How to Disable OST File in Outlook?

The use of OST files holds integrity in keeping the data of Outlook email client accounts secure. OST files have been present across the email client for a while, which has brought up its importance across most sectors in the professional field.

People tend to use this feature for their Outlook client accounts for holding and securing data. However, there are times when you are forced to change or replace your OST file. This article comes up with a discussion of how to disable the OST file in Outlook with the right set of approaches.

Part 1: Reasons to Disable Your OST Outlook File

OST files are quite large in size when it comes to their functionality across the Outlook email client. With the pre-defined functions of securing and protecting the data of the Outlook email account, the use of OST Outlook files is quite definite in the market.

However, there is a significant chance of the file getting corrupt for many reasons. This leads to the need to disable the OST Outlook file. Before we lead into the methods, you should segregate the reasons for disabling OST files:

1. Moving to a New Mailbox

Professional measures usually call for a quick shift to new mailboxes that shall hold the data from the start and would give a new identity to the person using it in the market. Under such circumstances, the user is bound to take the step of disabling their OST file.

2. De-Synchronization in the Processes

Anything that has been changed across the OST file in the offline version of the email client is updated on the Outlook account over the resumption of the network connection. Under such cases, if the files are not synchronized accordingly, this leads to the need to disable the OST file.

Part 2: How to Disable OST File in Outlook (All Important Versions)

The Outlook email client has developed over the decades, with various significant updates in the form of different versions. Outlook does exist in different versions, which leads to the need to discuss the step-by-step guides of all respective versions, which are shown as follows:

For Outlook 2007

If you are looking for a guide on how to disable OST file in Outlook 2007, you are at the right place:

Step 1: The offline folders of the OST file are to be synchronized to the server folders. For this, you can consider options of synchronizing a specific folder, working on all folders, and settling over a group of folders.

To synchronize a specific folder, proceed to the “Tools” tab and find the “Send/Receive” option to select the folder.

If you wish to synchronize all folders, proceed to the same "Tools" tab and find the "Send/Receive" option.

For this case, select the 'Send/Receive All' option to synchronize the complete file folder.

To synchronize a group, set yourselves in the "Tools" tab, followed by the "Send/Receive" option to select the option of "Group (Send/Receive)."

Step 2: On completing synchronization, redirect to the “Tools” section and select “Email Accounts.” You need to navigate to the option of “View or Change existing email account” and click “Next.” The “Account Settings” window opens up on the front. You need to specify the email account and click on “Change.”

Step 3: You will locate the "Change Email Account" option on the next screen. Proceed to click on "More Settings." With a new window on the front, proceed to the "Advanced" tab from the top and click on "Offline Folder File Settings." You have to click the ‘Disable Offline Use” button to conclude the process.

For Outlook 2010 or Later Versions

Users who are in search of a guide explaining how to disable OST files in Outlook 2010 and later versions should look across the following steps in detail:

Step 1: As you proceed to disable the OST file, you are bound to synchronize all the content of the offline folders with the server folders.

To synchronize a single folder with the server, redirect to the "Send/Receive" option, select the folder, and conclude by clicking "Update Folder."

To synchronize all folders, you will find the "Send/Receive All Folders" in the same section. Move into the same section and find the "(Send/Receive) Groups" option to synchronize a group of folders.

Step 2: Navigate to the "File" tab and locate the "Account Settings” section in the settings. Select your Exchange account and click “Change.”

Step 3: Locate the "Offline Settings" option and uncheck the "Use Cached Exchange Mode" option on the screen. Restart the Outlook to apply the settings.

Part 3: Converting OST File to PST – A New Approach

OST files are quite important in terms of the data that it holds of the certain Outlook email client account. Under such cases, you should look for other approaches that can help you secure the data of the OST file and eventually disable it across your device. Converting the OST file to PST before disabling it sounds perfect. Stellar Converter for OST is here to provide you with the effective services of converting an OST file to PST.

The platform offers a quick and easy user interface for its users to follow. With different preview options available across the platform, Stellar ensures a comprehensive conversion of your OST files to PST. To figure out the process, go through the steps provided below:

Step 1: Launch the tool after installing it on your computer. Proceed to select the option of “Select Outlook OST” from the “Home” tab to open a new window for importing the OST file into the platform.

Step 2: To find the location of the OST file, click on “Browse” if you are aware of its location. To find it automatically, click on “Find.” Once the file is found, tap on “Convert” to start the process.

Step 3: The file gets converted and is displayed across the Preview window. You will also observe the deleted files of your OST in the red color across the preview window. Select the necessary folders that are to be converted and click on the “Save Converted File” across the “Home” section.

Step 4: Set the conversion file format to “PST” and click on “Browse” to set the location for the converted file. The process will execute successfully without any error.

Part 4: Delete Your OST File-Another Way to Disable OST

Once you have converted the OST file from Outlook to PST, you can now easily delete the file from your computer to disable it from the client account. Deleting files from the Outlook OST removes all the content from the mailbox. To prevent the data from getting lost, the user converts the OST file to PST beforehand.

Before coming to delete the files, it is important to be aware of the OST file and its location across your Windows device. For this, you need to look across the data of default locations for OST files according to Outlook and Windows OS versions.

Follow the steps provided below to delete your OST file from the computer with ease:

Step 1: You should ensure that all sessions of Microsoft Outlook are closed across your computer. Proceed to click on the “Search” button across the toolbar below. Type “Run” to initiate the Run program.

Step 2: On opening the Run program, you should look across the default location of the OST file according to the table provided above. Copy and paste the location as appropriate and click on "OK."

Step 3: This will lead you to the folder that contains the OST file on the computer. Right-click the file and click on "Delete" from the options provided. Confirm the process by clicking "Yes" and successfully removing the OST file from Outlook.

Conclusion

The article has been quite conclusive in offering the user a clear guide on how to disable the OST file in Outlook, regardless of the version of Outlook that they own. With the right set of functions and different approaches that can be used to disable and remove the OST file from Outlook, the article presents the right set of details to its users in all possible scenarios.