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Outlook can't find my .pst file as it is now in OneDrive. Help.

Jeanne Robinson 0 Reputation points
2025-10-25T14:55:45.43+00:00

I have to go through elaborate process to log in to Outlook as it looks for my .pst files in my drive, but not in OneDrive where they are now stored. How do I correct this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Other
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  1. Rez 10,615 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-25T15:36:18.4266667+00:00

    Hi Jeanne,

    Thanks for sharing here in the forum. I'm happy to help you fix your Outlook's misplaced pst file. You can fix this by updating the .pst file's location in Outlook's Account Settings to point to the new OneDrive folder or by moving the .pst file back to a local folder and disabling OneDrive's backup for that folder. To update the path, go to File > Account Settings > Data Files, select your .pst file, and click "Open File Location" or "Edit" to point to the new OneDrive path. 

    Option 1: Update the file path in Outlook

    This is the recommended method, as it allows you to keep your files in OneDrive while Outlook correctly points to them.

    1. Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
    2. Go to the Data Files tab to see a list of your .pst files.
    3. Select the .pst file that is now in OneDrive.
    4. Click the Open File Location button. This will open Windows Explorer directly to the folder where the file is located, so you can confirm its new path.
    5. Go back to the Account Settings window, select the .pst file again, and click Edit (or Change Folder, depending on your version).
    6. In the dialog box that appears, browse to and select the .pst file in your new OneDrive location.
    7. Click OK to save the changes and then Close and reopen Outlook. 

    Option 2: Move the .pst file back to a local folder

    This is a good option if you want to avoid potential issues with OneDrive syncing or if you prefer to keep your Outlook data files on your local computer.

    1. Close Outlook.
    2. Locate your .pst file in the OneDrive folder.
    3. Cut and paste the .pst file from the OneDrive folder to a local folder (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\Outlook Files).
    4. Open Outlook. Since the file is no longer in OneDrive, you may get an error. If you do, click OK and then follow the steps in "Option 1" to browse to the new local location and select the .pst file.
    5. After you have successfully connected the .pst file to its new local location, you should disable OneDrive's automatic backup for the original OneDrive folder to prevent future issues. 

    Let me know what happens,

    Regards,

    Rez

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