Summary: In this post, we’ve shared stepwise instructions on how to import MBOX to Outlook. We’ve outlined different methods to convert MBOX to PST. We have also shared details of a specialized software that can ease the process of converting MBOX file into Outlook PST.
MBOX is a popular mailbox file format used by prominent email clients, such as Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, Entourage, and more, to store mailbox data such as emails, contacts, attachments, etc.
While many email clients widely support the MBOX file format, Outlook does not. There is no direct way to import MBOX data in Outlook, so many users are unable to import data from MBOX to Outlook. However, some workarounds are available for importing MBOX to Outlook, which you may find helpful.
Ways to Import MBOX to Outlook
In this section, learn how to export MBOX emails in EML format via Mozilla Thunderbird or sync Gmail in Thunderbird to transfer your MBOX emails to Outlook. We’ve also shared a specialized MBOX to PST converter to ease the import process.
1. Save MBOX emails in EML Format Using Mozilla Thunderbird
As mentioned earlier, the MBOX file format is incompatible with Outlook. However, you can import the MBOX file into Mozilla Thunderbird and export the required emails in EML format. EML format is supported by Outlook. So, you can easily import MBOX into Outlook.
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free-to-use email client that you can install on your system, access MBOX files, and export their data in compatible file formats. Follow the detailed four-step guide below to extract MBOX emails in EML format and import them into Outlook.
Step 1 – Download Mozilla Thunderbird and Create a Profile
Download and install Mozilla Thunderbird on your Windows computer. Then, follow the guide to create a new Thunderbird user profile. If you already have Thunderbird installed on your PC and configured with your profile, move on to Step 2.
Step 2 – Install ImportExportTools NG in Thunderbird
Once you have installed Thunderbird on your PC and configured a profile, install the ImportExportTools NG add-on. It is a necessary add-on for importing MBOX file/s into Thunderbird. Follow the steps below to install the ImportExportTools NG add-on in Thunderbird
- Launch Thunderbird application.
- Click on the waffle icon to open the Thunderbird Menu. Click on Add-ons and Themes.
- In the Personalize Your Thunderbird window, search for ‘ImportExportTools NG’ in the search bar and press Enter.
- Now, select the ImportExportTools NG add-on.
- Click on the Add to Thunderbird button.
- It will show a prompt asking for installation permissions. Click on Add to proceed.
- Once the installation is complete, restart the Thunderbird application.
Step 3 – Import MBOX File into Thunderbird and Save Emails in EML Format
Once you have installed the ImportExportTools NG add-on in Thunderbird, import the MBOX file into your Thunderbird application. Here’s what to do –
- Launch Thunderbird, right-click on the Local Folders, and then click on New Folder.
- Name the newly-created folder and click on Create Folder.
- Right-click on the folder you just created, hover over ImportExportTools NG > Import mbox Files,and click on Individual mbox Files.
- Choose the MBOX file you want to import into Thunderbird and click Open.
- After importing the MBOX file in Thunderbird, you will see all the MBOX items listed.
- Choose from the listed emails you want to save as EML, right-click on the selected emails, and click on Save As.
- Choose the destination folder and click on Select Folder.
The selected emails will be saved as EML files in the destination folder.
Step 4: Drag and Drop EML Files in Outlook
Once you have saved the MBOX emails in EML format, drag and drop them in Outlook. To do this –
- Launch the Outlook desktop application.
- Create a new folder and give it a name.
- Drag and drop the EML files into the newly created folder in Outlook.
Using the above step-by-step workarounds, you can easily import MBOX emails into Outlook.
This above workaround is time-consuming and lengthy and can result in lost emails. Also, it is only suitable for saving a couple of emails as EML files. Hence, this workaround will fail if you have a large number of emails to import into Outlook or multiple mailboxes to export.
2. Synchronize Gmail with Thunderbird
If you have an active Gmail account, you can configure it with Thunderbird and use it to transfer emails from an MBOX to your Outlook account. You will also need to import MBOX file into Thunderbird, for which you can follow Step 2 from the previous method.
You can follow this guide to add Gmail account to Thunderbird. After adding your mailbox, it will show up in Thunderbird. You can then copy and paste the complete mailbox into it. After doing this, configure your Gmail account in Outlook for Windows application and access the MBOX emails in Outlook.
Note – If you want to save a copy of the MBOX emails for future reference, use the Outlook’s Import/Export wizard to export MBOX emails as PST. You can use this PST in future.
Limitations of Methods 1 & 2
- Multiple software installation is required
- Lengthy & time-consuming
- You can lose track of converted emails/mailboxes
- Ideal for a single account or a couple of emails
3. Use an MBOX to PST Converter [Recommended]
The manual method explained above is time-consuming and can result in misplaced EML files. However, a simpler, safer, and straightforward way is to Import MBOX into Outlook. You can leverage a powerful MBOX to PST converter, such as Stellar Converter for MBOX. This MBOX to PST converter helps you convert MBOX files to PST files while retaining complete mailbox hierarchy and email integrity.
Here are the steps to convert MBOX into PST using Stellar Converter for MBOX –
- Download and install Stellar Converter for MBOX on your Windows PC.
- Launch it.
- Click on Select Mail Client under the Home tab.
- The Select MBOX window will appear. Select the email client from using the Select Mail Client drop-down menu.
- After selecting the email client, click on either Select File or Select Identity. Then, click on Convert.
- The software will start scanning the selected MBOX file. Once the scan is complete, preview the MBOX data.
- If you are satisfied with the conversion results, click on the Save Converted File button under the Home tab.
- Choose the Save As PST option in the Save As window. Click Next.
- Click on Browse to choose the destination folder. Click Save.
Note – If the MBOX file is very large or you want to save specific emails, you can apply Advanced Filters to filter out required emails based on Date Range or Sender’s email address.
Conclusion
If you want to import MBOX into Outlook, you may use different workarounds discussed in this post to import MBOX data into Outlook. However, they are not as efficient as they require a lot of time and efforts. Moreover, most of them don’t work when you need to import a large number of emails [thousands] or mailboxes. For such a scenario, you can rely on third-party MBOX to PST Converter like Stellar Converter for MBOX. It is a simple-to-use software to convert MBOX to PST, and export converted MBOX files directly into a Microsoft 365 [Office 365 account].
