Proven methods to convert OST to MSG format

Read time: 6 minutes

Outlook OST files aren’t exactly the most flexible file format in order to share and collaborate with colleagues and clients. Apart from this fact, these files become inaccessible whenever Exchange Server crashes which negatively impacts the productivity. Is there any alternative to avoid this?

Convert your OST files to MSG format to avoid facing any errors or issues associated with the formerly mentioned file format. Now you might be wondering why MSG? These files are widely compatible with multiple popular email clients such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail etc. Also due to their relatively small size, MSG files can be an excellent choice for you. Read ahead to know more about the top methods to convert OST to MSG format easily.

Key factors to convert OST to MSG format

Several factors contribute to users’ decision of switching from OST to MSG file format. Every organization has different set of requirements which call for conversion of OST files. Here we’ve highlighted some of the most common reasons behind this conversion process:

• Convert OST to MSG to facilitate collaboration between clients as non-Outlook users can easily access MSG files.
• MSG format preserves the original metadata of the email perfectly, so its beneficial for users who wish to share the email message in the original formatting.
• Converting OST files to MSG format effectively helps in reducing the file size of oversized OST files.
• Converting OST files in MSG format is a great way of backing up all the mailbox data while keeping the data structure intact.

Pre-requisites of OST to MSG conversion

It is crucial to make sure certain conditions are fulfilled before going forward with the OST conversion process. Doing so makes sure that there’s no setbacks during or after the conversion process. Some of the most common requisites are:

• Take multiple backups: Create multiple backups of your OST files at a safe location to ensure you don’t have to face data loss in any unfortunate scenario.
• Scan OST files: Check for any corruption or viruses in your OST files that may hamper the conversion process and damage other files.
• Exclude empty folders: Avoid converting empty folders to MSG format to ensure a quick and error free OST file conversion.
• Avoid duplicate conversion: Don’t convert a single OST file repeatedly to prevent redundancy and consequent data loss.
• Choose an automated tool: Convert your OST files through a trusted OST to MSG converter to ensure a quick and efficient conversion without worrying about data loss.

How to convert OST to MSG format?

After a thorough research of different manual methods, below we’ve described two easy ways to convert your OST files to MSG via Outlook.

Method 1: Drag and Drop method

This is one of the simplest method mainly used for converting small number of OST files to MSG format. Let’s see the steps to perform this method below:

• Choose the email folder of your choice in Outlook.
• Either press Ctrl + A or press Ctrl and select the emails you wish to convert to MSG format.
• Open the folder on your device’s local storage where you wish to save these emails.
• Now go back to Outlook, drag your selected emails and drop them in this folder.

Method 2: Convert OST to MSG using Save As option

You can convert every single email to MSG by saving it through the Save As option in Outlook’s application. Follow the steps below to perform this process:

• Launch Outlook’s application on your device and click on the email of your choice.
• Then go to the File tab and click on Save As.
• In the Save As dialogue box, choose Outlook Message Format as the output type.
• Name your MSG file and finally click on Save.

Drawbacks of manual methods

Having the knowledge of potential risks and challenges that you might face while performing the manual methods is important. Some common risks associated with the previously stated methods are:

• Performing these methods will disrupt the data structure and folder hierarchy of the OST files.
• It can be tricky to save oversized OST files in MSG format using the given solutions.
• Corrupt or inaccessible OST files can’t be converted to MSG format manually.
• There can be chances of data leak or data loss while performing these methods. This can create issues for users dealing with sensitive information.

Automated approach to convert OST to MSG format

The possibility of data loss often discourages users from executing the manual methods. The question that arises now is what method to employ for a successful OST to MSG conversion. Using a trusted automated software is the key factor to a successful and error-free OST to MSG conversion. Professional software like Kernel for OST to PST is an excellent choice for accurate conversion of OST file components to desired format.

Some remarkable features of this OST to PST converter tool are:

• Converts OST files to formats like PST, MSG, EML, MBOX, PDF, HTML, DOC, etc.
• Migrates OST file data to Office 365 and Exchange Server quickly without a chance of data loss
• Recovers data from corrupt or inaccessible OST files and save it in the chosen format.
• Restores deleted OST file components with original data structure using robust algorithms.
• Splits oversized OST files to smaller sized PST files during conversion for effective storage management.

Conclusion

Converting Outlook emails to MSG format is a requirement of organizations and individuals for reasons like, easy collaboration, data structure preservation, etc. The above article highlights the driving factors behind OST to MSG conversion. We’ve outlined two simple methods for OST conversion along with some pre-conditions that must be fulfilled. Despite that these methods don’t guarantee success and may even lead to data loss. Using a trusted OST file to PST converter is the best bet to streamline your OST conversion. Recover data from inaccessible OST files and convert multiple files to your chosen format.

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