---
title: ".pst file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .pst file is an Outlook Personal Storage Table. An entire Outlook mailbox — mail, calendar and contacts — in one large file. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/pst/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .pst files

**.pst file: Outlook Personal Storage Table**

An entire Outlook mailbox — mail, calendar and contacts — in one large file.

## What opens a .pst file

- **Windows:** Microsoft Outlook (File > Open Outlook Data File)
- **macOS:** Microsoft Outlook (import only)
- **Linux:** readpst (libpst) then Thunderbird or Evolution

## What a .pst file is

PST is the local archive Outlook uses for POP accounts, exports and backups, and it can run to many gigabytes. You do not open it directly: in Outlook you use File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, which mounts it as an extra folder tree. Outlook for Mac can import one, and on Linux the readpst tool from libpst converts a PST into standard mbox or EML files.

## Converting it

A .pst file is commonly converted to .ost, .mbox, .eml or .msg. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .pst
- **Full name:** Outlook Personal Storage Table
- **Category:** Documents
- **Created by:** Microsoft
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .pst file?

On Windows use Microsoft Outlook (File > Open Outlook Data File); on macOS use Microsoft Outlook (import only); on Linux use readpst (libpst) then Thunderbird or Evolution. An entire Outlook mailbox — mail, calendar and contacts — in one large file.

### What is a .pst file?

Outlook Personal Storage Table. PST is the local archive Outlook uses for POP accounts, exports and backups, and it can run to many gigabytes. You do not open it directly: in Outlook you use File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, which mounts it as an extra folder tree.

### Can I convert a .pst file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .ost, .mbox, .eml or .msg, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.pdf — Portable Document Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/pdf/)
- [.docx — Word Document (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/docx/)
- [.xlsx — Excel Workbook (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xlsx/)
- [.pptx — PowerPoint Presentation (Open XML)](https://atoneplace.net/file/pptx/)
- [.txt — Plain Text File](https://atoneplace.net/file/txt/)
- [.doc — Word Document (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/doc/)
- [.xls — Excel Workbook (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/xls/)
- [.ppt — PowerPoint Presentation (legacy binary)](https://atoneplace.net/file/ppt/)
- [.md — Markdown Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/md/)
- [.rtf — Rich Text Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/rtf/)
- [.pages — Apple Pages Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/pages/)
- [.odt — OpenDocument Text](https://atoneplace.net/file/odt/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)