OST file is the Outlook offline data file which is a copy of the items present on the exchange server of MS Outlook. The user has a replica of the mailbox files stored on his system.

There are many issues which are connected to these files.

There can be corruption issues, inaccessibility issues which may cause due to

Virus attacks,

Abrupt system shutdown or

Due to the accidental deletion of the Outlook Account on the exchange server.

And in those situations, it becomes difficult to open OST file without Exchange Server.

But if there is a will there is a way.

I am going to tell you a unique and easy trick which will help you to sort such issues. You just have to recreate OST file and that would help you to access the data.

Before knowing the steps you must know the following facts of Different versions of MS Outlook

OST Repair Option Varies in different versions of Outlook

Detect and Repair tool is inbuilt in MS Outlook 2000 and 2003

MS Outlook 2007 Replaced “Detect and Repair” option with Office Diagnostic tools

MS Outlook 2010 and 2013 have Repair Option but they only repair Outlook installation files and registry entries

It is easy to repair and recreate OST files in Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016

So lets now go through the procedures

Two Ways To Open OST files Without Exchange Server

Recreating OST file from the Server

Viewing it with the help of a tool (No Exchange Server)

Steps to Recreate OST files Manually

OST files are the offline file format of the data present on the server. The User can view the file by downloading it from the server. To do this follow the below steps:

Close MS Outlook

Open Control Panel

Select “Mail” Option



A “Mail Setup” dialog box will Appear on page

Click on “Email Accounts” option



A new Dialog Box Named “Account Setting” will open

Now go to “Data Files” tab and choose your account



Here select the OST file and then click on “Open File Location”

Right click on that OST file and Delete it



Note- Before deleting the OST file, close Account Settings and Mail Setup Window or else you will face an error.

Now open the Outlook Application Again

This will automatically create a new OST file by downloading all the data from Exchange Server.

Note- If you are using MS Outlook 2010 then it doesn’t support manual opening and importing of items from an OST file.

So by trying the above steps, you will be able to view and open OST file using an exchange server. You can only try these steps when the exchange server and your Outlook Account is synced properly.

Now, what will we do if you want to view the data of OST file without having an exchange server?

You can also Read- How to View or Open OST File Without Outlook / Exchange Server??

How to View /Read OST File Data?

Unfortunately, its a difficult task to open Outlook OST file without Outlook email or Exchange Server Synchronization.

However, you can try a Professional OST Viewer tool which can help you to open OST file without an Exchange Server or MS Outlook.

This is a free application and you can use it without paying a penny.

You just have to download the free version and try the tool. The interface is very user-friendly and compatible with all the versions of Windows. You don’t have to bother about the version of Windows you are using. Just install it and view your data stored in your OST files.

The most interesting feature in this tool is that it helps the user to open and view the corrupted OST files as well.

You can easily access your damaged OST file with the help of this application. Plus the software has been designed with three scanning modes Standard, Advanced and Deep mode which help users to provide the best result.

I hope the tricks I have mentioned in this article are sufficient for you to “open OST file without Exchange Server” and with Exchange Server. The tool which I have mentioned is also free of cost and would be feasible to use.