We all use various email platforms, on the web or on desktop, to keep our emails separated. Two such email clients that users are aware of are Zimbra and Thunderbird. Since Thunderbird has been attracting users, many people want to import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird.
Before jumping on to the methods, we will take a quick brief about both of the email clients and about the reasons to move. Stick till the end for all the important information and the best available solution to transfer the data
Zimbra: It is another open-source email client developed by Mozilla which a lot of people use and are familiar with. Thunderbird only offers a desktop-based email client and is available for both Windows and Mac OS. The interface is easier as compared to Zimbra and has a synchronizing feature.
Yet, users want to export Zimbra mail to Thunderbird, why? Get some information about Thunderbird.
Thunderbird: It is another open-source email client developed by Mozilla which a lot of people use and are familiar with. Thunderbird only offers a desktop-based email client and is available for both Windows and Mac OS. The interface is easier as compared to Zimbra and has a synchronizing feature.
Moreover, there are plenty of add-ons that are free of cost which you can use to your benefit as per requirement. Now, let’s take a look at the reasons to make the transfer.
Core Insights
- Zimbra is only available as a web client whereas Thunderbird comes as a desktop-based email client.
- There are multiple reasons why users are looking for ways to export Zimbra emails to Thunderbird.
- Reasons could be anything ranging from the availability of a desktop client, the option to store a backup copy, or easy usability in Thunderbird.
- There are two ways you can perform Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird migration i.e. an efficient software and a cumbersome manual procedure.
- Zitta Zimbra to Thunderbird converter should be your first choice if you want a hassle-free and quick migration process.
- You can also go with the manual procedure as it is completely free to use. However, it is quite lengthy and is only feasible for a limited amount of emails.
- The manual process involves a three-step process – downloading Zimbra emails, extracting them from the TGZ file, and then importing resultant files into Thunderbird.
Why Are Users Looking to Import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird?
The reasons why users are moving include:
- Thunderbird is an open-source freeware email client which is always available on every operating system. However, for Zimbra, you need to pay renewal and maintenance charges.
- You get high-level security features that are encryption-based in Thunderbird. This email client is not only used for sending and receiving emails, but also to manage contacts as well as calendars.
- The fact that Thunderbird comes as a desktop-based client, users can access their mailbox data even when they don’t have access to the Internet.
- Thunderbird uses MBOX files to store email data and the MBOX file can be accessed in many other email clients.
- While using the Thunderbird application, users can easily save a backup copy of their mailbox data to some other location and use it whenever needed.
Now, let’s take a look at the methods available for moving the files.
Methods Available to Execute Migration
Here, we are going to learn about two methods to move the data. The first method is the expert solution which is suggested by various migration experts to import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird. This Email Migration Tool ensures that you are able to transfer all of your data in a single go without facing any issues.
The second method that we are going to talk about is the manual method which needs you to perform each task manually. In that, we will first download the data from your Zimbra account, extract it, and then import it into Thunderbird.
Let’s jump right into it!
Efficient Way to Export Zimbra Mail to Thunderbird
In order to perform a quick and error-free migration, we would recommend you go with Zitta Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird Converter. This software permits users to carry out migration without performing any manual steps. Furthermore, there is no file size limitation on the size of the mailbox that you can migrate.
There are many other state-of-the-art features as well to make your conversion process a lot easier. Some of the features like selective data export, intact data integrity, and multiple export options give this software an edge over other solutions. You can download this application on various Windows operating systems and start importing Zimbra emails to Thunderbird with ease.
Quickly take a look at the steps of using the software.
How does Zimbra to Thunderbird Converter Work?
- After running the tool, go to the Open section and select Email Accounts from the menu. Select Add Account option.
- Now, share the details for your account and hit the Add Account button.
- Here, all the data from your Zimbra mailbox will appear. Use the filters as required.
- Once that is done, click on the Export button and choose Thunderbird from the Email Clients section.
- Lastly, mention the login details for your Thunderbird account and press Save.
Wait for a few seconds for the process to export Zimbra mail to Thunderbird to finish. As soon as the process is completed, you will be able to see all your data in your Thunderbird app.
Note: You can also import Zimbra TGZ to Outlook using this tool.
In case you do not have a configured profile in Thunderbird, you can choose the MBOX format from the Email Files section after opening the Export menu.
A final step while exporting Zimbra emails to Thunderbird via MBOX file:
- Install the ImportExportTools NG add-on and restart Thunderbird.
- Go to Menu and choose Tools from there.
- Scroll down to the ImportExportTools option and select it.
- Click on the Import MBOX File option to import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird.
- Select the MBOX file from your device and Open it to transfer the file to the email client.
The file will be imported. Open your Thunderbird application again to check these out and access them.
For those who want the manual method, below are the steps for it.
Manually Import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird
In this method, we have to first download the data from your Zimbra account. Then we will extract the data and move it.
- Download data
- Extract Files
- Transfer to Thunderbird
Moving to the first stage.
Stage 1 – Download Zimbra Data
To do that, here are the simple steps:
- Open your Zimbra account and go to the Preferences tab at the top of the bar.
- From the navigation list, choose the Import/Export option.
- Now, choose all the files you want from the Export panel.
- Lastly, click on the Export option to save the data.
The files will be downloaded and stored in the .tgz format. Now that you have these files, let’s quickly extract them and move to the next stage.
Stage 2 – Extract Emails from Downloaded Data
Before extracting the files, know that TGZ format is a compressed file format wherein the data is saved in a zipped way. These files are compressed from their sizes so we need to extract them:
- Go to the location where you saved your TGZ files.
- Right-click on the .tgz folder and choose the Extract Files option.
- Enter the name of the folder as required and hit Enter.
Your files will be extracted in the EML format.
Stage 3 – Importing Zimbra Emails to Thunderbird
Once you extract the files, you can export Zimbra mail to Thunderbird by simply doing the following:
- Open the folder consisting of your EML files.
- Here, you can do two things. Either click on the file you want to transfer and drag and drop it to Thunderbird to open it.
- Or, right-click on the file and choose the Open With option.
- Select Thunderbird from the extended menu and view the file.
It takes a lot of time to transfer all of the emails one-by-one by following this method.
In Brief
Be it any reason to import Zimbra TGZ to Thunderbird, users will always require a solution that is fast enough to save their time and transfer the data in bulk. Such a solution is the software as mentioned above.
The manual method can be applied too if you do not want to use the tool. However, it is a lengthy procedure and can cause damage to your data if there are a lot of files that you want to transfer.