Microsoft Outlook – Difference between OST & PST Files
OST stands for Offline Storage Tables. It’s an offline folder created by MS Outlook and MS Exchange to hold offline copies of whatever exists in the Exchange Server.
We can simply say that OST Files are Local Copy of your Exchange Mailbox.
It is created when your emails are delivered to your Outlook mailbox and will contain all your emails, contacts, calendar entries and tasks.
OST files allow you to work even when you are not connected to your exchange server and then when you get online it will synchronize itself with your exchange server mailbox.
PST stands for Personal Storage Tables. These are also known as Personal Folder or Personal Files. It is not created by Outlook or Exchange Server. Instead, you can create it to store all your email, contacts, calendar entries etc. These PST files can stored anywhere in your computer and it makes it that much easier for you to keep a backup copy of your PST files or move it from one computer to another.