How to Export Thunderbird Files to Outlook? – Quick Guide For You

Jamie Kaler ~ October 5, 2024 ~ 9 Minutes Reading

Summary: In this article, we describe the best and simplest method to export Thunderbird to Outlook. Due to the growing popularity of MS Outlook, many users are choosing to migrate their Thunderbird emails to it. So, continue reading this blog.

The clients choose different email applications to manage their business-related email accounts based on their requirements. In order to shift from one platform to another, it is important to export the information in the best possible way so that no data loss occurs.

Know About Thunderbird

Thunderbird is an open-source email client that allows users to manage business-related email accounts. It can manage multiple emails, news feeds, and newsgroup accounts. The major features like quick search, message filtering, and grouping make it easier to use.

Want to know your Thunderbird profile location? Click here to know.

MS Outlook

MS Outlook is an email application that allows users to manage personal as well as business-related email accounts. It was developed by Microsoft. It can be used by many people in an organization to share mailboxes and exchange public folders.

Several added security mechanisms in Microsoft Outlook protect your email account from unwanted attacks. It’s included in the Microsoft Office suite of programs along with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

User Query about Export Thunderbird File to MS Outlook

I have been using the Thunderbird application for the last 3 years. So a huge chunk of data has accumulated over this year. All this data is very crucial. For security reasons, Outlook is the best for storing data. Can someone provide me with the best method to migrate Thunderbird data to MS Outlook?

It is now very common to export Thunderbird to Outlook. But if you’ve ever tried to do it yourself, you know how hard it can be. Without specialized solutions, there are too many chances of failure. With so-called “free workaround solutions,” you might end up losing data and wasting all your time and effort.

Comparison Between Thunderbird & Outlook

Feature Thunderbird Outlook
Cost Free, open-source Paid (included in Microsoft Office Suite)
Supported Files MBOX PST, OST
Integration Limited integration with third-party apps Strong integration with Microsoft apps (Word, Excel, Teams)
User Interface Customizable, but basic Professional, user-friendly, suitable for business use
Security Basic encryption, relies on add-ons Advanced security features (encryption, MFA, anti-phishing)
Email Management Good, with basic organizational tools Advanced tools (rules, focused inbox, categories)
Calendar and Contacts Needs add-ons for calendar and contact management Built-in calendar, contact management, and task integration
Offline Access Basic offline access Cached mode for full offline access and email sync
Collaboration Lacks advanced collaboration features Shared mailboxes, shared calendars, Teams integration
Customization Highly customizable with themes and add-ons Limited customization, but stable and professional
Backup & Recovery No built-in backup, requires third-party tools Built-in PST export for backup and easy recovery
Target Audience Personal users, small businesses Business users, enterprises, professionals

Necessity of Exporting Thunderbird to Outlook

  • Microsoft Outlook provides advanced security features, including encryption and multiple-factor authentication, which makes it a safer option for both personal and organizational emails. Users are searching for better protection, so they choose Outlook over Thunderbird.
  • Outlook can easily integrate with other Microsoft applications such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint, as it provides all in one productivity suite.
  • It offers a wide range of advanced features, such as calendar management, task management, and more robust organizational tools. These features are especially beneficial for business users who require an advanced layer of security features.
  • Users can easily sync their mailbox data on several devices, such as desktops, laptops, and mobile phones. These features allow users to easily access their emails, contacts, and calendars seamlessly on any device.
  • Outlook is often used as an enterprise solution. It can be scaled up to meet the requirements of growing organizations that support shared mailboxes, shared calendars, and enhanced collaboration features that Thunderbird lacks.

Export Tool for Mozilla Thunderbird to Outlook

Jagware Thunderbird Converter is a direct solution to export Thunderbird data to MS Outlook without any Thunderbird installation. With this tool, you can easily convert Thunderbird profiles with attachments to Outlook. Thunderbird uses the MBOX format, while Outlook uses PST, making a conversion necessary to migrate emails. So, we suggest you to opt MBOX to PST Converter as it allows migrating Thunderbird emails to Outlook in bulk as well as selective emails.Install for Windows

Step to Convert Thunderbird Emails to Outlook

  1. Firstly, download and install the software on your PC.
  2. Secondly, the software does it work automatically.
    Convert configured Thunderbird mailboxes data: This option helps users automatically detect the location of their Thunderbird profile or account.
    Let me select my Thunderbird Mailboxes data: This option helps users to select Thunderbird Profiles Folder or Thunderbird files using Select Folder or Select Files options.export thunderbird to Outlook
  3. After that, choose the Thunderbird profile data and hit the Next button.check the Thunderbird profile data
  4. Now, choose the PST option from the multiple saving options.select PST option
  5. Select the desired location by clicking the browse option.select desire location to migrate Thunderbird to Outlook
  6. Finally, go to the desired location and check the resultant data.

