Today, the value of email data is often greater than anticipated. Emails contain information that businesses and individual users need to securely store, such as customer correspondence, project approvals, financial communications, and legal records. When this information is stored in Outlook's OST file, it's difficult to easily access and share it outside of Outlook. Therefore, it's important to convert OST files into a format that everyone can read correctly, such as HTML.

Users can open emails in HTML format in any web browser and view them without compromising the message's structure, images, or attachments. Unlike methods such as screenshots or printouts, HTML preserves both the visual content and functionality. This provides a significant advantage in record keeping, audits, and data sharing between teams or platforms.

However, correctly converting OST to HTML isn't always easy. If done incorrectly, many users encounter problems such as missing attachments, corrupted formatting, or incomplete data. Knowing the right steps is essential for a reliable conversion.

Understanding OST Files and Their Limitations

Outlook automatically creates OST (Offline Storage Table) files when connecting to Exchange or IMAP accounts. These files allow users to work with their emails offline. When the connection is re-established, Outlook synchronizes the changes with the server.

The problem is that OST files are linked to the Outlook profile and server account in which they were created. If the account is deleted, the server is down, or the profile unexpectedly becomes corrupted, accessing the OST file becomes difficult. This limitation makes OST files unsuitable for long-term archiving and independent access.

Why should you convert OST files to HTML?

There are several important reasons to convert OST emails to HTML format:

• Emails can be read instantly in any web browser.
• You will no longer need Outlook or Exchange server.
• The attachments are easy to find and use.
• The email structure and formatting remain intact.
• Data is accessible globally, from any platform.

HTML export provides compliance teams, legal departments, and IT administrators with a searchable email archive that can be securely stored for years.

Common Problems Encountered During Transfer

Users often encounter the following problems when transferring OST files:

• Attachments are not saved correctly.
• Images and formatting become corrupted.
• The folder structure is not preserved.
• Only partially completed data is transferred.
• Unreachable OST files will prevent the process.

These problems typically stem from the limitations of manual export methods and the fact that Outlook does not directly support bulk export from OST to HTML.

Manually Converting OST Emails to HTML

If users can open the OST file in Outlook and their mailbox is active, they can try the manual process.

How to do it :

• Open Outlook and select the email you want.
• Select "Save As" from the File menu.
• Select HTML as the file type.
• Specify the folder where you want to save the file.
• Outlook creates an HTML file for the email and a separate folder for attachments.

Limitations of the Manual Method

While this method works for single messages, it has some major drawbacks:

• There is no bulk transfer option.
• It takes a long time for mailboxes with a large number of emails.
• There is a high probability that attachments will be lost.
• The folder structure is not preserved.
• Not suitable for corrupted or isolated OST files.

Because of these limitations, manual transfer is often unsuitable for business use.

A More Reliable Way to Transfer Everything

If the mailbox is very large or accessing OST files is difficult, specialized software is a better option. Tools like FixVare OST to HTML Converter are designed to directly read OST files and convert mailbox data into structured HTML files.

With this method, users can:

• The entire folder structure
• Original email formatting
• Images and content embedded on the page
• They can keep all attachments intact.

The transfer process is automated and consistent, which is a significant advantage for data professionals compared to manual processing.

General Steps Followed with Professional Tools

Although most solutions have different interfaces, the workflow is similar:

• Launch the application.
• Add the OST file to the scan queue.
• Preview mailbox data
• Select HTML as the output format.
• Choose where you want to save it.
• Start the transfer process.

Once the process is complete, each email is saved as an HTML file along with a folder for attachments. This allows you to easily access them from any web browser.

Conclusion

To keep email records secure, accessible, and future-proof, it's important to export OST files to HTML without losing attachments. Outlook offers a limited manual solution, but this isn't suitable for real data volumes and complex situations.

Specialized tools like OST to HTML Converters make it easy to retrieve all data from your mailbox while preserving the structure, content, and attachments. Users who convert OST files to HTML gain more options, easy access, and the assurance that their important messages will remain securely available for a long time.