The Top 3 Ways to Export Outlook Emails to Thunderbird.

Have an unsolved query about how to export Outlook emails to Thunderbird?
You have come to the right place to solve your query of how to export Outlook to Thunderbird.

In this blog, I am going to discuss the top 3 Ways to Export Outlook Emails to Thunderbird. SysInfoTools Software avails you with online conversion tool to convert PST to MBOX. But here I will explain you the 3 best manual techniques to migrate/export Outlook to Thunderbird.

Brief about Outlook and Thunderbird

Let’s start with the brief knowledge about Microsoft Outlook and Thunderbird. And then we’ll move ahead and learn to migrate Outlook emails to Thunderbird.

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager that is available as part of Microsoft’s Office suite. One of the most powerful email client application, undoubtedly. Many organizations utilize Microsoft Outlook in combination with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SharePoint Server to maintain calendars, coordinate meetings, and share mailboxes. Microsoft Outlook was first included with all versions of Windows up to Windows XP. Microsoft introduced Windows Live Mail with the introduction of Windows Vista. Outlook makes two basic file formats that are .pst and .ost for working online and offline.

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The one that we are going to discuss is the PST file format. It is featured file used to store your data when you are offline.

Thunderbird is a cross-platform desktop email application accessed on Windows, Mac, Linux operating systems. It is an open-source application for managing emails, news feeds(RSS), newsgroups developed by Mozilla Foundation. It is a local email client application which is powerful and easy to use. Mainly supports the .mbox format, which is read in by other clients like Apple Mail, Window Live Mail, The Bat, etc.

Reasons to Import Outlook to Thunderbird

Migrating Outlook to Thunderbird comes with a big question, What is the reason to export Outlook emails to Thunderbird. Thunderbird being cross-platform, easily run on another operating system. So, one of the reasons to export Outlook to Thunderbird is definitely a cross-platform migration. Although Outlook provides a user-friendly environment still it has a paid service. Thunderbird is a really handy application, provides many features that too free. Startups or individual users usually look for Thunderbird applications to perform their work.

“Can Thunderbird import Outlook Mails?”

Thunderbird cannot import Outlook files. If you want to Export Outlook emails to Thunderbird, you need a compatible version of Outlook on your PC with Thunderbird. In order to import from Outlook to Thunderbird, Outlook must be set as the default program.

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Export Outlook Emails to Thunderbird

1. Outlook PST file to Thunderbird on single Machine.
2. By Google Take Out.
3. By Gmail Synchronization

#1 Export Outlook to Thunderbird on Single Machine

• Click on the  Start button, then Go to Default Programs >> Set Outlook your default program. By clicking on the Set this program as default.
• Run Thunderbird and click on the Tools then click Import/Export Menu.
• Select the radio button which appears next toMail then click ‘Next’.  Select Outlook from the provided list and click ‘Next’. 
• Click on Finish to complete the import process.

Repeat the import process for importing other PST file like Address book, Contacts, etc. Now Set Thunderbird your Default Program.

#2 Export Outlook to Thunderbird by Google Take Out

This method describes you to configure Gmail account in Outlook and Export all your emails from Outlook mail to your Gmail account. Then import the PST file to Thunderbird MBOX format.  For that, open your Outlook then to perform Outlook to Thunderbird migration by Google Takeout, you need to add your Gmail account to Outlook. Go Step by Step to reaches successful migration.

• Click on ‘File’on top menu bar of Microsoft Outlook.
• Click on ‘Add account’ which will open a new window.
• Fill the Form such as Username, Email ID Password to provide with the user credentials.
• Now, open your Gmail account and click on ‘Settings’
• Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP and select Enable IMAP > Save the changes.

Note: By performing these action do Open your Gmail Online and Turn on the Access for secure apps

• Now Go to your Outlook account and click on
• When the process is completed click.
• After this, all your Gmail have been configured to Outlook. Now Copy or Drag and drop all your Outlook Mail Emails into Gmail account.
• Now, Login your Gmail account using email and password.
• Open Google takeout.
• Click on create an archive of emails, search items, tasks messages, etc. that is linked to your account.
• Your copy of files has been emailed to you(on Gmail Account). Now, Open the zip folder that has been downloaded from Gmail.

Now, Before opening the Thunderbird Environment, Download the Add-on ExportImportTool and Launch Thunderbird application.

Choose Application Menu –> Tools –> Add-ons and choose “Install Add-on From File…“. and Browse to your Download folder. Install it and “Relaunch” Thunderbird.

• Go to Tools -> ImportExportTools -> Import MBOX file. This will import Outlook PST in Thunderbird as MBOX File
• Browse for the Mbox file ( Browse in Folder Downloads\takeout-257879jik\Takeout\Mail) and press the Open button to open PST in Thunderbird

Thunderbird will import PST files to MBOX. It may give a name to the folder by adding a suffix. Hence, you can now open your exported Outlook PST in Thunderbird.

#3 Migrate PST to MBOX by Gmail Synchronization

With the help of this method, you will also configure your Gmail account in Outlook. Export Outlook emails to your Gmail account. This way you can import Outlook PST in Thunderbird(by configuring Gmail in Thunderbird).

For that, open your Outlook client and add your Gmail account to Outlook. Go Step by step to reaches successful migration.

• Click on ‘File’on top menu bar of Microsoft Outlook.
• Click on ‘Add account’ which will open a new window.
• Fill the Form such as Username, Email ID Password to provide with the user credentials.
• Now, open your Gmail account and Click on ‘Settings’
• Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAPand Select Enable IMAP > Save the changes.

Note: By performing these action do Open your Gmail Online and Turn on the Access for secure apps.

• Now Go to your Outlook account and click on
• When the process is completed click Finish copy all the Outlook Emails into Gmail account and refreshes the page.

Now Install the Thunderbird Email Client on to your system and follow the steps to configure Gmail account in your Thunderbird.

• Open Thunderbird > Click on Email option in account section. A new window will appear.
• Click on Skip this and use my existing mail. A new window will appear again.
• Fill your Gmail account details like Username and Password. Click on
• Now in next window that appears, select IMAP connection and click on Done.
• Your Gmail account is now Configured to your Thunderbird and you can use Outlook PST File in Thunderbird.

Conclusion

Using a manual way to export Outlook Emails to Thunderbird, I cannot guarantee you with successful migration. Sometimes this works and sometimes fails.  And the failure of this process may corrupt your Outlook PST files. For this, you can try a utility to overcome your corruption. Use SysInfoTools PST File Repair tool cum a converter.

Download Now

PST file Repair not only repairs corrupted PST files but also convert PST files into other popular email formats which also include MBOX (i.e. Thunderbird).