Best Free Solutions to Convert PST Files to CSV Without Outlook

Now, let’s first review the fundamentals of the PST and CSV before talking about the methods.

PST Vs CSV

PST to CSV conversion is frequently carried out to make data migration, backup, and analysis easier because CSV is extensively supported and simple to understand. Now, let’s find out the fundamentals of the PST and CSV formats.

Features	PST Format	CSV Format
Full Name	Personal Storage Table	Comma-Separated Value
File format	Proprietary to Microsoft Outlook	Plain text
Primary Use	It stores Outlook data (emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, etc.)	It stores tabular data in a simple, portable format.
Compatibility	It requires Microsoft Outlook or compatible software	It can be opened and edited with a wide range of programs, including spreadsheets, text editors, and database software
Structure	It can be a complex, proprietary format	It can be simple, text-based format with values separated by commas
Size	It can be very large	It can generally smaller than PST files
Security	It can be password-protected	Not inherently secure, as data is stored in plain text

After going over the above differences, let’s move forward to the useful methods to transfer data from PST to CSV.

Three Techniques to Convert PST Contacts to CSV

In this section, we will talk about the different methods to convert Outlook PST to CSV using manual and professional techniques. Let’s explore the methods with step-by-step guides individually.

Method 1: How to Convert PST to CSV by Using Microsoft Outlook?

In this method, we will use the Outlook Export Feature to convert PST files to CSV format.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Click on File in the top-left corner.
3. Choose Open & Export, and then select Import/Export.
4. Select Export to a file and click Next.
5. Choose Comma-Separated Values as the export file type and click Next.
6. Select the folder you want to export (e.g., Inbox, Sent Items, etc.).
7. Choose a location to save the exported CSV file and provide a name.
8. Click Finish to complete the export process.

Method 2: How to Export PST to CSV Format Using Microsoft Excel?

This approach will save the PST to CSV format without using the Outlook application.

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click on File and choose Open.
3. Navigate to the location of your PST file.
4. Set the file type to All Files to see the PST file.
5. Select the PST file and click Open.
6. Excel will prompt you with the Text Import Wizard. Choose the appropriate settings (Delimited, Comma) and click Finish to import the data into Excel.
7. Once the data is in Excel, you can save it as a CSV file.

Let us first talk about the limitations of manual methods to convert PST files to CSV before utilizing the above-mentioned manual methods.

Downsides of the Manual Method

Only some data can be converted at a time using manual methods. Additionally, it has a few restrictions, which are listed below.

• It requires technical knowledge to convert the PST to CSV manually.
• Sometimes data will be corrupted or lost by a single mistake during conversion.
• Manual methods can’t convert multiple data at the same time.
• These methods are lengthy and time-consuming especially when you have a large amount of data to convert.

If you are facing problems with manual methods and want to transfer multiple.

Method 3: How to Convert PST to CSV in Bulk Effortlessly

The Outlook Converter is a risk-free and direct solution to convert PST files to CSV with attachments. As well as you can easily move Outlook PST items such as emails, attachments, contacts, notes, and many others into various file formats and email clients. With this tool, you can convert PST to MBOX, CSV, PDF, MSG, DOC, Gmail, Yahoo, Thunderbird, etc. Moreover, this tool can handle large amounts of data simultaneously, so you can easily convert bulk data. Furthermore, this software is designed with a simple and easy-to-use user interface (GUI) so every user can use this tool without technical knowledge. Let us talk about the detailed procedure for converting several PST files to CSV.

Steps to Convert Multiple PST to CSV Format:

1. Download and launch the tool on your system.
2. Choose the Select Files or Select Folder button to import the PST files, and then click Next.
3. From the tree-structure list, preview and choose the files, and then click Next.
4. Now, select the CSV file format from the drop-down list.
5. After that, pick the desired features that you wish for.
6. Then, set the path destination from the Path to Save button.
7. Finally, click on the Convert button to start the process to move PST data into CSV format.

Conclusion

We discovered various ways to use both expert and manual methods to convert PST files to CSV format. All the techniques are efficient or successful in moving data from PST to CSV. However, the manual method has some limitations and also requires technical knowledge to use this method correctly. On the other hand, the professional method is the best and most reliable solution to convert the PST to CSV with all the attachments at the same time. Now, it is up to you to choose the right solution that suits you best.