Delete OST File? Why, When & How to Safely Remove It

Our organization uses Exchange Server for emailing and other organizational management works. Now, we have a lot of OST files storing the synced data of the mailbox. Now, I want to delete OST files, but I am confused about how to delete, and what the impact of deleting will be.

These types of queries are common. If you also same query, be with the blog till the end and know how to delete OST files in Outlook and how it will impact you.

Table of Content

Let’s have an eye on the nature of the OST file:

OST file saves the copy of the Exchange mailbox data in the system where Outlook is running.
OST file helps users access the Exchange mailbox data and work even when it is offline.
If you don’t have the account for which OST file you have, then deleting an OST file that is inaccessible may lead to permanent loss of email data.
OST files can be converted into the PST file using the available conversion methods.

Why is there a need to delete OST files?

Every user may have different reasons for deleting the OST file. Some of the common ones are:

Synchronization is one of the common issues. Whenever there is an Outlook synchronization issue, Outlook starts performing abnormally and keeps shutting down while working.
Due to the overloaded files and space issues, OST file leads to corruption and inaccessibility. In such cases, Outlook stops working, and there is a need to delete Outlook OST files.
In cases where the EDB file is facing Inaccessibility, deleting an OST file may also delete the emails, and hence, there is a need to recover the OST file first.

Where do you find OST files in your system?

Many people do not know where the OST file is stored. Here, the OST file location according to the Outlook and Windows OS versions is listed.

Outlook Version	Windows version	Default OST File Location
Outlook 2000, 2003, 2007	Windows XP	C:\Documents and Settings\User\Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft Outlook
Outlook 2007	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.	C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
Outlook 2010	Windows XP	My Documents\Outlook Files
Outlook 2010	Windows Vista Windows 7Windows-8Windows 10	Documents\Outlook File
Outlook 2013, 2016, and 2019	Windows Vista Windows 7Windows-8Windows 10	C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

Steps to Delete Your OST File from Computer?

Step 1: Open Run Program

Firstly, close Microsoft Outlook if Outlook is open.
Type Run on the Search bar and open it.

Step2: Enter the OST file Location

Now enter the Location of the OST file depending on the version of Windows OS and Outlook. You can search for the OST file location by referring to the above-given table.

Step 3: Delete OST File

Once you get the OST file, just right-click on the file. From the drop-down menu, select and click on the delete option.

How do you handle corrupted OST Files before deleting them?

If you have OST files that are inaccessible, then convert them to the PST and recover them. A professional tool is suggested to be used to retrieve the OST file. Shoviv Exchange OST Recovery is an advanced tool for recovering inaccessible OST file items and converting to PST file format as needed.

The tool can recover multiple OST files of any size.
Along with recovering OST files, you get the option to convert OST files into PST and other file formats.
Once you convert the OST file into the PST file format, you can delete OST files without any issues.
PST file can be opened in any Outlook account just by adding it. Moreover, PST files are easy to port and can be password protected.
This utility by Shoviv lets you manage the size of the resultant PST file. In this way, you can manage the size of the PST file in comparison to the OST file.

Gist of the Blog:

Many reasons initiate users to delete OST files. Moreover, there are consequences of deleting the OST file. This blog has covered all the information related to the OST file and other things to know before deleting the OST file. A professional utility developed by Shoviv Software helps to recover OST files and convert them to PST file format without any prior technical knowledge and effort.