Common Issues Faced During OST to PST Conversion
OST to PST conversion is a common process for users who work offline and require Outlook data or who want to shift from one system to another. OST (Offline Storage Table) files enable users to do their work while disconnected from the Exchange server, and when the user gets connected, all the changes made are then synchronized with the server.
However, these files are often corrupted and have certain problems, which is why it is necessary to import them to PST (Personal Storage Table) files to work with them more effectively.
Although the process of conversion appears to be quite simple, users are faced with a number of issues. This article describes the problems that may be encountered during OST to PST conversion and the ways to solve them.
Common Issues Faced During OST to PST Conversion
While you may face many problems while converting from OST to PST but the most common ones are as follows:
Corrupted OST Files
Among all the issues that are generally faced during the OST to PST conversion, file corruption is one of the most common issues. OST files can get damaged for a number of reasons, such as power failure, system shutdown, network crash, or virus attack. OST files are read-only files, and when they become corrupted, they become non-readable and cannot be converted to PST files.
Large OST File Size
Another common problem that some users face is the size of OST files, which are usually large. When using emails, attachments, and other data, users tend to store more data in OST files, making the file larger. When working with large OST files, there are high chances that the OST files become corrupt and the conversion rate is slower or may not happen at all. Also, if an attempt is made to convert a huge OST file to PST, it may cross the PST size limitations if Outlook is not updated.
Compatibility Issues
One of the challenges that can occur when converting OST files to PST is compatibility problems that may arise with different versions of Outlook or Exchange Server. An OST file created in one version of Outlook may not be compatible with another version of Outlook, which leads to errors during conversion. Also, third-party tools for the conversion may not support all versions of OST files, making the process even more challenging.
Password-Protected OST Files
At other times, OST files may be encrypted or even password-protected in order to improve security further. While this adds an extra layer of protection, it can also lead to issues during conversion. As it has been noted, the OST file can only be exported to the PST format with the help of a password or decryption key.
Incomplete Data Conversion
One more problem that users come across is partial data conversion. In the course of the OST to PST conversion, certain items may not be converted or may be skipped due to their enormous size or because of OST file damage. This can lead to the loss of emails, contacts, calendar entries, or any other data in the PST file, making the file to be incomplete.
How to Resolve Common OST to PST Conversion Issues
Repair Corrupted OST Files
For the solution to the problem of OST files, there is a built-in Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool known as Scanpst.exe. This tool can fix small corruptions in OST files so that they can be migrated to PST files. However, if the OST file is severely corrupted, then the best way is to use OST recovery software that can fix the OST file and retrieve the data.
Split Large OST Files
A large OST file size may be a problem; if so, then the OST file should be divided into several parts before conversion. Some of the third-party OST to PST conversion tools provide an option for splitting large OST files into small PST files.
This not only prevents corruption but also makes the conversion process less complicated. In this case, the users can categorize old emails and attachments and move them to the archive to minimize the size of the OST file.
Ensure Compatibility
The compatibility of the Outlook or Exchange server version should be the same as the one that was used to create the OST file. If this is not possible, make sure that the OST to PST converter you are using is compatible with multiple versions of Outlook as well as Exchange Server.
There are some tools available in the market that are compatible and can convert OST files from one version to another version without losing any data.
Conclusion
Conversing OST to PST is a very necessary process for many users, but it is not without its problems. Some of the issues that the users may encounter include file corruption, compatibility problems, and much more.
By using the ways mentioned above or trying easy and advanced Goldy Tools’ OST to PST converter, all these problems can be easily solved, and thus, OST to PST migration becomes successful.
By: Goldy Tools
Categories: OST to PST Converter
