In this digital era, emails serve as a crucial part of our daily communication, both personally and professionally. Among a variety of email clients and services available today, Microsoft's Outlook is widely used and stores its data in an OST format. The EML format, used by multiple email platforms, offers greater flexibility in contrast to OST files, which cannot be accessed outside their native system. This blog post aims to guide you through the process of converting OST to EML, thereby ensuring a smooth transition of your data across different email platforms.
Understanding OST and EML Files
The file formats used in email communication can significantly affect their flexibility and usability. MS Outlook employs OST file format for storing mailbox data. But a key limitation of OST files is that they cannot be accessed outside the system on which they were created.
On the other hand, the EML file format, used by various email clients, including Mozilla Thunderbird, MS Outlook, Windows Live Mail, Apple Mail, and more, can be accessed and used across various platforms. This makes EML files much more versatile compared to OST files.
Business Implication of OST and EML Files
In today's business environment, where flexibility and accessibility are key, the inability of OST files to be accessed outside their native system presents significant limitations. This poses challenges, especially in scenarios where employees need to access their email data from different locations or on various devices. EML files, in contrast, offer the flexibility that modern businesses require. They can be accessed easily with a email client, making them more user-friendly and versatile.
The Need for OST to EML Conversion
The limitations of OST files, coupled with the greater flexibility of EML files, often necessitate conversion from OST to EML format. The ability to open EML files easily with email clients like Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Windows Live Mail, provides users with greater accessibility and the freedom to switch between different email programs as per their requirements.
How to convert OST to EML manually?
The process of converting OST to EML manually involves several steps and isn't straightforward. Nonetheless, if you're up for it, here are the steps you'll need to follow:
Step 1: Setup Gmail in Outlook
- Login Gmail account and go to the settings
- Click on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP option
- Enable IMAP and click on the Save Changes button
- Go to https://myaccount.google.com/
- Click on the Security and enable Less secure app access
- Launch MS Outlook
- Go to the File and click on the Add Account button
- Enter Name, Email, Password, Retype Password and click on the Next button
- After the successful validation process, click on the Finish button
Step 2: Move Emails to Gmail
- Right-click on the Gmail mailbox and click on the New Folder option
- Provide folder a name and select emails, which you want to import
- Start drag and drop emails to the new folder
Step 3: Setup Gmail with Thunderbird
- Start Mozilla Thunderbird
- Go to the Tools and select Options
- Click on the Account Settings, select Account Action, and click on the Add Mail Account option
- Enter Name, Email, Password and click on the Continue button
- Select IMAP and click on the Done button
Step 4: Export EML from Thunderbird
- Click on the Gmail mailbox and select emails, which you want to export (Use CTRL+A to select all)
- Drag selected emails and drop emails into the machine
- All emails will automatically convert into the EML format
Note: If you are facing issues to execute the manual method and looking for a simple solution, then you can try the below-mentioned solutions. It will save your time and efforts.
Convert OST to EML using OST Converter
While the manual process provides a way to convert OST to EML, it's time-consuming and complicated. That's why a simpler, more straightforward tool like SysCurve OST Converter comes in handy. This software is a powerful tool that can easily convert and export OST to EML format in a few steps:
- Download and install the software
- Launch the tool and click on the Add File option
- Select the OST file and click on the OK button to start the loading process.
- After the loading process, the software will arrange all data and create a preview mode inside the software window.
- Click on the Export option and select Export All folders
- Choose EML as an Export option and provide a destination path to save the resultant EML files
- Click on the Next button to start OST to EML conversion.
- Once the process gets complete, click on the OK button.
Other helpful features
SysCurve OST Converter is a highly versatile and efficient tool offering many features, including:
- Convert OST to EML, PST, MBOX, MSG, HTML, and MHTML format.
- Create a preview mode inside the software dashboard.
- Scan and repair the corrupted or damaged OST files.
- Maintain the original folder structure and metadata.
- Search and Filter options to perform selective conversion
- Support all versions of MS Outlook and Windows OS.
- Free OST to EML conversion for the first 20 items per folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access the converted EML files in Mozilla Thunderbird?
Absolutely! With the SysCurve OST Converter, you can convert OST to EML files. After this, you can easily import the eml files into Thunderbird.
Can I import OST to Windows Live Mail with this tool?
Yes, you can. To import OST files to Windows Live Mail, you first need to convert the OST files into EML format using SysCurve OST Converter. After that, you can easily open the converted EML files with Windows Live Mail.
Is there any free software available to convert OST to EML?
While there isn't any freeware available for this purpose, SysCurve OST Converter offers a free trial version. This trial version lets you convert and export the first 20 items from each folder.
The Final Word
The process of converting OST files to EML may seem complicated at first, but with the right guidance and tools, it becomes much simpler and manageable. By understanding the differences between OST and EML files, and following the steps outlined in this post, you can easily convert your files and make the most of your email data. As always, the choice between the manual method and the SysCurve OST Converter tool depends on your needs, preferences, and technical proficiency. Whichever method you choose, we hope this guide has been helpful in facilitating your OST to EML conversion process.
