Easy Ways to Recover Deleted Emails from OST File in Outlook

In the modern digital age, email has become an indispensable mode of communication, both for personal and professional purposes. Many users rely on email clients like Microsoft Outlook to manage their emails efficiently. However, accidental deletion of important emails can lead to panic and frustration. If you’re using an OST file, there’s a chance to recover deleted emails from OST file. You can also use the Professional OST Recovery tool if you find severe corruption.

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An OST file is an offline copy of your mailbox that allows you to access your emails, calendar items, and contacts even when you’re not connected to the internet. When you delete an email from your mailbox, it’s moved to the “Deleted Items” folder. Now, we’ll discuss the common reasons for recovering deleted emails from your Outlook Offline Data file.

Why Restore Deleted Email Items From OST File?

The following section will discuss the possible reasons for deleting emails from your OST data file.  

• Accidental Deletion: A simple misstep or momentary lapse in attention can lead to the permanent removal of crucial emails.   
• Business Continuity: Restoring deleted email items ensures that business operations can continue without disruptions.
• Valuable Attachments:  Losing the attachments could result in delays, misunderstandings, and even financial implications. 
• Personal and Sentimental Value: Accidentally deleting emails can lead to emotional distress. The ability to restore these emails helps preserve cherished memories and sentiments.

Here are some common reasons to Recover Deleted Emails from OST File in Outlook. Now, we will highlight the best ways for the same. 

How to Recover Deleted Emails From OST File?

However, if you’ve emptied this folder or permanently deleted an email by pressing “Shift + Delete,” it may seem irretrievable. But fear not! There are methods to recover these seemingly lost emails. 

• Opt Outlook for Retrieving OST Files.
• Recover from the “Deleted Items” Folder.
• Recreate OST Files.
• Restore OST Files Through CMD.
• Use the Recoverable Items Folder.

Alright, we’ve just given you an overview of all the procedures to Recover Emails from Offline Outlook OST File. Now, we’ll elaborate on each possible way. 

Solution 1: Opt For Outlook for Retrieving OST Files

Accidentally losing vital emails can be a real headache. But there’s a way to get them back if you’ve Microsoft Outlook and have an OST file.  

• Go to your computer’s Control Panel. You can find this by searching for “Control Panel” in the Windows search bar.
• Once in the Control Panel, look for the “Mail” option and click on it to open the Mail applet.
• In the Mail applet, you’ll see a list of email accounts you have set up in Outlook. Choose the account option to recover emails and click the “Change” tab.
• In the Change Account Window, you’ll find a button called “More Settings.” Click on it.
• In the new window that pops up, select the “Advanced” tab.
• Go for an option that says “Use Cached Exchange Mode” and uncheck it. Then, click the “Apply” button under the Microsoft Exchange window.
• Still, in the More Settings window, you’ll see a button labeled “Outlook Data File Settings.” Click on it to proceed.
• After clicking, a new window called “Outlook Data File Settings” will appear on your screen.
• Here, find and select the “Disable Offline Use” button, then click “OK.”
• A message will pop up that shows, “Outlook will not be able to work with your OST file.” Don’t worry! Just click “Yes” to continue.
• You’ll be taken back to the More Settings window. Again, choose the “Outlook Data File Settings” option.
• In the Outlook Data File Settings window, go to the “Browse” tab. 
• Go back to the Change Account Window and check the checkbox next to “Use Cached Exchange Mode.”
• Click “Next” and then “Finish” to wrap up the settings.
• Open the Outlook program. You might see a message saying, “Outlook is using an old copy of your OST.” No worries—just click “OK.”
• Wait a moment, and Outlook will start up properly.

NOTE:- Don’t try to open MS Outlook because it will create a new OST file.

• Once Outlook setup is completed, you can see your contacts, mail, and other data in your account.

The above solution helps to Recover Deleted Emails from OST File effortlessly. If not, opt for the other solution.

Solution 2: Recover from the “Deleted Items” Folder

• Open Microsoft Outlook and go to the “Deleted Items” folder.
• Search for the deleted email. If found, right-click on it and select “Move” > “Other Folder.”
• Choose a destination folder to move the email back into your mailbox.

Solution 3: Recreate OST Files 

Recreating an Offline OST file in Outlook might sound complicated. But with a few simple steps, you can do it effortlessly. The following section will help you to recover deleted emails from OST file.

• Start by clicking on the Windows “Start” button located at the bottom left corner of your local screen.
• Type “Control Panel” in the search box and hit “Enter” to open the Control Panel.
• In the Control Panel window, look for the “Mail” option and click on it. 
• Once you’re in the Mail options, you’ll see an “Account Settings” button. Click on it.
• In the Account Settings window, find the “Data Files” tab and click on it.
• In the Data Files tab, you’ll see a list of files associated with your Outlook account. Look for the Exchange OST file in this list.
• Select the Exchange OST file by clicking on it. 
• With the Exchange OST file selection, you’ll notice an “Open File Location” or “Open Folder” button. Click on this button.
• By clicking the “Open File Location” button, move to the folder where your Exchange OST file is stored.
• Afterwards, you can either rename the current OST file or delete it if you’re sure you won’t need it again. 
• Close the folder containing the OST file. Then, close the Control Panel window.
• Open Microsoft Outlook. 
• Outlook will take a bit of time to recreate the OST file. It depends on the size of your mailbox and your internet speed. 
• Once everything’s ready, you’ll see your emails, contacts, and other stuff back in Outlook.
• Try sending and receiving emails to verify everything’s working as it should.

This procedure helps to Recover Deleted Emails from OST File hassle freely. You can also check other solutions accordingly.

Solution 4: Restore OST Files Through CMD 

• Before you start the restoration process, ensure that Microsoft Outlook is completely closed.
• Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
• Type “cmd” into the search bar.
• Right-click on “Command Prompt” from the search results and select “Run as administrator.”
• After running the command prompt, mention the following command. ”chkdsk, ‘drive letter’ /f” under the CMD Window. Next, click on the ”Enter” icon. Make sure to hit the Enter option once again after holding down the ”Y”.
• Click on the Enter icon after writing the F:\>attrib-h-r-s/s/d.

The above solution of restoring OST files helps users to recover deleted emails from OST file.

Solution 5: Use the Recoverable Items Folder

• Open Outlook and go to the “Folder” tab.
• Click on “Recover Deleted Items” from the dropdown menu.
• A new window will appear, displaying recoverable items.
• Select the emails you want to recover, then click the “Recover Selected Items” button.

Here are all the best ways to Recover Deleted Emails and Mail Items from OST file. You can try any of them. If, in case, you get prime errors while opening your Outlook data files, it indicates your file is severely damaged. If you want to repair them, opt for the reliable OST File Recovery Tool.  It will recover the corruption and get back to the actual data. In fact, this software is competent enough to repair Outlook Data Files. Moreover, you can also convert your OST files into multiple formats by using Cigati OST to PST Converter. 

Also Read: Recover Permanently Deleted Emails in Outlook

Final TakeAway 

Losing important emails can be a nightmare, but with the correct knowledge and tools, you can recover deleted emails from OST file. From the above solutions, you can opt for any of them.