{"id":7041,"date":"2025-12-12T12:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T12:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mailconvertertools.com\/blog\/?p=7041"},"modified":"2026-02-23T05:26:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:26:41","slug":"convert-ost-to-text","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mailconvertertools.com\/blog\/convert-ost-to-text\/","title":{"rendered":"Simple Steps to Convert OST to Text(TXT) Format"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Data has many lives, and email files are no exception to them. An Outlook OST, which may just be presented as an email copy at the beginning, may be completely locked inside due to a server crash or account deactivation. When you convert OST to Text, it breaks open that locked vault, providing complete access to your Outlook emails, contacts, calendars, and more. It doesn\u2019t consume more storage, can be easily searched and read on any device with ease. This blog elaborates on the free method and a reliable OST to PST Converter<\/strong><\/a> for handling archives efficiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAs CIO of a Fintech firm, we’re converting legacy Outlook OST archives to TXT for Azure compliance amid CCPA audits. With 500 GB of data, I need reliable and verified solutions to save OST emails as TXT file while ensuring high data integrity and benchmark zero-downtime and loss.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

-Johnathan Whiteaker<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

How OST File Differs from the TXT?<\/h2>\n

To understand the conversion needs, we must first learn about the specific file formats. The difference table below will give clarity on OST and TXT.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Outlook Storage Table (OST)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Text (TXT)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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A structured and proprietary Outlook file format<\/strong> storing mailbox data for offline use<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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An unstructured, universally readable plain text format<\/strong> holding email content for reading, indexing, and analysis.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Is only compatible with MS Outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Can be viewed with any Text Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Stores and preserves folder, metadata, <\/strong>and HTML attachments<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Contains only message bodies<\/strong> with basic headers<\/strong> and no attachments<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Contains everything in the original format<\/strong> and takes up more space<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Save everything as raw data<\/strong>, which is lightweight with less storage<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Thus, this defines that OST files are not built for manual extraction, portability, or use outside Outlook\/Exchange. These cache copies of mailbox data can only be useful for compliance, offline portability, or documentation when saved as TXT.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manual Approach to Convert OST to Text<\/h2>\n

Two free solutions can be used for the manual OST to TXT conversion, depending on the number of files and the time you have.\u00a0<\/p>\n

#1: Outlook Save OST Emails as TXT File\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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  1. First, launch MS Outlook<\/strong> and then move to the folder containing OST<\/strong> emails.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. Then, select all the emails<\/strong> you want to convert and press the File<\/strong> tab.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  3. After that, choose Save As,<\/strong> and a dialog box appears.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  4. Select Text Only (*.txt)<\/strong> format from file type and give it a name.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  5. In the end, choose a destination to save and click Save<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Note:<\/strong> This approach is useful to save individual OST emails directly through Outlook.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    #2: Export Emails from OST to TXT<\/h3>\n
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    1. Start Outlook<\/strong> and make sure you can access the OST emails<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n
    2. Then, open an email and press Ctrl + A<\/strong> keys to select all content.\u00a0<\/li>\n
    3. Further, click Ctrl + C<\/strong> to copy<\/strong> all the highlighted email content.\u00a0<\/li>\n
    4. Afterward, open any Text Editor<\/strong> application of your choice. Say, Notepad<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n
    5. Finally, paste<\/strong> the copied content with Ctrl + V<\/strong> and save<\/strong> it as TXT.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Note:<\/strong> It is the easiest and simplest method to retain the email body content and save data as Text.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Loopholes of the Manual Method\u00a0<\/h4>\n