How To Change Ost File Location In Microsoft Outlook Without Resync

If you are running out of storage space in C drive, this is the article for you. You can move that huge .ost files from your c drive to any other location of your choosing that has sufficient space to hold them. All while not having to re-sync each email over the internet, which can be a pain in the neck.

What is an OST file

An Offline Storage File (OST file), as the name implies, is a locally-stored file that contains the data which has been synchronized from the Exchange server. If your account is an IMAP account (Internet Message Access Protocol), your emails are stored as a copy of the mail server onto your local device.

What is an OST file How to change OST file location Closing words

TIP: Learn more about the difference between PST and OST Outlook data file formats. If the file is removed or its location has been changed, Microsoft Outlook will no longer be able to show you those emails. Hence, many users are reluctant to move the OST file from its default location. By default, the OST file can be found in the following location:

How to change OST file location

Here is an easy fix for you to maintain your OST file in another drive if you face storage issues in the current one. The process involves creating a new profile while maintaining the same OST file that your PC has already saved locally. You can now see that outlook has launched without it trying to sync to the Exchange server and should have quickly loaded all your previous emails. It will also successfully sync any new inbound and outbound emails and add them to the OST file where they are now located.

Closing words

Emails are an important part of one’s life, but only until they do not take up a significant storage amount on your PC. We might not be able to reduce the file size but we can shift it from one place to another to avoid a full drive. A loaded system drive could potentially result in degraded system performance and cause lag. Other than using Compactor or cleaning up the WinSxs folder, moving your OST file is also a great way to make space in your C drive.