Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client and personal information manager that is available as part of the Microsoft Office Suite.
It provides appointments, email, calendar, contact management, notes, journal, and web-browsing capabilities. Outlook is vital for personal and professional communications, offering robust features for organizing and managing emails and other data types.
Your Outlook data, such as emails, contacts, events, tasks, and other data, are stored in the Outlook data files: PST (Personal Storage Table) mainly used for POP3, IMAP, and web-based mail accounts, and OST (Offline Storage Table) used for Exchange, Office 365, and Outlook.com accounts.
Understanding the location of your Outlook PST files is vital for effective management, backup, migration, recovery, and repair of Outlook data files.
The location of Outlook PST and OST files varies depending on the version of Outlook and the Windows OS you use.
The table below outlines the default file location of the PST files across various versions of Outlook and Windows, providing a handy reference for locating your crucial Outlook data files.
Outlook PST Location
| Outlook Versions | Windows OS Version | Outlook PST File Location |
| Outlook 97 Outlook 98 | Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 | C:\Windows\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ |
| Outlook 2000 (No longer supported by Microsoft) | – | – |
| Outlook 2002 | Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP | C:\Documents and Settings[Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ |
| Outlook 2003 | Windows 2000 (SP3), Windows XP, Windows Vista | C:\Documents and Settings[Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ |
| Outlook 2007 | Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 | C:\Users[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ |
| Outlook 2010 | Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP1), Windows 7, Windows 8 | C:\Users[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ |
| Outlook 2013 | Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 | C:\Users[Username]\Documents\Outlook Files\ |
| Outlook 2016 Outlook 2019 | Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 | C:\Users[Username]\Documents\Outlook Files\ |
| Outlook 2021 | Windows 10, Windows 11 | C:\Users[Username]\Documents\Outlook Files\ |
Finding Your Outlook PST Files
This part talks about two ways to locate your Outlook PST files on your Windows computer.
Method 1: Using Outlook
- Start the Outlook application.
- Navigate to Account Settings. Click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings from the menu.
- In the Account Settings window. Click on the Data Files tab.
- A list of all the PST and OST files associated with your Outlook accounts.
- Select the PST file you want to locate.
Method 2: Windows Search Function
- Click on the search icon in the taskbar.
- Type “.pst” into the search bar and hit the enter button. Windows will start searching for the files and folders with the .pst extension.
- Select the most appropriate file with the .pst extension. Right-click on it and select the Open File Location option. This will take you directly to the location where your PST file is saved.
Also Read: How to Open Outlook PST File on Mac?
Conclusion
This concludes our discussion of the location of Outlook data files on various versions of Outlook and Windows OS.
Depending on the location of the Outlook version you are using and on what system. The file is saved in the C drive’s AppData folder by default. However, the exact location can change depending on your version. Refer to the above table to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving or transferring the PST files is essential for ensuring the safety of your data, regardless of the reason why you want to move your files from their default location to another location.
– You must first locate the PST file using the Outlook application or the Windows Search function.
– Close the Outlook application. This will help prevent any issues and errors.
– Navigate to the location of the PST file, right-click on it, and select the copy option.
The major issues like corruption, and oversized PST files. Performance issues, and inconsistent Outlook operations.
Misconfigured account settings such as restricted access or incorrect location. Last but not least sync issues.
Yes, you can change the default location of the Outlook PST files. You simply need to go to the default location of the PST file and move it to any other location. Later on, reconfigure the Outlook settings.
