Best practices to open MBOX file in Outlook 2019, 2016

Read time 11 minutes

MBOX serves as a text-based file format for storing an array of emails. Numerous email clients, including Apple Mail, WebMail, Thunderbird, Entourage, Eudora, Gnu, and various others, adopt MBOX as their chosen file format. On the other hand, Outlook provides several advanced features such as multiple device compatibility, easy accessibility of emails in Office 365 and Exchange Server, and better team collaboration, which enhances users’ productivity.

Therefore, many users try to open their MBOX files in Outlook. However, it’s important to note that opening an MBOX file directly within the program isn’t possible. Thus, the article provides two effective ways to open your MBOX files in Outlook 2019, 2016.

Why do you need to open MBOX files in Outlook?

The MBOX file format is highly versatile and compatible with various email clients. However, there are situations where the need arises to access MBOX files using Outlook.

What do these disadvantages entail? Let’s delve into them:

• MBOX files are primarily compatible with open-source email clients, which may not offer the advanced features necessary for professional email communication.
• Users have expressed frustration with file locking problems encountered when dealing with MBOX files, resulting in significant challenges when attempting to open and access their files.
• MBOX files offer security but are prone to rapid corruption, posing a considerable challenge when seeking solutions for repair. Such instances can have various adverse effects on your professional life and work.
• One common problem frequently encountered with MBOX files is their propensity to disrupt network file systems, leading to significant inconvenience during critical operations.

Outlook, on the other hand, provides various advanced features, most significant of them are as follows:

• Outlook enjoys widespread popularity among individuals and organizations alike, serving as a preferred choice for both personal and official communication needs. It offers a comprehensive range of advanced features tailored to meet the demands of enterprise-level communication.
• Outlook offers a plethora of valuable features, including tasks, journals, notes, calendars, contacts, assignments, and more. These enhancements collectively elevate the user experience, making it unparalleled.
• Outlook boasts superior security features compared to MBOX, offering enhanced data protection. One notable feature is its unique password security option, allowing senders to safeguard their data effectively.
• Outlook’s robust anti-spam feature effectively filters out most spam emails from infiltrating your mailbox. Nevertheless, it doesn’t eliminate them entirely; instead, it relocates emails it suspects as spam to the Junk Emails folder, a designated repository for such messages.

Moving forward, we will delve into the let’s discuss the process of opening MBOX files using Outlook.

Users can access their MBOX files in Outlook by using the following manual method in two simple procedures.

1. Export mailbox items from Thunderbird in EML format

   Thunderbird email client allows its users to export emails in EML formats. Go through the following steps to save your emails in EML format.

   Note: You need to configure you email account in Thunderbird to perform the given steps.

• Step 1. Open the Thunderbird application and select emails that you wish to store in EML format.
• Step 2. Right-click on the chosen emails and proceed to Save As option.
• Step 3. Designate a desired location to store EML files, then press the Save button.
• Step 4.Your emails are now successfully stored at your desired location.
2. Drag and Drop EML files in PST format

Users can easily access EML files in Outlook application. To access the previously exported EML files, follow the given steps attentively.

• Step 1. Launch Outlook and navigate to the folder that contains EML files.
• Step 2. Drag and drop EML files into your preferred Outlook folder.
• Step 3. All your files are now accessible in the Outlook application.

Opening MBOX files in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 through the manual process can often prove to be quite challenging. This is primarily due to the requirement to have all the necessary components installed and configured simultaneously. Failing to meet these prerequisites can result in a significant time investment in setting up everything correctly. Therefore, a more efficient approach is to install a specialized tool like Kernel for MBOX to PST, which simplifies the process of opening MBOX files in Outlook.

Follow the given steps to open your MBOX files effortlessly.

• Step 1. Open the software and click on Browse to select the required MBOX folder.
• Step 2. Choose the MBOX folder, press the OK button, then proceed to Next.
• Step 3. Choose a particular folder to preview their content then proceed to click on the “Save” button.
• Step 4. Select the “PST file (MS Outlook)” option as an output format and then click “Next.”
• Step 5. Apply filters to remove unnecessary emails and press the Next option.
• Step 6. A fresh window will appear, offering you the opportunity to oversee your retrieved PST file. If necessary, you can divide the file and apply a prefix to it. Perform the necessary actions and then proceed by clicking “Next.”
• Step 7. Designate a location to save your files using Browse option, then proceed to Finish.
• Step 8. Once your file is successfully saved, you will receive a confirmation message. Simply click “OK” to end the process.
  

Conclusion:

If you need to access MBOX file data in Outlook, the recommended approach is to convert the MBOX file to PST, as explained earlier. Given the limitations of manual conversion methods, the Kernel for MBOX to PST Converter tool emerges as the most efficient solution. This tool allows you to convert multiple MBOX files into Outlook simultaneously. To evaluate its capabilities, you can try the free trial version, which provides a preview of the conversion or migration process with certain limitations. This trial version is available on the website, enabling you to test it before considering the purchase of a licensed version.

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Review by Experts William Diaz