What is the primary purpose of an Outlook PST file?

• A. To store email messages locally
• B. To store calendar events only
• C. To store temporary internet files
• D. To store system backups

Answer: (A)

Outlook uses a PST file as the local data store for mailbox content. Its primary role is to keep email messages locally on disk, which allows offline access, searching, and archiving of messages and their attachments. While a PST can also contain other mailbox items like calendar events, contacts, and tasks, those are included as part of the mailbox data rather than the file’s main purpose. Temporary internet files belong to browser caches, and system backups are handled by dedicated backup tools, not by PST files. So the core idea is that the PST’s main function is to store email messages locally.