"JohnB" wrote in message
...

This is the folder I'm calling "her windows folder"

C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook

That's where the 3 OST's are.

Orphan OSTs (OSTs whose mail profiles have been deleted) are not accessible to
Outlook even if you create a new profile pointing to the same Exchange
mailbox. As Gordon says, you must purchase an OST to PST converter. I've
never seen any free ones.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

mailbox. As Gordon says, you must purchase an OST to PST converter. I've
never seen any free ones.

There's OST2PST. But, it does not work with Outlook 2003 and later.


"Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message
...
"JohnB" wrote in message
...

This is the folder I'm calling "her windows folder"

C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook

That's where the 3 OST's are.

Orphan OSTs (OSTs whose mail profiles have been deleted) are not
accessible to Outlook even if you create a new profile pointing to the
same Exchange mailbox. As Gordon says, you must purchase an OST to PST
converter. I've never seen any free ones.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Your method worked just fine.

Unfortunately her email wasn't there.
This was a case of someone saying "I emailed you on that...". And I suspect
they never really did. This manager here doesn't delete *anything* when it
comes to her email.

Oh well....... thanks for the help.



"M" wrote in message
...
I thought you knew what an OST was. It's an OFFLINE copy of a mailbox. If
you're disconnected from the network and Outlook is in "offline" mode, it
uses the OST exclusively. In "online" mode, the OST is also used, but
there's interaction with the Exchange server (syncing and updating in the
background).

The steps I gave you is an attempt to "trick" Outlook into opening an
older OST. When you do what I suggested and (if) Outlook is able to access
the OST file, you'll see the contents of the mailbox as it looked when
that particular OST file was last sync'd with Exchange. That's why it's
important that you perform step 1 to totally disconnect her computer from
the network so that the older OST doesn't try to sync with her current
mailbox.

Please respond back after you try this and let me know if any of this
worked.

--
Regards,
M
MCTS, MCSA

"JohnB" wrote in message
...
I'll have to schedule a time tomorrow morning to get at her computer.

Step5
This is what I don't understand... how do I search or look at the
contents of an OST? You can't do FileOpenOutlook Data File.... or at
least, that didn't work for me.




"M" wrote in message
...
Hello:

If those other 3 OSTs were for the same mailbox, you can try this:

1.) Disconnect her computer from the network (including WiFi). You do
NOT want her computer connecting back to the Exchange server.
2.) Close Outlook.
3.) Rename the existing OST by adding "CURRENT" to the end of the name.
4.) Pick one of the other OSTs and rename it to what the current OST
name was.
5.) Open Outlook. The OST should be accessible. Look for the lost
e-mails. If you find them, copy them to a PST.
6.) Repeat 4 - 5 for the other two OSTs.
7.) Undo step 3.
8.) Connect the computer back to the network and open Outlook and work
normally.

Let me know if you were able to access the other OSTs this way, and if
you found the lost e-mails.

--
Regards,
M
MCTS, MCSA

"JohnB" wrote in message
...
I have a user that is looking for a long lost email that she "hopes" she
saved. Of course, she has many, many PST files. The email is not in
any of those. There are 3 OST files in the default Outlook folder on
her computer. Is there a way to open and search those files?

I've done some research and have read that if the OST is orphaned, then
you need to buy software that will let you convert the OST to a PST.
That doesn't seem to be the case here, it is in her windows folder.

Thanks

"JohnB" wrote in message
...

There's OST2PST. But, it does not work with Outlook 2003 and later.

And hence why I didn't mention it. As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't
handle Unicode PSTs it may as well not exist.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

That's great! And you didn't have to spend any money on an OST utility.

--
Regards,
M
MCTS, MCSA
"JohnB" wrote in message
...
Your method worked just fine.

Unfortunately her email wasn't there.
This was a case of someone saying "I emailed you on that...". And I
suspect they never really did. This manager here doesn't delete
*anything* when it comes to her email.

Oh well....... thanks for the help.



"M" wrote in message
...
I thought you knew what an OST was. It's an OFFLINE copy of a mailbox. If
you're disconnected from the network and Outlook is in "offline" mode, it
uses the OST exclusively. In "online" mode, the OST is also used, but
there's interaction with the Exchange server (syncing and updating in the
background).