Once the conversion is finished and you get the PST file, simply open it with MS Outlook. For this, go to File >> Open >> Open Outlook Data File >> Select the PST file to be viewed.

Epitome Elements of the Automated Tool

  • This tool keeps all types of email attachments during the Thunderbird to Outlook conversion.
  • The software keeps the folder’s structure the same as if it were on a different disk. The tool is free of viruses, works well, and converts emails successfully in a short amount of time.
  • With this tool, you can convert specific emails with all email attributes.
  • This software is designed in a way that it can handle multiple conversions without the need to install any supported applications.
  • The tool is virus-free and ensures data privacy by adhering to standard encryption practices.

How to Migrate Thunderbird Emails to Outlook Via Maildir?

To convert Thunderbird emails to Outlook via Maildir is not a very popular approach but can be effective for those users who want more granular access over their mailbox data. Maildir is a format where each email is stored separately, which allows users to easier access and management of individual email messages.

  1. First, run Mozilla Thunderbird and click on the menu.
  2. Navigate to the Server Settings and click on Local Directory.
  3. Use the Maildir format; this will allow access to each email to be stored separately.
  4. Restart Thunderbird for the changes to take effect.
  5. Thunderbird will now store their email at C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ProfileNames\Mail.

How to Convert Thunderbird Emails to Outlook(Maildir)?

As Outlook is not supportable with Maildir format. So, you can opt for the Jagware Maildir Converter as it allows you to convert Maildir files into Outlook compatible PST format to easily import into Outlook. This software also offers various advanced features like filter features, support for multiple export options, and a completely effective solution to complete this approach without compromising with your mailbox data.
Download for Windows

  1. Download and launch Maildir Converter on your computer then click on next button to continue.launch wizard
  2. Click on Select files or folder as per required and select file as you want to convert.Select Maildir files
  3. Choose the PST file in the several options of the Select saving feature.select PST file
  4. Finally, browse destinations and choose Advanced filters as needed.Select Advanced filter
  5. Now, click on Convert to see the live progress report.click on convert to export thunderbird to outlook
How do I Export Thunderbird Emails to Outlook Manually?

If you want to export Thunderbird emails to Outlook manually, then you must have needed a Google account as an intermediary for transferring emails and keep IMAP enabled to perform the guidelines as we have explained below:

  1. First, run Mozilla Thunderbird on your computer and navigate to Settings.
  2. Now, select Email and enter your Google login credentials as you have created earlier.
  3. Select emails as you want to import into Outlook.
  4. Right-click on Select, copy it, and choose IMAP Account.
  5. Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the file.
  6. Choose Add Account and fill in the Gmail email address as you have recently configured on Thunderbird, and click on Connect.
  7. Fill in Gmail IMAP Server Details:
  8. Incoming Mail Server: imap.gmail.com Port: 993 Encryption: SSL
  9. Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com Port: 465 Encryption: SSL
  10. Now, click on Test Account Setting and wait for the synchronized account with Outlook.
Lacks of Manual Methods to Export Thunderbird Emails to Outlook
  • This approach can be very slow, especially for large sizes of mailbox data.
  • Folder hierarchy will not retain the same as Thunderbird email.
  • There is a higher possibility of losing attachments or metadata.
  • Since the emails are synced through an IMAP account, the process is highly dependent on your internet connection.

Resolution

On the internet, you can see many manual methods are available, but they do not give you data accuracy. With the manual approach, maybe you lost your attachment as well as the header. Use a professional solution recommended by Jagware. It gives you 100% data accuracy. Please try the free demo version to understand the software process.

Also Read: How to Migrate Thunderbird to HCL Notes?

Frequently Raised Concerns

How do I Sync my Thunderbird email with Outlook?
Sync Thunderbird with Outlook by configuring both clients with the same IMAP email account to synchronize emails across both platforms.


How do I Import Email addresses from Thunderbird to Outlook?
Export contacts from Thunderbird as a CSV file, then import the CSV into Outlook using the Import/Export feature from Outlook’s File menu.


Can you Export all emails from Thunderbird?
Yes, you can export all emails from Thunderbird using add-ons like “ImportExportTools NG” or by copying to an IMAP folder and syncing with another client.

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