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How to open a PST file in Outlook

A .pst file opens in any Outlook, without the original account. It shows up as another set of folders in the sidebar, next to your mailbox.

In classic Outlook (Microsoft 365, 2021, 2019, 2016)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click File, then Open & Export, then Open Outlook Data File.
3. Choose the .pst file and click OK.
4. The file's folders appear in the left sidebar under the data file's name. To remove them from the sidebar without deleting the file, right-click the name and choose Close.

In the new Outlook for Windows

Recent versions of the new Outlook can open .pst files, but the feature is still limited. If the option doesn't appear, use classic Outlook: in the new Outlook, the New Outlook toggle in the top-right corner switches back to the classic version.

Copy the messages into your mailbox

With the PST open, you can drag folders and messages from it into your current mailbox. To copy everything at once, use File, Open & Export, Import/Export, Import from another program or file and choose the .pst.

If Outlook refuses the file

• It's an .ost, not a .pst: Outlook doesn't open standalone .ost files. Convert it first in the converter.
• The file is in a read-only folder, on a USB drive or in the cloud: copy it to a local folder such as Documents and open the copy.
• Outlook says the file is damaged: open it in the converter with recovery mode, which builds a new PST with everything that is still readable.