Restoring Local Mail (Outlook for Windows)

Issue/Question

How do I access local / archived mail previously stored on a computer?

Resolution

To have Outlook display messages stored on the computer rather than the server:

  1. Click File.
  2. Select Open & Export.
  3. Select Open Outlook Data File.
  4. Browse to the location of the file.
    Note:
    Generally, files are stored in My Documents / Outlook Files, and will have a .pst extension. Do not attempt to restore a .ost file.
  5. Select the file and click Open.
  6. A new section will appear in the Mail Pane, titled the same as the data file.
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