Outlook, when connected with Exchange Server, Outlook.com, Office 365, or IMAP account, creates an OST file to store the synchronized copy of the mailbox data on local storage. The OST file is connected with the profile in which it is created. You can’t transfer or move the OST file to any other Outlook profile. So, when incidents, such as server crash, users’ profiles get deleted from the server, malware or ransomware attack compromising the hosted server, etc., occur, you can’t access your mailbox data. To restore the mailbox data, you need to convert the OST file into PST format, which you can easily import into any Outlook profile.
However, converting such OST files through manual methods is impossible. So, the question is: How to convert the OST file into a PST file? The solution is to use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST. This is a great tool to convert OST files into PST format. So, we tried this software to know how it works. Here’s our experience of using this software.
Table of Contents
First Impression
We downloaded the software from the official website. The download process took a few second as the file was of just 22 MB.
Figure 2: Installation Wizard
The installation process took only a few minutes. All we need to do was to click the downloaded file, select a language and a folder for installation, and accept some terms and conditions. Moreover, the software’s installation wizard helps us throughout the installation process.
User Interface
When we launched the software, it quickly requested authentication and asked to select the OST file. The user interface was clean and without any unnecessary steps and animations while having every necessary feature on the menu bar.
Figure 3: UI of the Software
The best part is that even a user with limited technical knowledge would be able to use the software without any problem.
Software Editions
Stellar Converter for OST is available in three editions. These are:
- Corporate
- Technician
- Toolkit
All the three versions cater to the basic requirements of converting the OST files into PST format but differ from each other based on the features. Thus, they have different pricing.
- Corporate Version: $79
- Technician Version: $149 for 1 year and $249 for Lifetime Licensing
- Toolkit Version: $199 for 1 year and $299 for Lifetime Licensing
The Corporate version provides conversion for five mailboxes, whereas Technician and Toolkit versions cater to unlimited mailboxes. The Toolkit version includes the features of other two versions and also provides some extra features, such as:
- Repairing corrupt PST file
- Splitting of PST files
- Removing duplicate files
- Extracting the attachments present in the mails
- Compacting the files
- Recovering the deleted mail data
System Requirements
The software is very light on your system and does not require any high-end system specifications to run. Here are the minimal system requirements to use the software.
- Processor: Intel-compatible for both x86 and x64
- Hard Disk: 250 MB for installation files
- Memory: 4 GB minimum, but we recommend 8 GB
- Operating System: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, or 7
However, similar to other software, Stellar Converter for OST would deliver better results and performance if you use it on better system specifications.
Performance during Conversion
We used the software to convert an OST file of 800 MB. It took around 70 seconds for the software to convert the file. It then presents us with a preview of the same to check the file items. Moreover, during the whole process of conversion, we were able to use other applications. It did not affect the performance of the software. Watch this video to easily understand how to use the software.
Some Notable Features
The software is filled with unique features. Some of these are:
Preview of Data
After converting the file, the software allows to preview all the data with the help of the preview feature. This feature helps check if the conversion is done correctly and there is nothing missing before saving the converted file.
Figure 4: File Preview
Search Option
The software has a search option that helps search for specific emails and mail items based on different parameters, such as “To,” “From,” “Date,” etc.
Figure 5: Find Files
Auto-splitting of Large Files
The software auto-splits large converted files which cross the 45 GB mark. This feature further helps preventing corruption in PST file due to large size.
Conversion of Multiple OST Files at Once
The Technician Edition software helps convert multiple files into PST format at once with the Batch Conversion feature. This feature comes of the in handy when moving to a new mailing platform.
Verdict
While using the software, we were wary of the integrity of the files after conversion. The software surpassed our expectations. There were no damages to the file. The best part was that the hierarchy of the file was maintained after conversion. Stellar Converter for OST performed as it claimed. We can say that it is a robust and reliable tool for OST to PST conversion.
