Best Method to Convert OLM to PST on Mac and Windows

Microsoft offers Outlook as an email client for Windows as well as Mac. Although Outlook supports two operating systems, it saves data in different file formats. Windows uses PST (Personal Storage Table) file format as an Outlook data file. On the other hand, Mac stores its mailbox data in OLM (Outlook for Mac) file format. The work of both file formats is to store mailbox items such as emails, contacts, calendars, events, to-do lists, journals, etc. 

Looking for an answer to the question how do I Import PST files from Mac to Windows? Don’t wander! In this blog, we will discuss how to convert OLM to PST. But before converting, we actually need to know why to convert OLM file to PST. So, let’s move to the next section.

Reasons why Convert OLM File to PST

Before converting OLM to PST, we should know the reasons why to convert the file format. 

So in this section, we will discuss why there is a need to export OLM to PST. 

1. One can’t directly open the OLM file to Windows But, what if you need to open an OLM file in Windows? In this, you need to convert OLM to PST. 
2. If the user uses Outlook on Mac, but due to some reasons it needs to shift to Windows. 
3. If a Windows user received the OLM file from someone, he can’t access the OLM file until it converts to PST format. 
4. The user works on the Windows system at the office but he needs to access the file on Mac at home.

If you are suffering from one of the problems mentioned above, then look at the next section to convert OLM file to PST. 

How to Convert OLM to PST Manually

To export OLM to PST manually, you need to enable the IMAP account. It will work as an intermediate to convert the data. In this process, first, the data of Outlook for Mac will be transferred to the IMAP account. Then the same data will be transferred to MS Outlook.

Let’s divide the conversion process of OLM to PST into four main steps. Have a look at the following steps:

Step 1: Enable the IMAP Status

• Open Gmail and go to the Gear icon available in the top right corner. 
• From the options available, select the Setting.
• In the setting window, click on the Forwarding and POP/MAP tab.
• Enable the IMAP status.

Once you enable the IMAP account, next you need to set up Outlook for Mac. To do this, follow the next step given below.

Step 2: Configure IMAP Account to Outlook for Mac

• Open Outlook for Mac and click on the Menu.
• Select the Tool tab then click Accounts.
• Hit the Email option and enter the required details, including email id and password. 
• After filling in the details, click the Add Accounts button.

Next, you need to create a label on your Gmail account to sync Outlook for Mac with your IMAP account. Here is the process of how you can do this.

Step 3: Create a Label in Gmail

• Open your Gmail account and go to the Gear icon from the top right corner.
• Select the Setting option and click the Label tab.
• Tap the Create new Label button under the label option. 
• After that go to your Mac Outlook and hit the Send/Receive button.

Step 4: Transfer emails from Mac Outlook to IMAP Account

• Open the Mac Outlook and right-click on the Mailbox data.
• Click the Move option then copy the folder.
• Enter the name of your IMAP folder and select the Copy option.
• To update the folder, click the Send/Recieve option or refresh the folder on Gmail.
• Now your mailbox content is synced to the IMAP mailbox folder.

As you can see, the manual method is quite lengthy and time-consuming. Before moving towards it, you need to know about the limitations of the manual method to convert OLM to PST. 

Limitations of the Manual Method

Time-consuming: Hence the manual method is very lengthy. It needs more time to perform the complete procedure. 

Needs technical knowledge: The method needs high technical knowledge. It is not suitable for the non-tech person.

High risk of data loss: There are high chances of data loss during the transfer of files from one account to another. If any manual error occurs, it may lead to loss of the data.

Only transfers emails: This manual method is capable to transfer only emails. It does not pick attachments, contacts, calendars, and tasks. 

Considering the limitation of the manual method, professionals suggest using an automated OLM to PST converter. Through this automated method, the OLM file can be converted to PST with just a few clicks. More surprisingly, it doesn’t need any technical skills and converts multiple OLM files in a single go. Not only in PST, but you can also transfer the OLM data to many other file formats and email clients. 

Conclusion

We have discussed the manual and professional methods to convert OLM files to PST. As we know that manual solution has many limitations hence it is not recommended. On the other hand, OLM to PST converter gives the best result without altering the data. The final output comes out that using an automated method to export the OST file is the perfect solution. Hope the article proves helpful to you and helps to resolve your query. Thanks for staying till the end.