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michaelbfoxman's avatar
michaelbfoxman
Copper Contributor
Mar 23, 2023

.OST file problem

My pc died, but I had saved my .ost file.  I wasn't able to export my contacts from outlook.  I use Gmail with imap settings.  I installed Outlook 2021 on the new pc and connected to my gmail account...
KastroMoff's avatar
KastroMoff
Brass Contributor
Oct 22, 2026

An OST file cannot normally be replaced with another OST file in Outlook, as OST files are tied to the Outlook profile and account that created them.

If you still have the original OST file, you may be able to recover your contacts by converting it to a PST file. You can then open the PST file in Outlook 2021 and export the contacts to a CSV file or import them into your current Outlook profile.

One option is EdbMails OST to PST Converter, which can scan an existing OST file and export its contents, including contacts, to PST format without requiring the original Outlook profile or Exchange connection.

You can find more details here: https://www.edbmails.com/pages/ost-to-pst-converter.html

Before trying any recovery method, keep a backup copy of the original OST file to avoid accidental data loss.