How do I extract data out of a pst file?

Outlook uses a personal storage file, or pst file, to store email messages, calendar items, contacts, journal entries, tasks and notes. If your Outlook profile is not configured with a direct connection to a Microsoft Exchange server, you have by default one main pst file where all of your Outlook items are stored. If your profile is configured to connect to an Exchange server, you can still use pst files to back up your email or to share your email with others. There are two methods to extract data from an existing pst file.

Open the File

This method is the easiest and most flexible way to extract data from a pst file if you need to select specific items to extract, or if you need to see the pst file's entire contents. You can open a pst file that someone else has created for you, or you can open one you have made for yourself (for example, a backup.pst file). When you open a pst file in your Outlook profile (on the File menu, click "File," then "Open," then "Outlook Data File"), it becomes another folder in your Folder List (if you don't have a visible Folder List, you will need to enable it). You can move files to and from this new folder, and any sub-folders, just like you would with any other folder in your Folder List. You can leave the pst file open in your profile for as long as you like, or close it and then open it again any time you need it. You can also have multiple pst files open in your profile at any one time.

Import the File

A second option for extracting data from a pst file is to import it using Outlook's import function (on the File menu, click "File," then "Import and Export"). This method is useful if you have a specific folder that you want to incorporate into your own Outlook profile or if you need to extract all items from the pst file and merge them with your profile. Special folders like the calendar are often easier to copy into your profile using this method, because the import process handles the merging of the pst file's calendar items with your own. The import process also handles duplicates--for example, if you import an appointment that already exists on your calendar, you can tell Outlook how to proceed. If you need to restore your Outlook data in the case of a lost or damaged pst file, you can simply import the entire contents of a recent backup.pst file into your profile. Lastly, if your pst file doesn't open using the first method due to partial corruption in the data, you may still be able to salvage some of it using the import method.

Source:

Microsoft: How to Manage pst Files

Microsoft: Data Files