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Thunderbird is one of the most popular email clients used by several users worldwide. As it is an open-source software, it is available for free. Many professionals chose to migrate from Thunderbird to MS Outlook due to the robust features offered by the platform. Thunderbird stores emails in an MBOX file while Outlook uses a PST file. Therefore, Thunderbird emails can’t be imported directly into Microsoft Outlook. In this blog, we will go through the methods a user can try for Thunderbird export to PST format.
Manual Method for Thunderbird Export to PST for Outlook
There are two different manual methods for Thunderbird export to PST for Outlook. Let us discuss both methods one by one.
Method 1: Manual Method to Export Thunderbird to PST using IMAP
This method can be divided into four steps:
Step 1: Turn on IMAP in the Gmail account
- Go to the Gmail Settings icon.
- Tap the option to view all settings.
- Select the POP/IMAP and Forwarding tab.
- Pick the Enable IMAP option under IMAP Access.
Step 2: Configure Gmail in Thunderbird
- Open Thunderbird, click on the Accounts icon.
- Now select Tools from the menu and then choose Account Settings.
- Now, select Add Mail Account from Account Actions.
- Enter credentials in the new tab that appears.
- A new window will open when you click Continue.
- Click Done after getting IMAP (remote folders) from the Settings found in the Mozilla ISP Database tab.
- Export all of Thunderbird emails to a new folder.
Step 3: Configuring the identical Gmail account in Microsoft Outlook
- Go to File > Account Settings > New to accomplish this.
- To proceed, enter your Gmail credentials and press the Connect button.
- One can now view a Thunderbird mailbox from Outlook using Gmail.
Step 4: Export Emails from Thunderbird to PST
- Open Microsoft Outlook 2019 and log in.
- Click the Import/Export icon in the Open & Export section.
- Choose Export to a File, then click Next under the Import/Export Wizard option.
- Click Next after choosing Outlook Data File (.pst) under the Create a File of Type option.
- Choose the folder where you exported all of Thunderbird files from the Select, the Folder to Export From tab (for more information, see PHASE 2), then click Next.
- Click Finish after selecting a place on the local disk from the Browse option under Save Exported File As.
- All Thunderbird emails have been saved to a PST file, which you can view in Microsoft Outlook 2019.
Method 2: Drag n Drop Emails into Outlook from Thunderbird
To import EML files into Outlook, first convert emails from Thunderbird to EML format. Take these actions:
Step 1: Convert Thunderbird Email Files to EML
Make a new desktop folder & give it a name of your choosing. Let’s call it Office Files, for example.
- To export emails to Microsoft Outlook 2019, use the Mozilla Thunderbird software, browse to the email folder, and choose which emails to export (you may choose one or more files). Emails will now be kept with the .eml extension when you drag n drop them into the Office Files folder.
- Keep in Note: It is possible to export several files by clicking on any email, holding down the Shift key, and then using the Arrow Up or Arrow Down function.
Step 2: Transfer .eml files into Outlook on Windows
- Make a new folder in Outlook and call it Outlook Files.
- Go to the Office Files folder now.
- In the Outlook Files folder, drag and drop the selected files.
- The import of the.eml files to Outlook finished successfully.
Expert Suggestion for Thunderbird Export to PST in Outlook 2016/2019/2021
There are manual methods to export Thunderbird emails to PST format, but it is time-consuming. If you have a large mailbox to move user look for an easy and instant solution. A pro option for importing Thunderbird emails into Outlook is provided by the BLR MBOX converter tool, which allows for a more thorough and automated email migration procedure. Additional abilities such as batch processing, extensive filtering, and file format support are provided by this program.
Conclusion
To perform Thunderbird export to PST, users have options to choose from manual methods or an automated tool. In this blog, we have provided an easy step-by-step guide to perform Thunderbird migration to PST using the IMAP method and the drag-and-drop method. We have also shared an advanced software that can migrate Thunderbird to Google Workspace, Outlook PST, TXT, Office 365, etc, maintaining the original structure of emails.
