OST stands for Offline Storage Table. It is an Outlook for Windows file extension. The characteristics of OST are similar to PST in some extents. It stores emails, contacts, journals, notes and other important data of Outlook for Windows. OST is a universally accepted file format that allows users to access the Outlook data when the server is down. It stores Outlook files in your system to provide it more security and freedom to open whenever you want. OST supports all major editions of Outlook including 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016. It works smoothly with all Windows versions XP, Vista, 8 and 10.
OST has capacity to recover the lost mailboxes in case of any damage to the Exchange Server or the Server is down. As mentioned above, OST files are a carbon copy of the mailbox stored on the Exchange Server and this copy is automatically stored in your hard drive. Therefore, damage to Outlook files on the Exchange Server doesn't cause any corruption to the OST saved at Hard Drive.
Advantages
Choosing OST file extension for your Outlook provides security to your important emails. It is highly beneficial in the situation of vulnerable internet connection.
Work smoothly with OST files. It is not mandatory to stay connected with Exchange Server when you are working. It means users can work in the offline mode. However, server connection is required when you send new emails.
Disadvantage
There are some disadvantages of OST. An OST file is of no use when the email profile that it belongs to is damaged or delete.
When users want to recover mailbox from an OST file, it is must to convert OST to PST. In this situation, an OST to PST Conversion tool is required to purchase.
Locate OST Files
If you are wondering to locate a specific OST file, it is not a hard goal to achieve. A few simple steps need to follow.
For MS Outlook 2010 to 2013 or 2016 users:
Follow the respective steps to access OST files on any versions of Outlook from 2010 to 2016.