The steps I gave you is an attempt to "trick" Outlook into opening an
older OST. When you do what I suggested and (if) Outlook is able to
access the OST file, you'll see the contents of the mailbox as it looked
when that particular OST file was last sync'd with Exchange. That's why
it's important that you perform step 1 to totally disconnect her computer
from the network so that the older OST doesn't try to sync with her
current mailbox.

Please respond back after you try this and let me know if any of this
worked.

--
Regards,
M
MCTS, MCSA

"JohnB" wrote in message
...
I'll have to schedule a time tomorrow morning to get at her computer.

Step5
This is what I don't understand... how do I search or look at the
contents of an OST? You can't do FileOpenOutlook Data File.... or at
least, that didn't work for me.




"M" wrote in message
...
Hello:

If those other 3 OSTs were for the same mailbox, you can try this:

1.) Disconnect her computer from the network (including WiFi). You do
NOT want her computer connecting back to the Exchange server.
2.) Close Outlook.
3.) Rename the existing OST by adding "CURRENT" to the end of the name.
4.) Pick one of the other OSTs and rename it to what the current OST
name was.
5.) Open Outlook. The OST should be accessible. Look for the lost
e-mails. If you find them, copy them to a PST.
6.) Repeat 4 - 5 for the other two OSTs.
7.) Undo step 3.
8.) Connect the computer back to the network and open Outlook and work
normally.

Let me know if you were able to access the other OSTs this way, and if
you found the lost e-mails.

--
Regards,
M
MCTS, MCSA

"JohnB" wrote in message
...
I have a user that is looking for a long lost email that she "hopes"
she saved. Of course, she has many, many PST files. The email is not
in any of those. There are 3 OST files in the default Outlook folder
on her computer. Is there a way to open and search those files?

I've done some research and have read that if the OST is orphaned,
then you need to buy software that will let you convert the OST to a
PST. That doesn't seem to be the case here, it is in her windows
folder.

Thanks

On 3/19/2010 11:26 AM, JohnB wrote:
Your method worked just fine.

Unfortunately her email wasn't there.
This was a case of someone saying "I emailed you on that...". And I suspect
they never really did. This manager here doesn't delete *anything* when it
comes to her email.

Oh well....... thanks for the help.

Recommend exporting extraneous OSTs into PSTs so you don't have to go
through this again.

M, cool trick. Thanks for sharing it.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

On 3/19/2010 4:04 PM, Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert wrote:
Recommend exporting extraneous OSTs into PSTs so you don't have to go
through this again.

M, cool trick. Thanks for sharing it.
And before others jump on me for answering this incorrectly as exporting
to PST is known to cause loss of data...

I should correct this. By saying "export to PST" I meant login to the
old OST, create a new PST, right-click and drag folders from OST into
PST, then choose Copy. That way you won't have to worry about data in
obsolete OSTs as next time you might not be so lucky.
--
Leonid S. Knyshov
Crashproof Solutions
510-282-1008
Twitter: @wiseleo
http://crashproofsolutions.com
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Try Exchange Online http://bit.ly/free-exchange-trial
Please vote "helpful" if I helped you

Agreed.
Something different needs to be done. Having many gigabytes of PST files is
obviously a poor way to manage information that is as important as it was to
this person. But convincing a manager otherwise is a challenge, since it
cost $$$. But this is the perfect time to make the case for spending $$$
for a archive solution.

Anyone have any experience with Postini email archive, or something similar?




"Leonid S. Knyshov // SBS Expert"
wrote in message
...

Recommend exporting extraneous OSTs into PSTs so you don't have to go
through this again.

You are right; to access an orphaned ost file it have to be converted into pst file and that can be done by using third party convert ost pst tool. You can download the free version of the tool that previews the ost file components to make sure that you have the particular data in the .ost file that you are looking for. Once you get satisfied that your desired data is in the ost file buy a convert ost pst tool and converts all ost file components to pst file then import the resulting pst file in Outlook using Import/Export option in File menu of Outlook.

You can download one such tool that is very efficient and easy to use from: http://www.stellarconvertostpst.com

Unfortunately, there is no free tool that can save OST file components to PST file. All such tools available are Demos only. that either previews the OST file components or do limited recovery. So to convert ost to pst file just carefully evaluate teh demo versions before making the final decisions.
You can try one such trusted tool from: http://www.convert-osttopst.com