How to Open PST File Without Outlook: Step-by-Step Guide

Why Users Want to Open or Read PST Files?

• Sometimes, a former employee leaves behind a PST file that needs to be accessed.
• Users want to recover important attachments or documents that are buried inside old PST files.
• After migrating from Outlook, some emails only exist in PST format and still need to be read.
• People going through legal or compliance reviews often need quick access to archived PST data.
• A lot of users just want to check if a PST file is corrupted before doing anything with it.
• Sometimes you get a PST file from someone else and just need to see what’s actually inside it.

How to Open PST File Using Free Manual Methods?

In this section, we’ll look at a couple of simple ways to open a PST file without using Outlook. Both the methods we discussed here are free and can be done with the help of other tools.

Solution 1: Open and Read PST File Via GWMMO Tool

1. Firstly, you have to download and install the GWMMO tool.
2. Open it & sign in with your G Suite email ID.
3. Now, you need to select the PST file you want to open.
4. Choose what you want to import, such as contacts, emails, etc.
5. Finally, you have to click on Migrate.
6. After the process, you can access the data in your Gmail account.

Solution 2: View PST File Using Mozilla Thunderbird

1. To begin, you have to install Thunderbird on your system.
2. Thereafter, you need to add your email account to Thunderbird.
3. Convert your PST file into MBOX format using a converter tool.
4. In Thunderbird, go to Tools > Add-ons and Themes.
5. Search for and install ImportExportToolsNG.
6. After that, you need to restart Mozilla Thunderbird.
7. Go to Tools > ImportExportToolsNG > Import MBOX file.
8. Select your MBOX file to view the emails.

Limitations of the Manual Methods

• Both methods take time, especially when working with large PST files.
• GWMMO only works with a Google Workspace account, not a regular Gmail ID.
• It won’t help if your PST file is corrupted or damaged.
• Large files may fail to upload due to storage limits.
• Email formatting, attachments, or folder structure may not appear the same after import.
• There’s no simple way to open multiple PST files at once using these methods.

Best Way to Open PST File Without Outlook

If you don’t have Outlook installed, the CloudXena PST Viewer Tool is a decent option to open .pst files directly. You don’t need Outlook on your system for it to work. The interface is simple enough that you don’t need any technical knowledge to get around it. The advanced tool supports large PST files without any hassle. Moreover, you can use this tool to convert PST to HTML, MSG, CSV, PDF, and other file formats.

Steps to Open & Save PST File

1. Download the PST File Viewer Tool.



2. Then, add your PST files and folders and click Next.



3. Select & preview each file and hit Next.



4. Thereafter, choose any format to back up your data.



5. At last, apply filters, save the path, and click the Convert button

Wrapping Up

The manual methods are out there to open PST files, but they don’t always work the way you’d expect. There’s a good chance something goes wrong, especially with larger or corrupted files.

The CloudXena PST File Viewer is a more straightforward option. It opens, scans, and lets you preview PST files without needing Outlook at all. It also handles corrupted files and can convert emails into other formats if you need that.

No complicated steps, no data loss. It just gets the work done.

Frequently Asked Questions

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