# How? Export Thunderbird Mail to Outlook



## Cerviperus

I have a user who has been mandated to switch to our corporate Exchange server and Microsoft Oulook. I was able to convert the address book over with no problems, but I'm struggling with the mail. Is there a way to export messages from Thunderbird (1.0.5) to Outlook 2000? If not, we're going to have him upgraded to Outlook 2003 in the next week or so (hopefully), and I'm hoping it will make the transition that much easier.

From what I've read, Thunderbird doesn't have a true "export" function, that it leaves it up to the importing application. However, I have found no way to tell Outlook where to look for the mail files (which in Thunderbird have "no extension").

Any help? Thanks in advance.


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## Kitch

Found this on Thunderbird's FAQ's if it's any use........

_*How do I export e-mail messages to another mail program or computer?*

Thunderbird's mail files are in the standard plain text "mbox" format, which almost all mail programs can use or import. Many proprietary mail programs have a function to import from Eudora, which also uses the "mbox" format; this function should read your Mozilla mail files properly.

Your mail files are inside your profile (see the Profile Folder), in the Mail and (if you use IMAP) ImapMail folders. Each mail folder (Inbox, Sent, etc.) is stored as two files  one with no extension (e.g. INBOX), which is the mail file itself (in "mbox" format), and one with an .msf extension (e.g. INBOX.msf), which is the index (Mail Summary File) to the mail file. Tell the other program to import mail from the file with no extension.

If you want to transfer a mail file to another Mozilla profile or another installation of Mozilla, simply put the mail file into the other installation's Mail folder._

http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/faq#q2.10


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## EAFiedler

Kitch, I was looking at that same article, have you had any success with it?

The Eudora option has not worked for me yet. 

Maybe it would be easier to just download Eudora, Import the messages into Eudora then Import the messages into Outlook from Eudora.  

I'll try that tonight to see if it works.


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## Kitch

EAFiedler said:


> Kitch, I was looking at that same article, have you had any success with it?


No, I can't say I've tried it.


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## EAFiedler

Has not worked for me yet either, I'll let you know how it works using Eudora.


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## Cerviperus

I too read that on their site and didn't have much luck. There's where I verifed that Thunderbird doesn't have a true "export" function. I'm hoping that once we get him upgraded to Outlook 2003 it will work out... but I'd still like to find a solution now, as who knows how long it will take our PO to go through for the license.


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## Cerviperus

-=bump=-

Anyone have any other suggestions?


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## EAFiedler

I downloaded Eudora:
http://www.eudora.com/download/

Using the Free version with ads, I was able to Import the mail files from Thunderbird into Eudora.

The twist was it would not see the actual mail files, so I used the *prefs.js* file.
Using the Import function in Eudora, I specified the mail program as being Netscape Messenger and browsed to the prefs.js file in the Thunderbird Mail directory.

I was then able to Import the files from Eudora into Outlook Express.

Attempting to Import the files from Eudora into Outlook 2003 resulted in "The Mail folder could not be opened".

After Importing the files from Eudora into Outlook Express.
From Outlook Express, I Exported the files into Outlook 2003.

There were a few drawbacks.
Eudora created a folder for each file it Imported, I removed the folders to keep the clutter from being passed along.

I had several Profiles in Thunderbird, with each additional Import the previous Import was added to the next.
Import one Profile at a time, then remove the files from Eudora.
The Import appeared to Import the files that were in the Account directory in the Profiles directory rather than the Local Folders directory.

It was a bit complicated but *may* be faster than saving the messages as .eml files one at a time.


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## joannemac

I'm having some problems with this procedure.

1) my local folders don't import to Eudora
2) my inbox keeps freezing in Eudora (I've tried compacting before the import, same result -- sent box & other folders are okay)
3) Outlook Express changes all the dates on the emails it does import to yesterday

Has anyone solved any of these issues? or have any ideas?

JoAnne


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## rdoyleusa

joannemac,

On the issue of dates... I found this was a problem on the final step (converting to Outlook 2003) and was not a problem with Outlook Express. But I encountered the same thing. If you sort your folder on sent datestamp instead of received datestamp, I think you will be happy with the result. Typically these values will not vary by more than a few seconds or minutes, so your intended sort order can be restored.

Local folders... copy to account folder in Thunderbird before importing.

Inbox freezing... too big??? (No other ideas.)

