{"id":2185,"date":"2023-10-30T15:40:23","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T10:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.softwarepro.org\/blog\/?p=2185"},"modified":"2024-04-01T16:08:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T10:38:28","slug":"how-to-convert-thunderbird-to-pst-manually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.softwarepro.org\/blog\/how-to-convert-thunderbird-to-pst-manually\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Convert Thunderbird to PST Manually | Practical Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"convert-thunderbird-to-pst\"<\/p>\r\n

In this article, we will be dealing with the question i.e., of how to convert Thunderbird to PST format.<\/strong>\u00a0Although\u00a0Thunderbird\u00a0and Outlook are regarded as two of the most popular email clients, both of them lack any native means of conversion between them.<\/p>\r\n

Moreover, incompatibility between their data files (MBOX and PST) further complicates this issue. This is why we have come up with practical manual and\u00a0automatic\u00a0methods that can be implemented to perform this conversion easily.<\/p>\r\n

Need for Thunderbird Export to PST Task<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

There are several reasons why users need to convert their emails from Thunderbird to PST file format. Understanding these reasons can help users execute the solutions with utmost perfection. Let\u2019s have a look at these solutions in depth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Change of Email Clients:<\/b> Whenever users switch their email clients from Thunderbird to Outlook, they must change the file format. This is the major reason why users undergo this file format conversion method.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Data Migration Tasks: <\/b>During data migration tasks like Thunderbird to Microsoft Exchange, users might need to convert the file format of emails from Thunderbird-based to Outlook PST.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Backup & Data Storage: <\/b>It\u2019s quite a common practice among users to store backups of Thunderbird emails in PST file format. The reason for this is the excellent scalability & acceptance by email clients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Legal Proceedings: <\/b>During audits or legal proceedings, users need to convert Thunderbird Mail to Outlook PST format. This is crucial to show the evidence to respective authorities without any kind of hassles.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Data Files Sharing: <\/b>Whenever users need to share files with someone who operates emails on Outlook, they have to convert the file format first. Therefore conversion to Outlok PST files is a must.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Know How to Convert Thunderbird to PST Manually<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

No matter what the reason is for conversion to Outlook PST, the method to gain the required results remain the same. In the following manual solution, we will be taking advantage of the EML format, which is supported by both Thunderbird and the latest version of MS Outlook (2010 & above). The steps are as follows:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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  1. Transfer Thunderbird messages to EML Manually<\/em><\/a><\/li>\r\n
  2. Move the EML files back into MS Outlook for Free<\/em><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Now starting with the solution:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Step 1: Convert Thunderbird Messages to EML Manually<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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    1. Run the\u00a0Mozilla Thunderbird<\/strong>\u00a0application and select the\u00a0mailbox folder<\/strong> in which the emails to be exported reside.<\/li>\r\n
    2. Now select the required messages in this mailbox folder. Use\u00a0Ctrl+A<\/strong> for the selection of all the email messages.<\/li>\r\n
    3. Next, right-click<\/strong>\u00a0on any of the selected emails and hit the\u00a0Save As<\/strong> option.<\/li>\r\n
    4. Create and\u00a0select a folder<\/strong> on the local system to save the Thunderbird emails as EML files.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Step 2: Move the Convert Thunderbird to PST for Free<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      MS Outlook 2010 and newer versions support direct import of EML files via manually dragging and dropping emails. But do note that you won’t be able to preview the added emails in Outlook. The steps to\u00a0import EML messages into Outlook<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are as follows:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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      1. Run the MS Outlook<\/strong>\u00a0application and create a\u00a0new mailbox folder<\/strong>. Name it accordingly.<\/li>\r\n
      2. Now,\u00a0open the folder<\/strong> containing EML files on the local system.<\/li>\r\n
      3. Next, simply select each and every EML file, then\u00a0drag<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0drop<\/strong>\u00a0them into the newly created mailbox folder.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        If the ultimate goal of knowing how to convert Thunderbird to PST file is accessing emails in Outlook, these manual steps are fine enough! But if the user specifically requires a PST file, then use the free native Import\/export option in Outlook<\/strong>\u00a0to gain it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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        Note:<\/strong>\u00a0For earlier versions of Outlook, users will need to drag and drop the EML files to Windows Live Mail. Then use the free native means to export these emails directly from\u00a0Windows Live Mail to Outlook<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0profile. Do note that, inline images may get converted into empty attachments after export.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        Critical Drawbacks of Manual Solution to Convert Thunderbird to Outlook PST<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        Although this manual process works well and fine, it is not feasible for users having concerns such as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n