Popular email clients, such as Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Opera Mail, Netscape, Entourage, and many others, use MBOX data files to store the email items. Unlike MBOX email clients, Outlook, Exchange, and Office 365 support PST data file format.
Thus, to migrate mailbox items from an MBOX-based email client to Outlook, Exchange, or Office 365, you must convert the mail items stored in MBOX files to PST format.
For this, you can use an online or offline MBOX to PST converter tool. Although there are several MBOX to PST converter web apps to convert MBOX to PST online, these online converter tools are neither safe nor reliable when it comes to converting MBOX files that are large or contain sensitive emails or information.
In this guide, we’ve explained why you should prefer an offline MBOX to PST converter software over an online MBOX to PST coverter tool.
Online vs Offline MBOX to PST Converter – Which One to Choose?
Online MBOX to PST converters are convenient as you don’t need to download or install any software on your system. You can access these online MBOX to PST converter web apps through any device, such as PC, smartphone, tablet, etc. This allows you to upload and convert MBOX files from anywhere.
However, with online MBOX to PST converter, there’s a huge data privacy concern. To convert MBOX to PST online, you are required to upload your MBOX file(s) on the web app server. This requires a decent internet connection to upload large or multiple MBOX files.
Once your MBOX file(s) is uploaded on the site server, the site administrator can easily access it or read the emails. Besides, if there is a security breach, the hackers can also access your data. And if this information gets into the wrong hands, the threat actors can use the information to plan and execute malicious activities.
With offline MBOX to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for MBOX, data privacy is not a concern. The software is installed on your physical system and does not require an internet connection to work.
The MBOX file data is converted and saved in PST file(s) on your system. The software also offers several features, which are helpful but missing in an online MBOX to PST converter.
- Converts single or multiple MBOX files to PST.
- Supports 17 different MBOX email clients.
- Provides an option to export mail items from MBOX to new or existing PST.
- Displays an enhanced preview of converted mail items before saving to PST.
- Exports converted MBOX emails directly to Office 365.
- Options to save MBOX emails in EML, MSG, HTML, RTF, and PDF formats.
Steps to Convert MBOX to PST by Using the Software
To convert MBOX to PST by using Stellar Converter for MBOX, follow these steps:
- Download, install, and launch Stellar Converter for MBOX software.
- Select the MBOX email client, such as Thunderbird, from the ‘Email Client‘ dropdown.
- Click ‘Select File‘ to choose the MBOX file or click ‘Select Identity‘ to select the Identity folder containing multiple MBOX files for conversion.
- After selecting the MBOX files, click ‘Convert.’
- After the conversion, you can preview the emails and check their content.
- Close Outlook, if running and select the email items and folders you want to convert to PST.
- Then click ‘Save Converted File’ at the top under the ‘Home‘ tab.
- From the ‘Save Options‘, choose New PST and click ‘Next.‘
- Then click ‘Browse’ to choose a destination location. You can select your PC drive or external media and then click ‘Save.‘
The software converts the MBOX file(s) to Outlook importable PST format. You can import the PST file into Outlook, Office 365, or Exchange mailbox.
Conclusion
Online MBOX to PST converter tools are helpful when you need to convert small MBOX files containing non-sensitive data. Online MBOX to PST converter apps require you to upload the MBOX file and thus, emails can be accessed or read by the site owner, which is a significant privacy concern. Thus, an offline MBOX to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for MBOX, is highly recommended to convert MBOX to PST offline. Especially when there are multiple or large MBOX files containing confidential data, emails, and information.
Besides PST, the offline software allows you to save MBOX emails in EML, MSG, HTML, PDF, and RTF formats. You may also export mail items from MBOX to Office 365 directly with 100% integrity and without any privacy concern.
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