I appreciate the instructions from EAFiedler... it got my close enough that I could make it work. Other than the date issue already described, my main complaint is that I had a lot of "duplicate" deleting to do in Outlook Express to end up with the desired result. My .js file from Thunderbird maintained copies of many files I had permanently deleted and also many files from accounts that I had gotten rid of long ago. I didn't expect it and it was a little scary. I guess Mozilla wants to give Thunderbird users a recovery path in the future.

I have been on Thunderbird, Firefox, and OpenOffice for over a year. That was longer than my previous 2 week foray to RedHat Linux... But it was a pain to not be among the masses. Plus I still had to use the Microsoft tools at the office and everywhere else. So I'm going back to IE, Outlook, and MSOffice for the sake of simplicity even though it'll probably cost me $100 a year on average... The only thing I plan to keep is Firefox for specific "sets" of pages I works with. Tabbed browsing is a truly superior feature.


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## bugmenot

Cerviperus said:


> -=bump=-
> Anyone have any other suggestions?


Finally we have a solution! Heres a tutorial on how to migrate mails from Thunderbird to Outlook and Outlook Express. And guess what ... IT WORKS!   

http://robertpeloschek.blogspot.com/2005/11/importing-mozilla-thunderbird-mails-in.html


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## luisfigo

Here's another one: http://www.broobles.com/imapsize/th2outlook.php

This one works faster, doesn't choke on big files and doesn't require java


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## simon4TK

The easiest way I found to move mail from Thunderbird to Outlook was to select all the mails in each mailbox, use Message/Forward As/Attachment to send them to the mail account I had created in Outlook (the same as in Thunderbird as it happens). In Outlook, I selected the attachments on the newly arrived mail and dragged them into the appropriate mailbox.


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## nimd4

Cerviperus said:


> Thunderbird doesn't have a true "export" function


Ah lol, they forgot to mention that .. useless software  Hopefully Firefox won't go down the drain (2), which seems pretty much the direction it's heading .. Anyway, tnx 4 the link luisfigo !!  :up:


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## nimd4

.. btw make this sticky, mad important thread here.


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## ruairidh1956

I know it might seem obvious but I just migrated Thunderbird->Outlook by the following method.

1 Open relevant folder in T'Bird

Select "All"

Right-click "Forward" (you can use the main menus to do this too, by clicking "Forward as Attachments")

Send yourself the email

Check your email in Outlook, and there is the mail with all the messages, which you can read in Outlook, save, whatever. I actually used one account to send and another to receive, but I doubt if that makes any difference. Took about 1.5 minutes all in. Blunt but effective.

T'Bird really doesn't cut the mustard for business use, I'm afraid, and the lack of adequate on-line help is only part of the problem. Anyone who has succeeded in sending multiple .jpg attachments in T'Bird without ending up with an unholy mess is doing better than I. And yes, I know email was not designed to send picture files. Nevertheless it is the de facto standard method used by graphics and publishing pros the world over, and T'Bird really should be able to get it right.


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## badg3r

Best way to export from thunderbird to Outlook express is:

Navigate to your Thunderbird profile folder, usually found in C:\Documents and Settings \ [User Name] \ Application Data \ Thunderbird \ Profiles \. Here Thunderbird stores your Inbox, Sent mail, etc as two files - one with, one without .msf extensions.

Convert these files to .eml files by downloading IMAPSize (from here http://www.broobles.com/imapsize/index.php). Go to Tools > mbox2eml. Select the file without the extension. Choose a storage location for generated eml files and click 'Convert'.

In Outlook Express select the local folder, such as Inbox, to which you want to import messages. Open Windows Explorer, locate the folder where you stored the new .eml files, and simply drag and drop them into the Outlook Express window.

be warned it will take a while as it does it message by message.

And to convcert the address book yiou need this utility: http://www.joshie.com/projects/dawn/download.html it does it automatically easy as pie.

Badg3r.


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## noxy

Thanks for the tips, it helped!

Too bad Thunderbird is way behind.


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## vincentech

Thanks Badg3r
I have looked aound the net and this has to be the best solution to my problem.
:up:


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## logomito

Before you get sick!
Download this free Thunderbird Exension:
smartsave_thunderbird_extension-0.1.4.2-tb.xpi
and this one: accountex-0.2.3-tb.xpi

Install and have fun, logomito


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