Free Methods to Convert MBOX to PST File

Read time 10 min

MBOX is the generic file format that saves a collection of email messages from a folder in a database file. New messages are appended to the end of the file. Many open-source email clients use MBOX files to store their mailboxes. These clients are Apple Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Power mail, etc. The user can employ these email clients to manage their email communication. If a business requires an email client that provides more benefits than mere email communication, then MS Outlook is the best candidate.

MS Outlook can create unlimited accounts to configure a variety of servers and provide them additional features to use contacts, calendar, appointments, journals, etc. But, to use Outlook, the MBOX users need to convert MBOX files to Outlook-supported PST format.

Why is MS Outlook Preferred Over MBOX Email Clients?

Before going for the conversion, it is good to understand the advantages of PST over the MBOX format:

• PST supports multiple types of data
  MBOX format is suitable only for email messages as it has a simple format. But the PST format can support emails, contacts, tasks, calendars, notes, and more mailbox items.
• Advanced format
  PST format is very advanced for storing mailbox data systematically. But the MBOX format is very simple, and emails are saved sequentially in a text file.
• Outlook supports Exchange accounts
  MS Outlook is designed for Exchange connectivity. So, it supports all Exchange versions, including Exchange 2019 and all Office 365/Microsoft 365 plans. And it is possible to work in offline mode in Outlook.
• More control and better security features
  Outlook provides more control for users and offers advanced security features for emails and attachments such as Anti-spam, password protection, etc.
• Frequently updated
  Outlook and PST format are updated periodically to meet the new communication requirements. MBOX and its email clients, being open-source, are not updated periodically.

A Simple Method to Move MBOX Emails to Outlook/PST

To migrate from an MBOX email client to Outlook, you will have to convert your MBOX file to PST file. To move the MBOX format emails to PST, you have to follow these three simple steps:

• Save MBOX emails as EML files.
• Drag and drop the EML files to Outlook.
• Export emails to PST files.

To save emails to PST files, you can use the Export feature of Outlook.

Save MBOX Emails as EML Files

Most MBOX email clients will have a feature to save emails as EML files. We have shown the process for Thunderbird:

1. Open the MBOX email client. Right-click on a folder and click New Folder option.
2. Enter a name and click Create Folder.
3. Select all the EML messages you want to migrate and move them to newly created folder.
4. Now all the emails are present in the folder.
5. Choose all the emails and select the Save as option. It will save the emails in EML format to any desired location.

Export Emails to an External Folder

There is another method to export selected emails to an external folder – using an add-on. It can be used to export a large number of emails from multiple folders.

1. Open Mozilla Thunderbird and click the ‘Display the thunderbird’ icon with three horizontal lines.
2. Click Add-ons>>add-ons, then choose the Get Add-ons option.
3. Choose ImportExportTools add-ons and click ‘Add to Thunderbird’.
4. In the Software Installation wizard, click the Install option.
5. After adding the add-on successfully, you can restart Thunderbird.
6. After opening Thunderbird, you can choose any folder and right-click it. Click ImportExportTools NG>>Export all messages in the folder >>EML format.
7. Select a destination folder and save the EML file there.

Drag and Drop EML Files to Outlook

MS Outlook can access EML emails. This is how you can import EML emails to Outlook:

• Open the folder where EML files are saved. Select all the emails and simply drag and drop them to any Outlook folder.

Export Emails to PST Files

1. To export the emails to a PST file, follow Fil > Open & Export > Import/Export.
2. In the Import/Export wizard, choose Export to a file and click Next.
3. Select Outlook Data File (.pst). Click Next.
4. Go to the folder where EML files are saved and click Next.
5. Input a location for the new PST file, choose the desired option, and click Finish to end the process.
   Note: You can also assign a password to the newly created PST file.

• A new PST file is created at the desired location.

Convert MBOX to PST Using Email Clients

Apple Mail is a major email client that uses the MBOX file, but the process to convert MBOX to PST is a tricky one here. You need to complete the conversion in several stages like the following:

Stage 1: Use Apple Mail

1. Start the Apple Mail on your system.
2. Click File >> Import Mailboxes.
3. Select all the files that you want to import in the MBOX. Click Continue.
4. Browse to the location where you have saved the MBOX file. Choose all the required files to import and click Continue.
5. After the process is complete, click Done. But, make sure that all the required files are present in the Import Section.

Stage 2: Use Eudora

1. You need to append the MBOX files extension. For example, rename the data file ‘Adam’ to ‘Adam.mbx.’
2. Move the newly renamed Adam.mbx file at the directory location where Eudora saves its files. (C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data\Qualcomm\Eudora).
3. Start the Eudora application and double-click the ‘Adam.mbx’ file.

Stage 3: Use Outlook Express

1. Start Outlook Express and follow File >> Import >> Messages.
2. Choose Eudora from the list and click Next.
3. Go to the location where you have saved the Adam.mbx and click OK.
4. Follow the next steps to complete the import steps and check if the files have been imported cleanly.

Stage 4: Use Outlook

1. Start Outlook and click the File option.
2. Select the Import/Export wizard and click the Import option.
3. Follow the steps to import the whole content from Outlook Express to Outlook.
4. First, select the Import from another file and folder option and click Next.
5. Then, on the next page, select Import Internet Mail and Addresses and click Next.
6. Next, select Choose Outlook Express 4.x, 5.x, 6.x or window mail option and proceed.
7. Select the DBX file now to finally import it to the Outlook application.

The difficulty with the above process is that some email clients used in it are outdated or discontinued.

An Automated Method to Convert MBOX to PST

Both the methods to convert MBOX to PST format require complicated steps and various applications or add-ons to complete the conversion. There are chances that the contents from MBOX can become corrupt as it is not a professionally created database but an open-source file created to hold simple emails. So, using a professional MBOX to PST converter is a good option for normal users. Kernel for MBOX to PST converter Converter can easily export the data from the MBOX platform to Outlook. It lets the user filter the data based on different criteria like To, From, Subject, Date, and attachment.

Advantages of MBOX to PST Converter

• Completes the conversion process in only 3 steps – select, convert, & save.
• Filters to select important emails from MBOX file.
• Full support to more than 20 MBOX clients.
• Support for all versions of MS Outlook (2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003).
• Preview of selected items before conversion.

Conclusion

The preference of Outlook over MBOX-supported email clients due to advanced features and options integrated within the former tends users to move their existing MBOX data to Outlook. The blog includes the free manual ways like EML drag/drop and multi-staged export of MBOX files through multiple email clients like Apple Mail, Eudora, Outlook Express, etc., with detailed process explanation. Owing to non-ignorable challenges linked with the native ways, a professional tool is recommended for the best and quick results.

Video Tutorial for MBOX to PST Converter Tool

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