Where is my PST file?

Ask Outlook (the reliable way)

In classic Outlook: File › Account Settings › Account Settings › Data Files. The list shows every data file in your profile with its full path; select one and click Open File Location.

The usual places on Windows 10 and 11

Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook into File Explorer’s address bar to open that folder. It is hidden by default.

You can also search: in File Explorer, open your user folder and search for *.pst.

PST or OST?

• A PST is a personal archive: it is the only copy of what it holds.
• An OST is Outlook’s offline copy of a server mailbox (work Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com). The server holds the real mailbox; the OST can be rebuilt by Outlook.

An OST only opens in the Outlook profile that made it. If the account is gone, OST to PST turns it into a PST you can open anywhere.

On a Mac

Outlook for Mac does not keep PST files: its mail lives in its own database, and its export format is .olm. PST files you find on a Mac were brought from Windows; open them with the PST Viewer.

In an old backup or disk

Search the backup for *.pst and *.ost. Copy the file to your computer before opening it, and work on the copy. If the copy will not open, run the free health check.

Frequently asked

Can I move a PST to another folder? Yes, with Outlook closed. Then open it from the new place (File › Open & Export › Open Outlook Data File).

Can I open the PST without Outlook? Yes: see how to open a PST file without Outlook.