How do I locate OST files in all MS Outlook Versions?

Last updated on June 9th, 2022 at 05:05 am

OST file can be found in the user’s computer. It is a matter of grave concern to know where and how they can be accessed. Users may be so skeptical that they won’t allow access to OST files unless absolutely necessary. The user will begin to search for the location of the OST file in such a situation. Users tend to delete obsolete files rather than search for the OST file.

What is the purpose of looking for the OST file location in order to locate it?

These are some of the scenarios Outlook users might encounter when they feel the need to locate the exact OST file location:

If OST file backup is necessary (in the absence of Import/Export wizard).
When storage problems force you to modify the OST file location
If an OST file becomes corrupted or outdated, will create a new OST files
Conversion from OST to PST files is possible
Exchange Server goes down or is under maintenance
Analysis of OST files

Is it really that easy? When a user attempts to find the OST files, this question comes up. Users will quickly get an answer to this question: Yes, it’s easy to find the OST files and make necessary changes. The condition is that the location of the OST files may vary depending on which MS Outlook version is being used.

The default paths for Exchange OST files are located as follows:

The majority of Windows versions can be found here.

C:\Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

The default OST file locations are listed below for Outlook versions.

Version	Path
Outlook 2016, 2016 & 2013,	C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Outlook 2010	C:DocumentsOutlook files
Outlook 2007 and older versions	C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Windows XP	C:\Documents and Settings\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Microsoft Outlook users can manually locate OST files in all MS Outlook versions using the Account Settings feature. Let us show you how.

Locating OST files in different Outlook Versions

The Outlook version that the user is using will affect where OST files are located. These are the steps to clearly indicate the location of OST files in Outlook versions.

Outlook 2003 and earlier versions

Access Outlook 2003 platform, followed by tools -> Email accounts
Select Microsoft Exchange Account and click the View link.
Follow this link Microsoft Exchange button with Change.
The dialog box will now appear. Click on More Options to open a dialog box.
Select Advanced tab.
Click the Offline File Settings to see the location of the OST file.

Most professionals are now using MS Outlook 2007 because of technical issues with older Outlook versions. Locating OST files in Outlook 2007 follows different path:

Open Outlook 2007 platform.
Click Tools > Account Settings > Select Emails.
Select MS Exchange Server and then click ‘Change’ under ‘Change Email Account’.
Click the More Options to open a dialog box.
Click Advanced tab now to click Offline File Settings.
The ‘Offline File Settings’ shows the location of OST files.
Click on the File Field to copy the path.
Copy the file path to get the OST file acces.

What if Outlook 2010 is your first version? You will need to follow different steps.

Open Outlook 2010 platform, then select File tab.
Click Account Settings->Account Settings. The Account Setting dialog box appears.
Choose MS Exchange Server.
Click the Switch button. You will see the message “Change Account”
To access more settings, click on the “Microsoft Exchange” dialogue box.
Click the Offline File Settings tab from Advanced tab. The ‘Offline data file settings’ dialog box will open. The OST file can also be found in the File field.

Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016 are the same versions. Outlook 2019 is the latest version. The procedure to find the OST files will be the same as Outlook 2007. Before you start searching for the OST files, make sure to have Outlook version.

If you’re too lazy, there is a better solution.

You can find the OST files from one place without having to dig into Outlook settings. These tools are complex and can provide this type of assistance. You can test the performance of these tools by downloading OST to PST Converter free trial version. It mimics a licensed version but has limited saving capabilities. To perform its functions, this automatic solution doesn’t require any email client. This tool can also automatically search for OST files on the system drive. The tool can be used in multiple ways through a single platform. This tool is available on the software website.

Last words

We learned how to manually find OST file locations for different Microsoft Outlook version using Outlook Account Settings and the direct path locations for OST files based on different Outlook versions. An all-purpose third-party tool has been introduced to make it easier to search for and repair OST files automatically.