Mozilla Thunderbird has been in talk for sometime and a lot of users are switching to it. This has led many users to import PST to Thunderbird. However, not everyone is fully aware of the methods that they can use. We have received a few user queries for this migration.
Query 1 – I have been using Outlook for quite some time now and there is a lot of data stored in my PST files. But now, I am thinking of switching to Thunderbird and want to transfer my data too. How can that be done? I am open to every type of solution, thanks in advance!
Query 2 – So I switched companies and the new one uses Thunderbird. Previously, I had Outlook so now, I have to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird so that I can have access to all my previous data as well. Any tips on how to do that? I would really appreciate it if there were a tool to quickly transfer all the data.
Query 3 – I urgently need to transfer all my data from the Outlook support file format. I am moving to Thunderbird and I need this data transferred too. Please suggest something!
These are some of the queries that we have received from users who have been using Outlook for long but need to move now.
Let’s check out some more reasons for moving.
Why Are Users Looking for Methods to Import PST to Thunderbird?
There are plenty of email platforms that users have created their accounts on for communication. Outlook and Thunderbird are two of the email clients that most people know and use. Both of these email clients are well to use and have been in the market for quite a long time now.
But, why do they want to make the switch to Thunderbird? What could be the reasons? Take a quick overview of both the email clients.
Outlook – Microsoft Provided a Desktop Email Client
It’s not like users who are looking to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird are not satisfied with the email client. Outlook has been a go-to email client for a lot of users globally and is still great to work with.
All the businesses (small or established enterprises), use Microsoft Outlook as it very smoothly integrates with all the Microsoft services like the Exchange Server and Office 365. Managing and handling emails, contacts, calendars, etc. becomes very easy.
But there is one thing that makes users want to move and that is the cost of using this platform.
Thunderbird – Users Want to Import Mail from PST to Thunderbird
The reason why users are switching is that Mozilla Thunderbird is a free open-source email client. This application can be used on various operating systems like Windows, Linux, Mac, and Ubuntu.
Mozilla developed Thunderbird as a desktop-based email platform which allows its users to manage their emails, newsgroups, news feeds, calendars, and whatnot. Moreover, the default file format of Mozilla Thunderbird is “.mbox” which is also compatible with other email clients such as Apple Mail, Entourage, etc.
Moreover, there are over 1200 add-ons in Thunderbird which are absolutely free.
Suggestion by Professionals to Import PST to Thunderbird Safely
Today, we are going to learn about the smart solution to make the transfer. Those users who have huge data files that they want to migrate, you can use the professional suggested technique.
This solution is the PST Converter Tool which is built with technology that allows users to import bulk data in a single go. The has built-in feature to directly transfer the files that you want to Thunderbird in just a few clicks.
Don’t worry, you do not have to do any extra task to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird. All you need is a PST file containing all your data and the tool installed on your system and you’re good to go.
Implement the steps shared below.
Simply Transfer Bulk Data to Thunderbird With These Steps
- Once you download the software, launch it on your system.
- Firstly, click on Open and a menu will appear. You have to choose the Email Data Files option from there. The menu that opens shows Outlook PST Files as an option, click on it and hit Choose Files to import PST to Thunderbird.
- Then, select the PST file from your system and press the Open button.
- Take a preview of the files and apply the Advanced Filters to transfer selective data files.
- Go to Export at the top and choose Thunderbird from Email Clients. Enter the credentials for your account and hit Save.
The process to transfer your data will start and all the files that you selected will be migrated in a few minutes. The Advanced Filters are for those users who do not want to import the entire data. It allows you to set a date-range and choose categories to migrate the files from.
Import Mail from PST to Thunderbird Using the Manual Methods
So here, we have about three methods to migrate the data. All of these methods require you to have some knowledge about both Outlook and Thunderbird. We will also be taking help from Gmail and Google Takeout, so if you know about that too, it will be like cherry on the top.
Make sure you keep a backup of the data in case anything goes wrong as these methods are not fully secure. Be warned that the files may be lost or corrupted during the process.
Let’s start!
Making Outlook the Default Program to Import PST to Thunderbird
If you are using the same machine to run both Outlook and Thunderbird, follow these steps:
- Click on Start and choose the Default Programs option. Go to Set your default program.
- Here, you have to choose Outlook from the Programs section and select Set this program as default option. Hit OK.
- Open Thunderbird and choose Display the Thunderbird Menu.
- Click on Tools and choose Import from the menu.
- Mark the Mail checkbox and hit Next.
- Here, choose Outlook as your file type and press Next.
- Finally, click on Finish to import mail from PST to Thunderbird.
The process will start and your data will start migrating.
Another Manual Way is by Using Google Takeout to Migrate the Data
First, we will configure the accounts of Gmail and Outlook. To start, implement the following steps:
- Log in to your Gmail account first (if you have one) and hit Settings, choose See All Settings.
- Move to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP and go to the IMAP Settings.
- Mark the radio button beside the Enable IMAP option and hit Save Changes.
- Now, open Outlook to import PST to Thunderbird and click on File → Add Account.
- Provide the Gmail credentials and the accounts will be configured.
- After that, move the data from your Outlook account to a new folder in the configured id (Gmail).
- Go to https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout and log in to your Gmail account.
- Then, click on Deselect All and choose Mail. Hit Next Step.
- Choose the File Type and Size. Press Create Export.
- The download will start. Once it is completed, you can extract the data and it will be in the .mbox format.
- Install the Add-on feature in Thunderbird i.e. ImportExportTools NG to complete the process to import PST to IMAP.
Last Way to Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird is by Using Thunderbird Itself
Even if you do not have access to Outlook anymore, the PST files are still saved in the default location on your system. We can use Thunderbird to import these files:
- Launch Thunderbird on your system and open the Menu.
- Select Tools from there and choose Import.
- Now, choose the category that you want to transfer or simply click on Import Everything. Click Next.
- Now, choose Outlook as your type of file and hit Next.
- Last step is to click on Finish.
Drawbacks of Manual Methods to Import PST to Thunderbird
Even though the manual methods work, there are few limitations of using them:
- If you do not enable IMAP in the accounts supported by IMAP, you will not be able to transfer the data.
- There are sudden interruptions in the import process which leads to corruption of both the platforms.
- You can only transfer data from one account at one time.
- It is a very time-consuming process and technical aspects make it difficult for novice users.
Final Output
All the methods available in this guide to import PST to Thunderbird are useful but the manual methods are a bit difficult. A lot of users have been switching to Thunderbird for it being a free and open-source platform unlike Outlook.
Moreover, users are attracted by the 1200+ add-on features available in Thunderbird free of cost. And the default file format of Thunderbird is also compatible with other email clients which makes it an ideal file format.