Secure Way to Extract Contacts from PST File Without Outlook

Summary: An employee has archived the Outlook email data in a PST File and now needs specific contacts from it. Manually opening the PST file and selecting the contacts takes time and effort. Therefore, the user decides to extract contacts from PST File, but how does the process work? In this blog, we present reliable ways: a step-by-step, reliable method and a smart, automated Outlook PST Converter. Go through the complete blog to decide which approach works best for you. 

Why Export Contacts from PST File?

From individual use to business needs, exporting contacts from a PST file proves to be both necessary and practical. We have provided the most common reasons below:

• In case of PST File corruption or unexpected issues, extracting and exporting contacts from a PST file is recommended. This avoids losing the important data.
• Once you back up your contacts, you can delete the data from the PST file to manage storage and improve performance.
• When a PST file becomes orphaned or inaccessible, extracting contacts is the reliable method to restore essential data. 
• PST files are not easily shareable. Exporting the contact list is the most efficient way to share.
• By exporting contacts, users can reorganize their contact list, filter out duplicates, and update the information.

How to Extract Contacts from PST File?

There are a variety of methods one can choose from according to their use. You can either opt for manual methods or an automated method. The manual method is a little bit time-consuming, tedious, and less suitable for non-technical users. An automated method saves time, reduces errors, and ensures a smooth transfer while maintaining data integrity.

Manually Extract Contacts from Outlook PST File (For Windows)

This method involves importing the PST file into Outlook and exporting the contacts in a CSV format. 

These are the steps to perform to extract contacts from a PST file:

Step 1: Import the PST File 

1. Open MS Outlook and click on File.
2. Now, navigate to Open & Export and Open Outlook Data File.
3. Then, browse to where your PST file is saved and select it. Click Open to add it.
4. After that, in the left-side panel, open the imported PST file.
5. Click on the Contacts folder in the PST file.

Step 2: Export the Contacts

1. In Outlook, go to File > Import & Export > Import/Export.
2. Once the Import and Export Wizard opens up, choose Export to a file and click Next.
3. Now, choose CSV and then click Next again.
4. Select the Contacts folder > Next. 
5. After that, select the destination to save the file and tap Finish.

Manually Import Contacts from PST File (For Mac)

The process involves importing the PST file into Outlook for Mac. Then, exporting the contacts in a .txt file format. To open the file in Excel, convert the .txt file to CSV format.

Use the following steps to begin the process:

1. First, open Outlook for Mac and head to Tools > Import.
2. Now, choose Outlook for Windows archive file (.pst) and hit Continue.
3. Then, locate and select the PST file and click on the Import button.
4. The data will be imported locally On My Computer > Contacts.
5. In Outlook, open the Contacts view and select the contacts that you want to export.
6. Press on File > Export and choose Contacts to a list.
7. Afterwards, save the resultant file to your preferred location. 
8. The file will be saved in a .txt format. Now, open this file in Excel.
9. Format the data as per your needs and click on File > Save As and select CSV as the file format.

Shortcomings of the Manual Methods

• Large PST files can affect the performance of the Outlook application.
• There is no option to filter out the duplicates in the manual process. After exporting the contacts, users have to manually remove the duplicate entries.
• To export contacts from a PST file in Outlook for Mac, make sure the PST file is imported into Outlook. Outlook for Mac does not directly open the PST file.
• In Outlook for Mac, users can only export to a .txt format. 

Automated Way to Extract Contacts from PST File Without Outlook

Simplify the process of extracting contacts from a PST file with PST Converter. This is an all-in-one tool that transforms the Outlook data into formats like PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG, etc. It also supports direct migration to cloud services like Gmail, Office 365, etc. Users have the flexibility to convert single or multiple PST files at once while preserving the folder structure and data integrity. The tool also includes a preview option to preview the content before exporting. Moreover, it includes features like duplicate email detection, date-range filters, and no need for Outlook. 

Steps to export contacts from PST file:

1. You first need to download the converter tool.
2. Now, open the tool and subsequently, click on Select Files to locate and add the files.
3. Then, choose the files from the mailbox to preview and click Next.
4. Soon after, click Saves/Backup/Migrates As. A drop-down list opens up. Select the desired output format. 
5. After that, choose the location to save your resultant file.
6. Now, click Convert to begin the process. 

Also Read – Convert PST to VCF

Conclusion

In this blog, we have explored methods to either manually extract contacts from PST file or use a professional automated Outlook PST Converter. We now know that with the help of an automated method, we’re able to make the entire process faster, more efficient, and less error-prone. It enables the user to focus on managing their emails without getting worried about the technical hurdles. 

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