How to Import PST to Thunderbird – A Complete Guide

In this post, we will discuss why PST to Thunderbird and how to import PST to Thunderbird manually. We will also learn the best way to convert PST to MBOX. If you have a corrupted PST file and want to import the recovered data into Thunderbird, then this post will be helpful for you.

Why PST to Thunderbird?

MS Outlook and Thunderbird are both popular email clients. Individual and professional users use these email programs to send, receive and manage email. But there are many reasons like a job change, data migration, etc. When users need to convert PST to Thunderbird supported file format. So that user can access his data in Thunderbird.

How to import PST to Thunderbird?

To import PST to Thunderbird, you can use manual methods or third-party PST to Thunderbird converter tools. Here we will discuss both the solutions. We will also learn how to repair PST files and convert PST to Thunderbird supported MBOX format. You can choose any of these solutions as per your convenience.

Note: Before performing any method, prepare a backup.

Method 1: Import PST to Thunderbird using the Default Program option

If you have MS Outlook and Thunderbird installed on the same machine, you can use this method to import Outlook PST to Thunderbird.

1. Go to the Settings and select the Default Program option
2. Click on the Email and select Outlook (Desktop) from the Choose an app list
3. Start Thunderbird and click on the Hamburger icon
4. Select Tools and choose the Import option
5. Select Import Everything or choose the Mail option as per your requirement and click on the Next button
6. From the select the type of file, select Outlook and click on the Next button
7. Click on the Finish button to complete the process.

It is a simple way to import PST to Thunderbird free. But in some versions, this method does not work properly.

Method 2: Migrate PST to Thunderbird using Google Takeout

In this method, we will configure Gmail in Outlook and then migrate emails from Outlook to Gmail. After that, we'll use Google Takeout. We have divided this process into six parts. Follow the steps given below to do this method.

Step 1: Enable IMAP protocol from Gmail

1. Sign in to your Gmail account, click on the Setting icon and select the Settings option
2. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
3. Enable IMAP and click on the Save Changes button.

Step 2: Allow less secure apps

1. Go to the https://myaccount.google.com/
2. Select Security from the left sidebar and select the Less secure app access
3. Enable Less secure app access option

Step 3: Configure Gmail in Outlook

1. Start MS Outlook and go to the File menu
2. Click on the Account Settings and select the Account Settings option
3. Under the E-mail, click on the New
4. Enter Name, Gmail address, password, re-type password and click on the Next button
5. Once the verification process is complete, click on the Finish button.

Step 4: Migrate emails from Outlook to Gmail

1. Select Gmail mailbox in Outlook and right-click on the selected mailbox
2. Select the New Folder option and enter a folder name
3. Select the Outlook emails you want to import and move selected emails to the folder that you created earlier
4. Go to Gmail and refresh the page, and you will find emails moved to your Gmail accounts.

Step 5: Export emails from Gmail using Google Takeout

1. Sign in to your Gmail account, open a new browser tab, and open Google Takeout (https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout)
2. From Create a new export, select the Deselect all option.
3. Select Gmail and click on the Next Step button.
4. In the Choose file type, frequency & destination, choose Export once as frequency.
5. Select the file type as .zip and choose the file size split option as per your requirement
6. Click on the Create export button.
7. Once your data is ready for export, you will receive an email.
8. After receiving the email, click on the download link to start downloading the exported data.

Step 6: Import MBOX to Thunderbird

1. Unzip the folder you downloaded
2. Start Thunderbird, click on the hamburger icon and select the Add-ons option.
3. Find ImportExportTools NG and click on the Add to Thunderbird button
4. A popup will ask for permission, click on the Add button, and restart Thunderbird
5. Right-click on the Local Folder and select the New Folder option
6. Enter a folder name and click on the Create Folder button
7. Right-click on the folder you just created and select the ImportExportTools NG option
8. Select the Import MBOX file option, choose Import directly one or more MBOX files, and click on the OK button
9. Go to the Unzip Folder and Select MBOX File and Click on Open Button
10. Once the process is complete, click on the Finish button.

With the help of these solutions, you can import PST to Thunderbird for free. However, these methods are long and require technical expertise to perform. If you are looking for a quick solution, you can use a third-party PST File Converter.

Method 3: Convert PST to Thunderbird using PST Converter

Here we are going to use the SysCurve PST File Converter. It is one of the most preferred software. The software also works as a PST to Thunderbird converter. With the help of this tool, you can convert PST to MBOX, EML, EMLX, MSG, and other file formats. Using this tool, we are going to convert PST to MBOX format. By doing this conversion, we can access the converted data in Thunderbird, Eudora, Apple Mail, etc.

1. Download and install the SysCurve PST File Converter
2. Open the tool and click on the Add file option.
3. Select PST file and click on the OK button.
4. After the loading process, the software will generate preview mode inside the software window. You can select any message to view the message.
5. Click on the Export option and select folders you want to convert.
6. Select MBOX as an Export option and provide a path to save the MBOX files
7. Click on the Export button to start the conversion process.
8. Once the process is complete, click on the Finish button.

With the help of this tool, you can quickly convert PST to Thunderbird. The software also comes with a free trial version. Using the free demo version, you can preview PST file data, and convert and export the first 20 items per folder for free.

Other helpful features

• Convert PST to MBOX, EML, MSG, EMLX, HTML, RTF, and other file formats.
• Preview all PST file data
• Support large-size PST files
• Maintain original folder structure
• Migrate PST to Office 365 and Live Exchange server.
• Free PST to Thunderbird conversion of the first 20 items from each folder
• Support all versions of MS Outlook, including Outlook 2019 and 2016.
• Compatible with all editions of Windows OS, including Windows 10

Frequently Asked Questions

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