
In this blog, we’ll discuss how Outlook for Mac uses OLM files. We share stepwise instructions for finding Mac Outlook 2019 OLM file location and Mac Outlook 2016 OLM file location. We also explain how you can recover the items in an OLM file if you can’t access Outlook for Mac.
Outlook is a feature-rich email client available for both Mac and Windows. Although the software is almost the same for both platforms, there are some differences. One major difference is the file format used for creating backups. On Windows, Outlook creates mailbox backups in PST format, but it creates the backups in OLM format on Mac.
If you want to access your mailbox data on Outlook for Mac, you don’t need to find an OLM file. This is because Outlook for Mac stores emails and other items such as contacts, tasks, etc. as SQLite database in the following locations:
Outlook 2016 for Mac, and Outlook 2019 for Mac:
/Users/username/Library/GroupContainers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles
Outlook 2011 for Mac:
/Users/‹username›/Documents/MicrosoftUserData/Office2011 Identities/Main Identity
Note: By default, Outlook 15 Profiles location is hidden. To access the items in this location, you need to unhide the Library folder by following these steps:
- Open Finder and go to the Home
- Click View in the menu and select Show View Options. This will open the View Options
- Ensure that the Show Library folder is selected.
- Close the View Options Now the Library folder will stay visible at all times.
Outlook for Mac uses the OLM file format for saving your exported mailbox data. You can save the file to a desired location on your local system. So, there is no default location for this file.
How to export Outlook for Mac mailbox data to an OLM file?
To export your mailbox data in an OLM file, follow these steps:
Outlook 2019 for Mac and Outlook 2016 for Mac
- Go to Tools and select Export. This will open the Export to Archive File (.olm)
Note: If you can’t find the Export button, ensure Outlook is up-to-date. For this, go to Help > Check for Updates. If Outlook is already updated and there are no new updates, you can try to find the Export button under the File menu.
- Select the items you want to export, and click Continue. This will open the Save As
- Provide a name for the OLM file. Select the folder where you want to save the file and click Save.
- Click Finish after Outlook has exported the data.
Outlook 2011 for Mac
- Go to Tools and select Export.
- Select Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm) and also select the items you want to export. Click the right arrow.
- In Delete After Exporting? section, select the appropriate option and click the right arrow.
- Enter a name for the .olm file and select the location where you want to save the file. Click Save.
How to Open an OLM file in Outlook for Mac?
Learning how to open an OLM file on Mac isn’t that difficult as Outlook for Mac offers an import option. Follow these steps to use the Import option:
Outlook 2019 for Mac and Outlook 2016 for Mac
- Under Tools tab, select Import. This will open the Import window.
- Select Outlook for Mac archive file (.olm) and click Continue.
- Provide the location of the .olm file on your system and select Import.
Outlook 2011 for Mac
- Go to File > Import. This will open the Import
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst or .olm) and click the right arrow.
- Select Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm) and click the right arrow.
- Select the .olm file you want to import.
What to do if you can’t open the OLM file?
If you can’t access Outlook for Mac, which is required to open the OLM file, or if you are migrating from Mac to Windows, then there is only one convenient and safe solution- using an OLM to PST converter.
An OLM converter can open an OLM file and allow you to convert its contents into a simple format such as PDF or HTML. You can also use the utility to convert OLM to PST so that you can open the OLM converted PST file on your Windows Outlook.
Conclusion
Many Outlook users look for answers to questions such as “where is my olm file on mac?” They may think that Outlook for Mac data is stored in a .olm file locally, but the reality is that it is stored in this format only when you export it from the application. So, you decide where the file is saved. Learning how to open olm file on mac is also simple as Outlook offers the import feature. However, if you want to open the file with Windows Outlook, you can use OLM to PST converter.
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