[Start] → Open EDB → Validate signature → Read system tables → List mailboxes → Select mailbox → Open mailbox root folder → Walk folders → Process messages → Write to PST → Close PST → Done
The PST file, by contrast, represents the democratization of Exchange data. It is a portable, standalone file format recognizable by Microsoft Outlook. Unlike the server-dependent EDB, a PST file allows data to be moved offline, archived on local drives, or imported into entirely different environments. The disparity between the locked-down nature of the EDB and the portability of the PST is where the necessity for conversion tools arises. edb to pst