How to Change Outlook OST File Location: Easy Guide

Why Change the Location of Outlook OST File?

The significant reasons for changing the location of the Outlook data file are as follows:

• To free up the storage space and improve system performance.
• Backup and restore data to avoid unfortunate data loss.
• Reduce the risk of file corruption and errors to maintain data integrity.
• Moreover, it helps recover from system failures due to hardware issues.

Note: You can find the current location of the OST file by:

Best Ways to Change Outlook OST File Location

There are 4 different manual methods to change the location of an OST file as discussed in the following section. Furthermore, a professional tool is explained at the end. With it, you can easily handle corrupted OST files and save them at the desired location. The complete guide for the methods is provided in detail below. Follow the steps carefully.

Method 1: Change Data File Location Outlook by Creating a New Profile

1. Browse the existing OST file location. Copy and paste it to a new location.
2. Next, open Control Panel and select Mail > Show Profiles > Add.
3. In the Create a New Profile dialog box, enter a new name and tap OK.
   
4. Then, provide credentials of Outlook profile from which to create. Hit Next.
   
5. Further, check Change account settings in the next window and click Next.
   
6. Then, from the Server Settings dialog box, click More Settings -> Advanced.
7. Here, click Outlook Data File settings and hit the Browse button.
   
8. Go to the location where you moved the existing OST, select it, and hit OK.
   
9. Next, click Finish and move to the Control Panel > Mail.
10. At last, hit Always use this profile and select the new profile. Tap Apply to save changes.
    

Method 2: Change Outlook OST File Location After Disabling Cached Exchange Mode

1. Start MS Outlook and move to File -> Account Settings -> Account Settings -> Data Files.
2. Then, select your Outlook account and click Settings.
3. Then, move to Advanced and uncheck Use Cached Exchange Mode > OK.
   
4. Afterward, click Outlook Data File Settings -> Disable Offline Use -> Yes.
5. Now, again click Outlook Data File Settings and select the new location of the OST file. Press Open > OK.
6. Subsequently, go to Advance and check the Use Cached Exchange Mode.
7. Lastly, click OK and close all the dialog boxes.

Method 3: Change Outlook OST File Location by Setting ForceOSTPath Registry Entry

1. Press Windows + R and type regedit in the run dialog box. Click OK.
2. The registry editor launches. Here, tap HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
3. Now, move to SOFTWARE and search Microsoft > Office > Outlook.
4. Then, select the version you installed, left-click, and hit New.
5. Now, pick Expandable String Value and create a new value.
   
6. Thereafter, assign the ForceOSTPath value to it and click OK.
   
7. Exit the registry entry and restart Outlook.

A new OST file will be created automatically in the default directory of the new Exchange account.

Method 4: Change the Location of the Outlook OST File Through Symbolic Links

1. Firstly, move the OST file from the original location to a new location.
2. Open Command Prompt and run the following command:

MKLINK %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook\ “E:\Outlook Data Files\”

Here, the first one is the old path and E:\ is the new path.

Loopholes of the Manual Method

• Users must have good technical knowledge to execute these methods.
• It is not suitable for corrupt or damaged OST files.
• The process is risky and time-consuming.

How to Change Outlook OST File Location When it is Corrupted?

To change the location of OST files, they must be in the right state. If they are corrupted, the only solution is to fix them and save them at the desired location. For this, use the SysInfo OST Recovery Tool. It is a top-notch utility to handle damaged, corrupt, or inaccessible OST files. It allows to solve errors have been detected in the file outlook.ost. Also, this tool is easy to use and requires no technical expertise. Moreover, it is compatible with all Outlook and Windows versions. Some distinctive features of this versatile software are:

• Convert OST into PST, MBOX, MSG, DBX, and EML file formats.
• Repair corrupt OST files without any size limitations and in bulk.
• Provides different recovery modes and filter options for the output file.

Steps to Recover OST Files

1. Launch the tool, select the 32-bit or 64-bit Outlook version, and click OK.
2. Tap Open and click Browse (…) to select the OST file. Click Open to add it.
3. Select the mode of recovery: Standard, Advanced, or Deep, and press OK.
   
4. Expand the tree format to view all the mail items in the preview panel.
   
5. Then, select the mailbox folders that you want to save and hit Save.
6. Further, click (…) to select a destination to save. Tap OK.
   
7. Subsequently, choose the desired file format and filter for the resultant file.
8. At last, click OK to restore the OST file data at a new location.

Conclusion

Here, we learned different reasons to change Outlook OST file location. There were different manual methods to do so. However, these methods have some cons. Moreover, if the OST file is corrupted, these methods won’t help much. In such a scenario, using a professional tool as recommended by experts is the best option.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.