Microsoft Outlook is one of the leading email clients in today’s digital era owing to its amazing features. Outlook is much more than just a platform to send and receive emails, it’s like a personal assistant in the virtual world. OST files are a synchronized copy of your Exchange, Outlook or Office 365 mailbox. These files are created automatically when users are not connected to Outlook’s email server due to connectivity issues.
However, OST files can be easily damaged since synchronization errors between Outlook’s mail server and the OST files can give rise to corruption which can lead to subsequent data loss. Apart from that, OST files can’t be accessed from any other server apart from Outlook’s mail server. Hence, many users shift to Gmail for ease of access and collaboration. This blog presents a few compelling reasons why users must migrate to Gmail and highlights two effective methods to do so.
Reasons to import OST files to Gmail
Users make the shift from Outlook to Gmail for a variety of reasons that differ from user to user. Some of the most common reasons to import OST files to Gmail are:
- Gmail has an easy-to-use interface and can be easily accessed as long as the device is connected to the internet.
- Shifting email clients from Microsoft Outlook to Gmail due to personal or professional requirements.
- Gmail has advanced security features which keeps users’ data safe and secure.
- Unlike Outlook, Gmail doesn’t face frequent technical errors and hence the chances of data corruption are low.
How to import OST files to Gmail manually?
Unfortunately, there’s no direct way to import OST files to Gmail manually. The method described below is quite lengthy in process, and hence is divided into three parts.
Step 1: Locate the OST files
It is essential to know the exact location of the OST files you need to import to save time and effort. Locate the OST files by following the steps below:
- Launch Outlook and click on File tab.
- Click on Account Settings and choose Account Settings from the list.
- In the newly opened window, click on Data Files tab and choose the OST file you want to import. Click on Open File Location.
Step 2: Convert your OST file into PST
After locating the needed OST files, it’s time to export them into PST format. This is done by the Import and Export Wizard. Let’s see the steps to do this below:
- In the Outlook window, click on File tab and click on Open & Export > Import/Export.
- In the Import and Export Wizard window, choose Export to a file and click on Next.
- In the newly opened window, choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and hit Next.
- Choose all the OST files you wish to export in PST and click Next.
- Browse the location to choose the destination folder and press Finish.
Step 3: Import PST files to Gmail using GWMMO tool
Google Workspace Migration for Microsoft Outlook (GWMMO) is a tool developed to import users’ data from Microsoft Outlook to Google Workspace. This tool supports almost all the formats of Windows and Outlook. Steps to migrate PST file to Gmail using GWMMO are given below:
- Download and install the GWMMO tool in your system.
- Launch the tool and enter the login credentials.
- You’ll be prompted to give access to your Google account by the GWMMO tool. Scroll down and click on Allow.
- After successfully signing in, a new window will open. Choose From the PST file(s) from the list and hit Next.
- Choose the PST file you want to import to Gmail and choose to migrate all data then click on Next.
- Choose the data you want to migrate by adjusting the Migration Settings and click on Migrate.
- After successful migration, you’ll get a pop-up message on your screen confirming the same.
- You’ll be able to see the imported PST file in your Gmail account.
Limitations of manual method
While the manual method described above is no doubt helpful, it has certain limitations, such as:
- This method is really time consuming especially if you’re migrating a large mailbox.
- Even a single mishap while performing this procedure can cause data loss.
- Sound technical knowledge is required to execute this method.
Import OST files to Gmail by a professional tool
The manual method discussed above has certain set of limitations and may cause data loss if executed improperly. To avoid limitations of the manual method, try importing your OST files with the help of a third-party tool like Recoveryfix for OST to PST. This tool can convert single or multiple Outlook OST files and their entire mailbox data to PST format. The OST to PST Converter also migrate OST files to various email clients and servers as well such as, Gmail, Exchange, Office 365, and several other IMAP servers.
Conclusion
We’ve covered some of the most compelling reasons to import OST files to Gmail and have outlined an effective manual method to migrate OST files. Although, users can only convert one small batch of OST files as importing large batches of OST files into Gmail becomes very time consuming. To migrate your OST files instantly without worrying about data loss, try using Recoveryfix for OST to PST. Users can also recover corrupt Outlook Data Files (OST) with the help of this tool.
