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Methods to Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird Mail Account

Mark Wills ~ Modified: 06-04-2022 ~ Migrate ~ 5 Minutes Reading

Overview: What specifically are you looking for? Safest techniques to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird account? If this is the case, continue reading the article.

Outlook has been around for years now and is a flagship product of Microsoft. It is a simple yet feature-rich desktop email client preferred by a wide variety of users worldwide. However, being a part of the Office application suite, MS Outlook is not free.

Mozilla Thunderbird, on the other hand, is completely free. It is an open-source email client and is among the most popular and extensively used application. So, while professionals prefer Microsoft Outlook, home users generally opt for the Mozilla Thunderbird email clients.

There are numerous reasons to switch from Outlook to Mozilla Thunderbird. After all, it eases the financial burden to a certain extent. Plus, since Thunderbird has cross-platform functionalities and works with MBOX files regardless of the platform, it makes it an ideal email client.

Here, we will guide you through the process to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird client using practical solutions:

  1. 2-Step Manual Method
  2. Professional Solution

Let us start.

2-Step Manual Method to Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird Account

There are so many methods available by which you can easily accomplish this task. We are mentioning the manual method first. So, keep reading.

Step 1 – Configure Gmail account with your Outlook profile

According to this method, users must first configure a Gmail account in Microsoft Outlook before exporting the emails from Outlook to the Gmail account. After that, they can use Google Takeout to download the transferred Outlook data before transferring it from PST to Thunderbird format. Here are the steps for putting the procedure into effect:

  • Launch the Outlook application.
  • Go to File >> Add Account and configure an IMAP Gmail account in Outlook.
  • Once done, The Gmail account will appear in the interface.
  • Create a new folder in the Gmail hierarchy (say, Test folder) that will contain all the Outlook emails you wish to move to Thunderbird.
  • Copy and paste the PST emails from Outlook to this folder.
  • This will synchronize the emails with the Gmail account, after which we will export them into Thunderbird compatible format.

In the next step, we will download Gmail emails to computer via Takeout and import the downloaded file into Mozilla Thunderbird. However, there is another way to go about this procedure.

Just like Gmail account is configured in Outlook, the user can also configure the same account in Mozilla Thunderbird. After synchronization, the PST emails transferred to Gmail will automatically appear in Thunderbird. Thus, making it an indirect way to import emails from PST to Thunderbird. However, this process takes a lot of time and is not feasible for large mailboxes, which is why we are explaining the slightly easier alternative method.

Step 2: Use Google Takeout account to download data

Once the account is configured and PST emails are synchronized with the Gmail account, it is time to download the data in Thunderbird compatible format. The step-by-step instructions on how to migrate Outlook PST files into Thunderbird are provided below:

  • Go to the Takeout page (https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout) and sign in.

login-to-gmail

  • After that, click on Deselect all.
  • Scroll down to select the Mail option and make sure to select the folder containing Outlook emails.

choose-folders

  • Click the Next button.
  • Create an archive by selecting the needed Delivery method, file type, and archive size from the Customize archive format section and pressing the Create Archive button.

click-on-create-archive

  • Afterward, wait for Google to send you the link via email. It may take hours (days if the mailbox size is large).
  • Once you have the email, download the archive on your computer.

download-archive

  • Finally, extract the ZIP file and you will get the MBOX file inside the Mails folder.
  • Once you have the MBOX files, you can easily import MBOX files to Thunderbird.
  • Voila! All your Outlook emails are in Thunderbird without any issues.

Professional Solution to Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird

For safe, secure, and accurate migration, it is suggested to use NXT Software. This is the most fantastic and reliable approach to migrate multiple Outlook PST files to Thunderbird at the same time. Additionally, while moving Outlook PST files to the Thunderbird desktop, the software maintains all of the file’s properties. There are also so many features provided by the software which make it best.

  • It does not require any supportive application such as Outlook or Thunderbird.
  • Supports migrating Outlook PST to Thunderbird desktop in batch at once.
  • Also, it allows you to migrate selected PST files into Thunderbird account.
  • Multiple export formats to convert Outlook emails to MBOX, EML, PDF, etc.
  • No file size limitation to perform Outlook to Thunderbird migration.
  • You can download this software on Windows 11, 10, and earlier editions.
  • Maintain folder hierarchy is an option that allows you to keep the folder structure.

Let’s conclude

Here we have mentioned the best and possible methods to migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird desktop account. You may easily and safely complete this task while not losing a single piece of information if you follow the instructions provided. So, without wasting any more time, simply choose the route that best meets your requirements.

If you require any form of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.