Easy Methods to Import Windows Live Mail to Outlook

Read time: 9 minutes

Quick Overview: Windows Live Mail was once the most-used email client. However, due to lack of compatibility and features, users started shifting to feature-rich platforms like Outlook. Explore the guide and know how to import Windows Live Mail to Outlook manually.

Windows Live Mail (WLM) served as a popular freeware email client from Microsoft, succeeding Windows Mail and Outlook Express in previous Windows versions. Despite Microsoft introducing Windows Mail in Windows 10, many users remain loyal to WLM. However, after WLM was discontinued in 2012 and reached the end of support in January 2017, users started to import Windows Live Mail to Outlook.

To import WLM emails to Outlook on the same computer, WLM has a direct option. But sometimes users need to import emails to a different computer than the one where WLM is installed. Moving forward with this blog, we will discuss different methods to move emails from your WLM to Outlook on any system without data loss.

Why Import Windows Live Mail to Outlook?

Windows Live Mail doesn’t offer the same features and benefits as Outlook. If you want a more feature-rich and powerful email experience, Microsoft Outlook is the best windows live mail alternative. When you transfer email from Windows Live Mail to Outlook, you get the following benefits:

Feature	Windows Live Mail	Microsoft Outlook
Organization	Limited folder structure	Easily organize emails into folders and subfolders, making it simple to find old messages and track important conversations
Search	Basic, limited search function	Powerful, advanced search that makes finding exactly what you need much faster
Customization	Few options to adjust the interface	Most of the elements in latest Outlook are customizable, like email viewing, toolbar buttons, layout, and more
External Account Support	Supports only a limited number of external providers	Easily add and manage accounts from other providers (e.g., Gmail) alongside Microsoft accounts
Security	Missing several modern security protections	Built-in, robust security features that guard against malware and phishing attacks

Methods to Import Windows Live Mail to Outlook

Moving from Windows Live Mail to Outlook on another computer is an excellent choice for users. There are three ways that you can try to transfer email from Windows Live Mail to Outlook:

Best method to import Windows Live Mail emails to Outlook as per scenario:

Method	When to Use	Benefits
Import using WLM Built-In Feature	If WLM is functional and a 32-bit Outlook version is installed.	No external third-party tool is needed.
Drag & Drop EML Files to Outlook	For small-scale migrations.	Best for selective email migration.
Convert EML to PST and then Import to Outlook.	For large-scale data transfer while preserving the mailbox structure.	Simplify the migration of bulk EML files stored in multiple folders.

Method 1. Import from Windows Live Mail into Outlook

Note: Only proceed with this method if your WLM is working fine and you have Outlook installed & configured on the same system as WLM.

Windows Live Mail has the functionality to directly transfer WLM mail items either to Microsoft Exchange or in Microsoft WLM format on the same computer. But if you need to move the emails to the Outlook application on a different system, you will have to work around the process a little bit.

We will first copy Windows Live Mail emails to an Outlook profile. Then, download the emails from Outlook to a PST file and save it on your local machine. After that, we will move the PST file to the target system and then import PST to Outlook.

Part 1: Transfer Email to Outlook

Make sure there are no running instances of Outlook application during the process. The detailed steps to move items to Outlook are given below.

Launch the Windows Live Mail email client and click on File > Export email > Email messages.
Choose the Microsoft Exchange option and hit Next.
Next, you will see a confirmation message. Click OK to proceed.
Choose Outlook from the Profile Name drop-down menu and hit OK.
From the Export Messages dialog, either select All folders or Selected folders and click OK to proceed.
A new dialog displays the status of the process. In the end, you will receive a success message.
Open Outlook to verify the email transfer process.

Part 2: Save Emails from Outlook to PST

Open Outlook, click File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Select the option Export to a file and click Next .
Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next .
Choose the folders from Outlook to save to the PST file. Make sure to tick the Include subfolders option and click Next .
Specify the location to save the PST file, choose the option regarding duplicate items, and click Finish.

Part 3: Import the PST File to Outlook on a Different Computer

Transfer the PST file to the target system using a secondary storage device or network share.
Open Outlook, click File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Select Import from another program or file and click Next .
Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
Specify the location of the PST file (copied from the source computer) to import and click Next .
Choose the mailbox folder in which you want to import the PST and click Finish .

Method 2. From the Windows Live Mail File Location

Transferring the WLM files stored on your system in EML format is possible using a storage device. If you are planning to move your WLM EML files to a new PC, then after configuring the Outlook desktop client on your new system, you can drag and drop your EML files to the newly created folder inside Outlook client. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1. Find the EML files associated with the WLM account.

C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail

Step 2. The location will contain several folders containing mailbox information. Copy these files to a storage device.

Step 3. Now Plug in your storage device into the new system.

Step 4. Launch the Outlook client and add a new folder.

Step 5. Just drag and drop all the files to this folder. Drag and drop files in this folder

When to Convert EML Files Before Importing to Outlook?

In scenarios where your WLM stops responding due to incompatibility issues, using method 2 may be the way to transfer the emails. However, moving individual EML files in large numbers might freeze Outlook. If you want to import the emails as the single outlook data file, convert all the EML files into a single PST file, you can use Kernel EML to PST Converter and then import it into Outlook. Also, before converting you can use an EML Converter Tool to preview your EML file contents, as it reads the source EML files without deleting or changing anything.

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Things to Keep in Mind During Windows Live Mail to Outlook Migration

When you try to export emails from Windows Live Mail to Outlook from one system to another, keep these things in mind:

“Access denied” during import: This error usually comes when one or more instances of Outlook are running in the background. Make sure Outlook is completely closed and try the import operation again.
Missing folder structure: If you are using the drag and drop method or export only selected folders to PST, it might break the original mailbox structure. In this case, you must manually recreate every folder (including subfolders) and move the emails accordingly.
Outlook freezes: It may occur when importing a large PST file or moving more than 100 emails together to an Outlook folder. To avoid this issue, split the PST file and import one PST file at a time. If you are using second method, do not copy & paste more than 50 emails at a time. Additionally, free up system RAM as much as possible.

Conclusion

If you are in search of the easiest solution to import Windows Live Mail to Outlook on a different computer, we’ve laid out the steps for you in this post. While the process is straightforward, it’s crucial to follow each step to avoid any kind of errors. You can choose the best suitable method based on your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I am having trouble opening my exported Windows Live Mail emails in Outlook on another computer. What could be the problem?

A. There are a few potential problems that could be causing this issue. First, ensure you are using the correct version of Outlook on the other computer. Second, check that both computers’ email account settings are the same. Lastly, ensure that the file format you are exporting your emails in is compatible with Outlook.

Q. Is it possible to import only selected emails from Windows Live Mail to Outlook?

A. Yes. Use any of the mentioned methods, all have the option to import emails as per user requirements.

Q. Does Windows Live Mail still work in Windows 10?

A. Yes, Windows Live Mail still works in Windows 10. However, Microsoft no longer supports it and recommends that users export Windows Live Mail emails to Outlook.