One of the big benefits of using an Exchange mailbox is the ability to keep everything (calendar, contacts and email) on the server and access it from any computer using either Outlook or OWA (Outlook Web Access). For various reasons, some people want to deliver their Exchange mail to a pst file.
In older versions of Outlook you could do this by simply selecting a pst file as the default data file and setting the Exchange account to use. However, this breaks sharing, free/busy, and other Exchange-only features. It also makes it more difficult for the administrator to backup email and more difficult when a company is required to court-ordered discovery. For these reasons, using a pst file is highly discouraged.
If you need to remove email from the server, you should use rules to move the mail to a pst file or use AutoArchive to move the mail to a local archive pst as it ages. This will keep contacts and calendar appointments in the mailbox so you can share them but move mail to a local pst.
Outlook 2013 and up
In Outlook 2013, you can no longer set a pst file as the delivery location for Exchange mailboxes. You will need to use rules to move all of your mail to a pst file.
Alternately, you can use POP3, IMAP, or EAS. If those protocols are not enabled on your Exchange server you'll need to speak with your Exchange administrator.
Create a rule to move mail to a pst file
To create a rule, open the Rules Wizard.
If you have multiple accounts in your profile, verify the Exchange mailbox is selected on the top right of the dialog.
- Click New Rule.
- Select Apply rule on all messages I receive and click Next.
- If you want the rule to apply to all messages, click Next, otherwise select the conditions you want to use before clicking Next.
- Select Move to specified folder.
- Click on specified in the lower pane and select the folder.
- Click Next.
- Set up an exception for meeting requests by choosing Except if it uses the form name form.
- Click form name in the lower pane.
- Click on Personal forms then select Application forms from the dropdown.
- Find Meeting Cancellations and Meeting Requests and click Add. Return to Outlook.
- Click Next, enter a name for your rule then click Finish.
Outlook 2010
With Outlook 2010, you can't set a pst as the delivery location when you first add the Exchange account to your profile. After the account is added and set up, you can switch the default to a pst file.
Outlook 2007 and older
In Outlook 2007 and older, you can set a personal folder data file (pst) as the default pst and Outlook will deliver email to the pst file.
I realize this post is quite old, but I know how to at least attach an email account to a .PST file…
During an Outlook email profile setup - while adding the email account, select the Manual Setup choice, click Next, choose POP or IMAP, Next, and you'll be presented with the config page for the email account. You'll also have the option for delivering email to a new or existing PST file. This process does require the user to know the mail server info as well as any additional settings under More Settings (if needed)
hi, this article don't work for my because when create rule like article then all others rules don't work and all email going to pst inbox . I use multi rules under pst inbox create folder with name.This rules disable when create this rule like article.
If subsequent rules don't work, you either need to change the order of the rules or don't use stop processing rules on the first rules.
Diane, I have an end-user that wants her mail to download directly to her PST, but wants her calendar meetings to remain on the server so she can access via her cell phone. Initially, I highly suggested to the user to keep the file on server and auto-archived, but she insisted this has been done before. Do you have any suggestions. I wasn't sure if a rule needs to be created, what are your thoughts?
In older versions of Outlook - 2010 and older - you could set the delivery location to use a pst. This was changed in 2013 (because its much better to use the mailbox) - she'll need to use a rule.
It would be much better if she kept the mail in the mailbox (honestly, admins should use group policy to block pst files) but a rule to move mail except if uses the various appointment form names... or a rule that only uses the Message form name. The rule for using the message form name might be easier to set up, since it's one form type.
What does one do when Outlook forces new email delivery to the .ost file? I have scrubbed the registry and disabled all of the add-ins and removed *everything* from the %user%AppData\Local... and Roaming.... When the new profile gets built it insists on delivering new mail to the ost. It should be on the server. The organization, regretfully, locks the cache mode option by GPO, but everybody is configured that way yet a hand full of the profiles will *not* allow 'online' to be a delivery location. Thanks for any suggestions.
online isn't really a delivery location opposed to ost - the ost is just a copy of the online mailbox, they are kind of one and the same. if you mean that you want everyone to use classic online mode and no offline cache, you'll need to set a registry key.
https://www.slipstick.com/exchange/outlook-online-mode-creates-ost-file/
Hi,
Using pst in outlook 2013 generated a problem for people who request a read receipt, since the emails will directly move to the pst inbox, the sender will recieve deleted without being read notification. Is there any solution for that?
Regards,
Hisham
Set outlook to never return receipts or move the messages using rules.
HI,
i believe still you can use the existing .pst file
try this options is available in outlook 2013.
go to the file menu-->Account settings-->account settings
Tab select Data Files-- existing one -- Click on set as default
Regards,
MuthuKumar M
That sets a pst as default but will not deliver Exchange mail to it. Exchange mail can't be delivered to a pst file in Outlook 2013. You need to use rules to move it to a pst. The default data file just tells outlook which folders to put on the to-do bar and outlook today, and where to put calendar and contacts if you create them outside of outlook.
Thank you very much for the info, concise and straight forward. Saved me tons of time!
@Diane - do you know how to handle emails sent from my local pst - currently, they all reside in the server's sent folder - I would like to see Outlook perform similar to how it used to in 2010, that is, emails sent from the local pst, sent email would reside in the local PST, but when I sent email from my exchange account, the sent email would reside in the exchange account's sent email folder.
I really hate the "new features" they have introduced with 2013...
What type of email account are you using? An exchange account can't use a pst as the default delivery location and sent items are stored in the default data file for the account - which is the pst. Try disabling the option to save sent items then set up an "after sending" rule to move sent items to a folder in the pst.