Home » Convert » Convert MBOX to PST on Mac Using Free Manual Method

Convert MBOX to PST on Mac Using Free Manual Method

Mark Wills ~ Modified: 04-04-2022 ~ Convert ~ 6 Minutes Reading

Do you wish to convert all of your .mbox files to PST on Mac devices for free? Can’t you think of a way to do it? If so, you no longer need to be concerned about such conversion since we have developed the finest way to convert MBOX to PST Mac for free. So, in order to obtain this free remedy, let’s get started with this instructive blog article.

To be sure, there are several reasons to export MBOX data to PST; some are personal, while others are professional. However, many of these are the result of the PST’s superior capabilities and the MBOX’ limitations. With this situation in mind, let’s examine why such a conversion appears to be easy but is rather difficult to perform.

MBOX to PST Conversion Misconceptions

The two file formats in this conversion are MBOX (a simple and most commonly used mailbox format) and PST (the proprietary format of MS Outlook). A knowledgeable person would know that Outlook for Mac has the functionality to export its mailboxes in MBOX as well as import PST files. So, in a way, it supports both MBOX & PST formats. Hence, using it one can easily convert MBOX to PST files on Mac system. But that’s not the case at all.

Microsoft Outlook for Mac does not provide an option to export its mailboxes in PST format. Neither does it have any option to import MBOX mailboxes. Thus, there is no way to use Mac Outlook to export MBOX files into PST format. After all, the only file it can both import and export is an OLM file. Hence, only OLM to MBOX conversion can be done in this scenario.

Now that we have cleared the misconception, let us focus on the solutions.

2 Practical Solutions to Convert MBOX to PST Mac for Free

Although users may find many articles online on this topic, most of them focus solely on the Windows Operating system. On the off chance that a Mac-oriented write-up is present, it contains outdated techniques not in use anymore.

Well, here users will get an approach that is absolutely free. It will help you open MBOX files in Outlook which is generally the whole point of converting MBOX files to PST. We will also describe a professional solution to get the job done. After all, many users want to skip the whole ordeal of “wasting” valuable time and want the PST file without any hassle.

Let us start with the manual method first.

The Two-Step Manual Method

To begin the process, we will need the help of two email applications – Mac Mail, the default email app on the Mac machine, and Outlook for Mac. We will configure a single account in both these email clients and use the email synchronization process to transfer emails from Mac Mail to Outlook. This will be the core stage of the procedure. Therefore, let us determine what we need to accomplish.

Pre-requisite:

  • A brand new Yahoo mail account.
  • Import MBOX in Mac Mail:
    • Go to File -> Import Mailboxes
    • Choose the MBOX file and finish importing it.

Step 1 – Configure An IMAP Account in Mac Mail

  • Launch Mac mail and open the Add account windows via Preferences -> Accounts -> + button.

go to add account

  • Type the user name, Yahoo email address, and password, then click on Continue.

type user credentials

  • Next, select IMAP, and input imap.mail.yahoo.com in the Incoming Mail server field along with the same email address and password.
  • Then, click on the Continue button.

imap settings and continue button

  • In the next window that appears, enter smtp.mail.yahoo.com and the same email id plus password, then click on Continue.

outgoing settings

  • Finally, verify the settings and click on the Create button to configure the account in Mac Mail.

verify mail settings

  • The last step is to copy all the emails from the MBOX mailbox into this newly configured account.

Step 2 – Configure the Same Account in Mac Outlook

  • Once the MBOX emails are copied and synchronized with the Yahoo account, it is time to quit Mac Mail and run Mac Outlook.
  • Here, go to Tools -> Accounts.

tools -> Accounts

  • After that, click the + button and select the Other Email… option.

select other email

  • In the window that appears, enter the following details:
    • Email address – same yahoo email address
    • Password – password of the yahoo account
    • Server – imap.mail.yahoo.com
    • Port – 993
    • Server – smtp.mail.yahoo.com
    • Port – 465 or 587
    • Requires SSL – Yes
  • Then, click the Add Account button.

click add account

 

  • Finally, click the Continue button to verify the certificate.

verify the certificate

  • With this, users can now access all the MBOX data (stored in Yahoo Mail) in Outlook for Mac application.

Thus, this concludes our discussion on how to convert MBOX to PST Mac. As you can see, there are several limitations to the procedure that you should consider before proceeding.

  • A protracted procedure that is difficult to implement
  • Possessing some technical expertise is required.
  • Does not generate PST file, but rather moves data in Mac Outlook.
  • Not recommended for batch file converting

A Better Approach to Convert MBOX Files to PST on Mac

Thus, if you wish to circumvent the limitations of the manual method and go for a more straightforward approach, use the MBOX Extractor tool to convert MBOX to PST Mac. This approach can help users save time even when dealing with big amounts of data because it can batch convert in a few simple steps.

This software is available for both Mac & Windows Operating systems. So, the users can convert files on whichever system they use. The demo version of the tool is also available for free which allows the users to understand the features and working of the software. So, make sure to download the tool and try it for free to see its benefits before deciding on the appropriate method.

The software application not only provides PST format but allows several other conversion scenarios like:

In Conclusion

We have provided users with the finest technique to convert MBOX to PST Free on Mac. The manual way enables you to utilize the email clients in order to execute the work since raw files cannot be converted easily. So, you may follow the method and study them thoroughly in order to do the assignment pain-free.