Outlook 2013 and 2016 generate an offline cache for each IMAP account. It is a database that stores all of the mailbox data in a single file with the. ost suffix. It is a unique data file that a typical user may be unaware of. When transitioning to the Microsoft cloud, it can be helpful to understand how to upload an OST file to Office 365. It is a straightforward procedure that can be completed by following the instructions outlined in this essay. Knowing these things can be extremely useful while migrating OST to Office 365. This page will throw some light on the issue and attempt to describe the technique briefly. Continue reading to learn more.
OST file
It is an Outlook offline data file designed to store IMAP databases in a single file. To transfer data items to the cloud, upload OST to O365. The steps are outlined in this post. It is a server-based replica of mailbox data that can be used to view emails without the Internet. Any modifications or adjustments made will be reflected and synchronized on the server when Outlook is reconnected.
PST file
This is a personal data file generated on the backend for POP and POP3 accounts. It retrieves objects from the server and deletes them. It’s a proprietary format for storing emails, contacts, calendars, and other mailbox contents. To extract messages from Outlook and save them to a desktop file, one must first convert OST to PST.
Manually importing OST to Office 365
Here are the steps to move Outlook offline data files (.ost) to the cloud.
Step 1: Convert the OST file to PST.
There are three primary methods for converting offline data to a.pst file:
- The Archive Method allows you to selectively export all of your mailbox data to a PST file. It can be enabled in File>>Cleanup Tools>>Archive.
- Copy to Folder: Navigate to Outlook > New Items > Outlook Data File (.pst). Then, copy emails from your current folder to the new PST file.
- Export-Mailbox: This is another option for exporting offline data and uploading OST to Office 365. It can be set up by heading to Outlook>>File>>Import/Export. Use the wizard to generate a.pst file for a single folder.
Step 2: Upload PST to Office 365.
- Using Azure AzCopy: Azure AzCopy is a Microsoft tool that can be used to transfer Outlook data files (.pst) to the cloud.
- Drive Shipping: Create a hard drive containing all of the domain’s PST files. Then, transport the drive to the Microsoft data centre, where data will be uploaded straight to their servers.
Quick setup to migrate OST to Office 365.
There are solutions for making the procedure quicker and more convenient. These include the usage of low-cost third-party tools from the market. These are particularly intended to migrating data to Office 365 accounts. One such quick, dependable, and trustworthy software is the Softaken Mail Importer Tool. It is a better option than using any manual approach. It takes a.ost or .nst file as input and transforms it to a variety of formats, including Office 365. The utility is compatible with all versions of Windows 10, as well as previous 32- and 64-bit releases.
Conclusion
The primary goal of migrating to Microsoft Cloud is to improve services and enable real-time document collaboration. Work while travelling or offline using a tablet, PC, or mobile device. This article explains each phase of the OST to Office 365 migration. These are vital guidelines that any professional or casual user considering moving to O365 can benefit from. An alternate solution is also proposed, which can be utilized instead. It is a straightforward method of translating vital mailbox data.
