving
4. Now select  the archive options from the appeared windows
5. Now, choose the desired location to save the archived files
6. Then, click on the Finish button

You can archive every Outlook items by using this manual method

3 Approach: Forwarding Emails

You can choose this approach if you want to move your email messages to a private email address then, follow these steps:

1. Choose the particular item that you want to keep.
2. Right click on the selected items and press the Forward button
3. In case of many items, drag every item in a single folder & Zip the file
4. Finally, using your email address send the file to your ID.

4 Approach: Move items into new PST File

1. Open MS Outlook Application
2. Now, create the new PST file from an Outlook profile user
3. Then, drag each folder or items into the new .pst data file.

With the help of all ways a user can easily convert OST data into PST and then, extract offline OST data items from OST file as an EML format. You can go for an approach that has been discussed here and the final move forward and convert the file into EML format.

You may also like to read: How to resolve Oversized OST file?

Export PST Email Messages into EML Using Thunderbird Client

Thunderbird is clients which give an easy option to export any file as an EML format that’s why I am choosing it. This is the final step to import OST file into Windows Live Mail EML format. Carefully follow the steps for the procedure:

1. Launch Thunderbird mail client.
2. From the Tools Menu click on Import option.
   
3. Then select the option to Import Everything > Next button.<
   
4. Under Import window, choose the Outlook option > Next.
   
5. Now, wait for a few seconds until the process has been finished.
6. Once a PST file is imported then, select all the files and click right on it.
7. Choose the save as option from the drop-down option.
   
8. Choose the detonation folder to save the exported file.
   
9. Lastly, Thunderbird will save emails in EML file extension.

Final Words

Many users are in the need to switch their mail client application from one platform to another due to some valid or business reasons. In the above-described article, I have tried to cover various manual approaches to access their important emails from OST to Windows Live Mail. You can also choose for OST to PST Converter Tool to convert OST file into MBOX, EML, PST and many file formats. The software offers you a very important feature to recover corrupt OST files and saves it as PST, EML, MBOX, DBX, and Archive file format. It also allows to import OST to Gmail as well as many email clients. Additionally, it assists you in maintaining the data hierarchy of files and folders and creates a log report of every scanning done on a file.

About The Author:

Simran Bhatia

Simran Bhatia is a technical content writer engaged in writing clear, concise, and SEO-optimized content. With a background in computer science and a passion for writing, I thrive to deliver complex technical content in simple layman terms.