Microsoft Thunderbird is an open source mail server offering its clients the services to send and receive emails from one or more email accounts. With its ability to run on both Mac and Windows, Thunderbird has become a favorite email application and has amassed quite a large user base while it offers many additional advantages, Thunderbird falls short when compared to Microsoft Outlook. Outlook is much more user-friendly and secure and offers a host of capabilities. And that’s why people so often look for ways to transfer Thunderbird emails to Outlook.
Although performing Thunderbird to Outlook migration has become much more simplified than it used to be, but if a user needs to transfer Thunderbird emails to Outlook on a new computer, it becomes complex process than just a simple migration. There are two phases involved in the process, wherein, first the Thunderbird MBOX file is transferred from the source computer to the destination computer, and then the MBOX file is converted to Outlook-compatible PST format.
In this post, we’re discussing both these phases so that you can easily transfer Thunderbird email to the new computer if need be.
Method to transfer Thunderbird to a new PC
First things first – let us clarify that there’s no inbuilt way to export your data from Thunderbird to a new PC. When it comes to exporting Mozilla Thunderbird to another PC or laptop, the only way to do it is by manually copying your data to the new machine.
Experts advise that while taking Thunderbird data over, you should export the entire mailbox along with all its contents like emails, contacts, appointments, calendars, address books, settings, saved passwords and other data from one PC to another. So while transferring it to a new PC, you’ll have to use the official method by manually copy-pasting your profile folder over to the new machine.
Technique to Transfer Thunderbird to a New PC
Note: It is always important to make sure your device is properly backed up before starting the mailbox export to the other computer. You will have to back up all your mailbox data preferably into an external storage device like USB flash drive, Portable Hard Drive, CD/DVD, etc.
Once the backup of thunderbird emails has been completed, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Go to the desktop and click on the “Start” button located at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. If using Windows 8 or Windows 10, tap the Windows button on your keyboard and type the following in the search box:
“C:\Users\[WindowsUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles”
- Now press the “Enter” button.
- Use the mouse to right-click on the file labeled “.default” and select “Copy” from the drop-down menu.
- Now click “Computer” in the navigation area to your left. Find your backup media and find the required sub-folder.
- Paste the data by pressing “CTRL + V”. Please note: If using a CD/DVD you will have to choose “Burn Media to Disc” after doing so.
- After the process is finished, remove your backup media and place it into your new machine.
- On the new computer, login to Windows and install Mozilla Thunderbird. Close Thunderbird after doing so.
- Proceed to the Windows “Start” button as discussed earlier.
- Click on the backup drive you placed into your new computer. Find the “.default” folder you copied earlier and double-click it.
- Use the combination “CTRL +A” to select the full contents of the folder, followed by “CTRL + C” to copy the contents.
- Retrace your steps by clicking “Start”, then typing the following in the “Search” field:
“C:\Users\[WindowsUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles”
- Press the “Enter” button.
- Double-click your “.default” file.
- Press “CTRL + V” to copy the files you chose from your backup. You will probably be prompted about overwriting, please select “Yes” when asked so.
- Now open Thunderbird and all your messages and settings should be synced.
What to after completing the transfer Thunderbird email to new computer?
Once your Thunderbird emails and other mailbox items have been transferred to a new computer, in order to import them into Outlook, you’ll have to perform a conversion between the underlying file formats that both email clients use. In other words, you will need to perform an MBOX (Thunderbird) to PST (Outlook) conversion.
The easiest and most efficient way to perform an MBOX to PST Conversion is with the use of automated software Stellar Converter for MBOX. Equipped with the finest and most technically advanced conversion algorithms, this professional tool helps you perform hassle-free and risk-free MBOX to PST Conversion so that you can export your mailbox contents from email clients like Thunderbird, Entourage, Evolution, Eudora, Apple Mail, Sea Monkey, etc. to Outlook. It comes complete with an interactive GUI and lots of other features which make it a product worth keeping handy.
Conclusion
Migrating or exporting mbox emails to outlook or another client is a tough job, let alone complicated. And when it comes to switching machines in the migration, it becomes even more challenging. But thankfully, with the help of automated products like Stellar Converter for MBOX, you can perform the major part of the task within a few clicks.
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