retrieve the mail contents and contacts from ost?

This is using Exchange 2012 server. The server hard disk was found faulty, and no way to recovered. I've to setup OS, Exchange from the scratch. After server part is done, I have to move to user workstation, rejoin them to the new domain.
There are few users claimed that they got a lot mail contents and contacts kept in their previous OST file. I did tried to rename to reuse the old OST, but to no avail. is there anyway to open the OST file, as to retrieve the mail contents and contacts?

You are totally in the wrong forum for a Exchange specific questions. You really should be asking this on a Windows/Exchange specific forum..

sorry, I just saw the thread Windows and that you have a good activity, so I decided to ask here.

These forums are usually populated by questions about running Windows on a Mac and on that topic there are many members with intimate knowledge. However, Exchange delves into the realm of IT that not a lot of people here deal with. So you would get a lot more useful answers on an IT forum that deals with Windows technologies..

You won't be able to open the OST file directly.
Can you open Outlook? if so can you see the mailbox and everything? If so, that is the contents of that file. Export that.