How to Migrate from MS-Outlook to Apple Mail using Thunderbird?

Outlook to Apple Mail

We all are aware about emails. We all use it daily specially the working professional. Every working professional is using email for communication. On daily basis, thousands of emails are exchanged between professionals. To manage these emails, we need a personal information manager commonly called email client. Though, many email clients are available which provide their services, but two most famous email clients are:  Microsoft Outlook and Apple mail. Microsoft Outlook is famous for Windows OS users while Apple mail is famous for Mac users. Let’s know about both these email clients

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MS-Outlook: MS-outlook uses PST file format to store user all mailbox information. Default location of PST file is user hard drive and also location of PST file depends on Outlook version selected by user. Here I am sharing little information about PST file

PST: PST is expanded as Personal Storage Table and saved as using extension “.pst”. 

File Size: File size of PST file depend on version user is using. If user is using Outlook 2010 then file size is 20 GB and if a user is using Outlook 201 then size of PST file is up to 50 GB.

Apple Mail:  Apple Mail uses MBOX file format to store user all information. Apple mail also has very vast and good features like:

• Let user resize photos they receive or send

• Let user customize their mailboxes

• Let user compose message in HTML format

• Let user see pictures with the help of slide show

MBOX File:  MBOX is abbreviated as Mail Box. All the messages present in MBOX files are concatenated and stores as a plain text in a single file format. Store location of MBOX file is user’s hard drive. Extension used to save MBOX file is.mbx

MBOX file Location:

“/User/Library/Mail/Mailboxes/ directory”

Migration between the two:

Although both email application perform same task of sending and receiving email but still there are few situations that forces user to migrate from Outlook to MBOX file format. Let’s have a look on few possible reasons for PST to MBOX migration:

• Change in work Environment
• PST files are easily prone to corruption
• Advance Feature of Apple Mail
• Exchange Server Issue with MS-Outlook

To migrate from MS-Outlook to Apple Mail there are two methods:

• By using Thunderbird Application
• By using Direct Method

However both methods have their own importance. Let me explain both methods in details. Firstly I will discuss How to migrate from PST to MBOX using Thunderbird client. To continue migration process first of all user will need to save all data to external hard drive after saving data follow underwritten process.

Firstly save all data to External hard drive:

• Connect USB flash drive or hard drive to computer and open File Explorer option or select option Computer in navigation pane
• Do right click on external device in the section: "Devices with Removable Storage" section. 
• Select option "Format" on the pop-up list.
• Select option "FAT32." In the drop-down list and choose option “File System"
• Wait till format process complete with the FAT32 file system 

Migration process will complete in two steps:

In first step user will import PST file to Thunderbird application. After getting PST file in Thunderbird application Export imported file to Apple Mail application.

Import Outlook PST File into Thunderbird

Steps 1 

• Open Mozilla .org website in your browser.

• Download and install Thunderbird application on your windows system

• Now close Outlook application if it is open.

• Launch Thunderbird application 

• Point to Tools menu select option "Import Everything" categorized under Import section

• Now click on Next button 

• Go to list and highlight option Outlook.

• Now wait till Thunderbird application completes scan for PST file.

• After completion of scanning start Import process.

• Now Click on Finish button to Complete the process

PST file has been imported to Thunderbird Application. Now it’s time to Export Thunderbird Application to Apple Mail.

Step 2 How to Export Thunderbird File to Apple Mail

 Follow underwritten path in your windows computer

1. C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\profilename.default\Mail" 
2. Username: Enter your Windows account name
3. Profile Name: "profilename.default" 
4. Using command Ctrl+ C   and Ctrl+A select all files avail in “Mail" subfolder and copy all files to Windows clipboard
5. Now open navigation pane and paste all Thunderbird file to external drive. You can also use command Ctrl+ V to paste all selected file.
6. Now connect your hard drive to mac machine

• Open your Apple Mail application and point to file menu select option from "Import Mailboxes”.
• Select option "Thunderbird" from Import window 
• Now click on device name of USB flash drive from Finder window.
• Using option ‘Choose’ select all files of USB or external drive.
• Wait till process gets complete
• Now save changes and restart your Outlook Application to see changes

After performing above steps user can migrate from MS-Outlook to Apple Mail application. 

Direct Method:  Above mentioned process is too long and time consuming. Also by using manual method there are chances of data loss during PST to MBOX migration. User can use third party software’s to migrate from Outlook to Apple Mail. There is other additional benefit of using third party software i.e.

• Complete assurance of no data loss during file conversion

• Quick and fast approach to convert large GB files

• Provide complete details for file conversions process

• Simple and user friendly interface

I hope information shared above will help users to migrate smoothly from Outlook to Mac Mail.