Hassle free migration from Outlook data (PST) to Thunderbird (MBOX)

Thunderbird application has a lot of features that I have already explained in my previous post. After knowing such excellent features I am sure many of us have a mind make up to switch email application client. From array of all email applications, mostly user are using Windows platform. Email application associated with Windows platform is MS-Outlook. It’s not a big deal to change email application platform. I am sharing easy and convenient method to switch from MS-Outlook (PST) to Thunderbird (MBOX) application.Following are methods to switch from Outlook to Thunderbird application?

Transfer MS-Outlook Account Settings to Thunderbird

• Switch to MS-Outlook application and close application if running
• Start Thunderbird application
• Take your cursor to Thunderbird windows
•  In Thunderbird windows select Tools menu and select option ‘Import’ from the list of commands.
• Choose radio button entitle as ‘Settings’ and click on Next button.
•  Now select Outlook version to import and click on Next button

NOTE: Maybe Thunderbird will also import settings automatically in case if user has already installed MS-Outlook.

• Now, click on Finish button and complete the process. User will see account information on left pane of window.

By using above mentioned steps user will easy exchange their account setting. But here main concern is user data. A question is striking in user mind why there is need to transfer data while account setting has already been shifted? Reasons behind transfer of data are very simple and clear.

Reason: File format of Thunderbird is .mbox. On other end in MS-Outlook all mail box information is save in .pst format. It’s not possible to access .mbox file on windows platform. To access outlook data in thunderbird user must convert pst files into mbox file format. To perform such operation there is need to perform import and export operation. Here I am sharing steps how to import PST files in Thunderbird?

Requirements:

• Thunderbird Application
• Outlook Application

Let me tell user there is no method to access MS-Outlook .pst in to Thunderbird directly. To perform such operation user need to install MS-Outlook and Thunderbird application on user system. After installing application follow few simple steps to perform Import operation.

• Install Thunderbird application on a different system and make sure user have compatible version of MS-Outlook with Thunderbird.
• Set MS-Outlook as your default email client.
• Using copy commands copy all outlook.pst file and configure Outlook with .pst files
• Compact .pst files. To compact .pst files use following method:
• Go to Outlook data files then select option Data File Management and compress file

NOTE: Need not to get puzzled with compressing or zipping a file.

• Now Import the messages by following few steps
• Go to Tools option then select option Import and then Mail.
• Have a backup of user Thunderbird profile.
• Restore the backup Thunderbird file on user system

  Alternate:

•        User can also login to their IMAP account with Gmail.
•        Copy all message in to Inbox on IMAP server
•        Allow Thunderbird to download all messages.

If above described method doesn’t work then give underwritten solution a try. May be they will work.

• Import all messages in to outlook Express.
• After importing all messages in to Outlook Express import all in to Thunderbird application.

User can simply import all messages from 64-bit MS-Outlook application in to Thunderbird. Size of Thunderbird application is of 32 bit so it becomes easy for user to import data.

Above mentioned process is too long and time consuming. Other drawback of using import method is no assurance of data loss.I advised user to perform PST to MBOX conversion by using third party method. By using third party tools user get complete assurance of no data loss while performing conversion.

I hope provided information is helpful for user.

Reference:  
 http://visual.ly/how-convert-pst-files-mbox-files