How to Backup Thunderbird Emails?

Thunderbird is an open-source email client by Mozilla, which is used to store all your emails, attachments, calendars, contacts, etc., in an MBOX file. MBOX is a mailbox file format widely supported by numerous email clients, such as Apple Mail, Eudora, Opera Mail, etc.

Thunderbird is mostly used for business communications and it contains valuable data that you must back up regularly to safeguard from damage, corruption, or accidental loss. You may also want to back up Thunderbird emails to migrate them to other MBOX email clients or MS Outlook.

In this guide, we will discuss various methods to back up your Thunderbird mailbox data in different file formats for a quick restore in different email clients, including MS Outlook.

Methods to Backup Thunderbird Emails

There are two ways to backup Thunderbird emails –

• Copy the profile folder belonging to your email configured in Thunderbird to an external, network drive, or cloud.
• Export the Thunderbird mailbox data to different formats, such as PST, EML, PDF, HTML, RTF, or Office 365

Method 1: Backup Thunderbird Emails on a Storage Drive

Thunderbird creates a profile folder for every user profile it has configured. This folder stores all the data associated with profile, such as emails, contacts, calendars, etc. The simplest way to backup your Thunderbird emails is to backup the Thunderbird profile folder.

Here are the steps to take a backup of Thunderbird profile folder –

• Navigate to the following location on your PC –

C:\Users\*ProfileName*\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\*Profile.default*\

• Copy the profile folder and save it to a different volume, external drive, or network storage media for backup.

NOTE – You may see .msf files (Mail Summary File) – containing the email header information and other files without any extension. The files without extension are MBOX files  you need to copy and backup.

Method 2: Backup Thunderbird Emails in Other Formats

Another way to back up Thunderbird emails is to use the ImportExportTools NG add-on. This add-on allows you to export and save selected Thunderbird emails in various formats, like EML, HTML, PDF, Plain text, and CSV. It also allows you to save all the selected emails or the complete mailbox as an MBOX file.

NOTE – ImportExportTools NG add-on may not be supported by new Thunderbird versions.

The steps are as follows –

• Launch Mozilla Thunderbird on your PC and click on the gear icon at the bottom-left corner to open Settings.

• Click on Add Ons and Themes.

• Use the search bar in the Add-Ons Manager tab to search for ImportExportTools NG.

• Click Add to Thunderbird to install it.

• You will see a prompt. Click Add to proceed.

• Relaunch Thunderbird.
• Select all the emails that you want to save and right-click on them.
• Go to Export Messages As and select the desired file format to backup Thunderbird emails.

• Choose the location where you want to save the exported Thunderbird emails and click Select Folder.

Your Thunderbird emails will be saved at the selected location. You can back up the saved emails on an external drive or cloud storage.

Use a Third-party MBOX to PST Converter

You can easily save and backup Thunderbird emails in various formats, like HTML, PDF, etc., using the methods described above. However, some of these methods are laborious and time- consuming and may result in inaccurate data export.

To overcome the above limitations and simplify the mailbox conversion process, you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX. It is an advanced mailbox conversion software that helps you convert MBOX to PST in a few simple steps. This software can also save Thunderbird emails in various other formats, like HTML, RTF, PDF, and more.

The software also retains the original mailbox structure and ensures data accuracy during the mailbox conversion process. With this tool, you can also convert multiple MBOX files to PST, HTML, RTF, PDF, etc., in a single operation.

Refer to this guide to convert multiple MBOX files using Stellar Converter for MBOX.

If you have converted a Thunderbird MBOX file to PST and want to open it via Outlook, read this guide to use the Outlook’s built in Import/Export wizard.

Conclusion

You must back up Thunderbird emails regularly as they may contain critical information and data. Mailbox backups help restore lost or deleted emails. We hope the detailed methods in this guide helped you backup Thunderbird emails in multiple formats like HTML, Plain Text, PDF, CSV, etc. But if you are trying to backup Thunderbird emails into Outlook, you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX and convert MBOX file to PST in a few clicks.

Besides Thunderbird, this powerful software supports around 18 email clients, including Entourage, Spicebird, PocoMail, Eudora, Apple Mail, SeaMonkey, and more.

FAQ

Q.1 Can I restore Thunderbird data on another computer?

Yes, moving and restoring Thunderbird data from one computer to another. Read this guide to learn how to move Thunderbird data to another computer.

Q.2 What formats are the best for exporting Thunderbird emails?

Thunderbird allows users to export emails in various formats, such as HTML, Plain Text, PDF, CSV, and more. You can choose the format based on your requirements.

Q.3 Can I export Thunderbird emails without the ImportExportTools NG add-on?

You can export Thunderbird emails without installing the ImportExportTools NG add-on. To do so, you will have to individually select the emails > right-click, and select Save As to save them as EML files.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.