Advanced & Simple Methods to Export OST to EML Files Without Data Loss

Summary: Microsoft Outlook uses Offline Storage Table (OST) files, which allow users to access their emails offline. OST files are good for offline access; however, there are situations where it is important to convert OST files to Email Message Format (EML) files. EML files are universal and can be used with many email programs, making them the perfect format for email migration, backup, and sharing. This article gives you easy guidelines to convert OST to EML step by step. To make it more convenient, use the OST to PST converter tool.

Convert OST to EML Format: Different Reasons

There are various reasons for which customers convert OST to EML format. Among them are:

• Migration to another email client that uses EML files is possible by converting OST files to EML format.
• Converting to an Email Client that Supports EML Files.
• Archiving emails in a manner that is available for all.
• Accessing emails across many platforms and devices.
• Share individual emails easily without compatibility problems.

Converting OST to EML format makes it more compatible, usable, and manageable for your email data to enable integration, backup, and distribution of this information as and when needed. 

Manual Process to Convert OST to EML File Format

But before we look at the many ways to convert OST files to EML format, we have to know about two scenarios of Outlook OST files. 

Prerequisites

• Active Microsoft Outlook account on an exchange server.
• Mozilla Thunderbird installed on your machine.
• A Gmail account set up for IMAP.

We shall discuss both cases.

The Outlook data file is linked to the Exchange server.

If your Outlook OST file is connected to Exchange Server, then you can convert OST emails to EML files by following these steps:

• Configure Gmail in Outlook to Configure the IMAP
• Move E-mail to IMAP Folders
• How to Convert OST to EML File Format Via Mozilla Thunderbird
• Convert to EML Files 

After following these instructions, you will have successfully transferred your OST emails into EML format, so you may view your emails in another email client or for backup purposes. 

Step 1: Set up Gmail in Outlook to Create the IMAP

• Log in to Gmail with your credentials.
• Next, navigate to Settings and select the "See all Settings" option.
• Then select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings.
• Select the IMAP Access check box, and then click Save Changes.
• Open the Microsoft Outlook application on your specified system.
• Then go to File and click on the Add Account option.
• Now type in your name, email, and password and click on the Next button.
• Finally, click Finish to validate it successfully.

Step 2: Drag Emails to IMAP Folders

Once the OST file is connected to the Outlook Exchange server, it will retain all of the Outlook mailbox items. The next step is to back up your emails and convert them to the EML format. For this you have to first copy the email(s) from the OST file into a previously configured IMAP (Gmail) email account. This is phase two of the conversion procedure. 

Step 3: Migrate OST to EML File Format Using Mozilla Thunderbird 

After you have sent the email messages that you want to transfer to the IMAP mailbox. The next step is to set up the same IMAP email account in Mozilla Thunderbird. Please follow these steps to set up the IMAP account in Thunderbird:

• Download and install the Thunderbird application on your machine.
• Login with your Thunderbird account credentials.
• Then click the Thunderbird menu (settings) button and select the "Account Settings" choices.
• Then click on the Account Action option and select the Add Mail Account option.
• Then enter your current email address’s password and email to set up your current email address.
• Finally, click on the Finish button, and your Gmail account will now be visible on Thunderbird.

Step 4: Export to EML Files

Once you add the IMAP email account, your Outlook emails will be available in Mozilla Thunderbird. To complete conversion, you need to convert OST files to EML files; you will need to save your emails to EML. You can achieve this by following the below instructions. 

• Open the mailbox folder you want.
• Then, select all the emails that you wish to back up.
• Now, right click on these emails and choose the Save As option.
• Then pick the designated destination folder.
• Finally, it exports all the selected emails into EML file format.

Limitations of Manual Methods

Here are a few constraints to consider when manually converting OST files to EML files:

• The manual method takes a lot of time to complete the operation.
• If any step is missed or skipped, there is a danger of data loss or corruption.
• Also, this approach cannot be used for a significant amount of Outlook data.
• Also, you don’t get any additional features to complete the process. 

Such disadvantages are the reason why users so often look for automated ways to convert OST files into CSV files. In the next section, we will help you out with the best utility to import the huge OST file.

OST to EML Converter to Convert OST File to EML File Format

Convert Outlook OST files to EML file format without converting the file content with the most dependable SameTools to Convert OST to EML. Furthermore, the software exports OST files to multiple file formats and email clients. This is a powerful tool with a number of distinctive features that help to make converting easy and accurate. It is easy to use, it works fast, and it has unique migration features that make it stand out from other solutions. Apart from converting OST files, it also migrates your Outlook data to any other email accounts. The program is also compatible with all Windows OS versions for broad compatibility.

OST to EML File Format Conversion in Easy Steps

1. Download & install the OST to EML converter tool on your defined system.
2. Choose the Single Files/Multiple Files Option.
3. Choose the Select File option and select the Desired OST File option.
4. In the utility, your contacts are shown in a tree-like format.
5. Now choose the directories you wish to convert and then click Next to continue.
6. Then, from the drop-down menu, select EML as a file format.
7. Select the additional option / attributes to suit your needs.
8. Then, decide where you want to save the resulting file.
9. At last, click on the convert option to convert the task.

Conclusion 

Converting OST files to EML may seem difficult at first but may be a simple task with the right technique. Microsoft Outlook utilizes OST files, while other email apps utilize EML files. You can use the OST to EML Converter or any other tool to convert OST to EML format manually. A converting tool is usually easier and faster to use for non-techies. This guide might help you better understand the process and select the way that is ideal for you. This instruction will help you convert your files easily, whether you do it manually or with a tool.