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Migrate Outlook to Thunderbird Windows – Easy Method

Shubham Dixit   
Published: Feb 16, 2022 • Migrate • 6 Min Read

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What is the best way to Migrate Outlook to Thunderbird? This was the most commonly requested question on the internet when I looked it up. To address this issue, I’ve collected a list of the best free solutions for Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird.

MS Outlook is one of the world’s most versatile and widely used email clients. Outlook is used by many organizations, large and small, to handle email, calendars, meetings, and events.

Outlook’s enormous capability, however, comes at a cost. One of the primary reasons individuals are migrating from Outlook to a more cost-effective option might be because of this. Thunderbird, a free and open-source email client, plays a critical role in recruiting users.

Thunderbird is a free email client that works on Mac, Windows, Ubuntu, and Linux. This mail client is a Mozilla project-created free mail client. It saves all of its emails as MBOX files with no extension.

So, what are we waiting for! Let’s get started to talk about Migrate Outlook emails to Thunderbird.

The Benefits of Migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird 

Thunderbird is an email client that operates on a variety of platforms. Other factors contributed to Thunderbird’s reputation as a reliable and successful program for consumers to migrate to.

All major operating systems are supported by Thunderbird.

When compared to other email applications, anti-spam filtering is greatly better.

It is possible to archive selected emails with a single click, which saves the messages in a separate archive file.

Thunderbird allows users to install a range of helpful plugins that extend the capabilities of the program and help it overcome its limits.

Thunderbird is a web browser developed by Mozilla. Mozilla Thunderbird is a free email client for Microsoft Outlook. The user must acquire a license key to use Outlook.

Related Post: The Best Free method to Gmail Calendar in not Syncing in MS Outlook

Mozilla Thunderbird Vs MS Outlook

Mozilla Thunderbird MS Outlook
Windows, Mac OS, and Unix OS are all supported Windows and Mac OS are both supported
It saves all of the information in MBOX files The data is saved as OST and PST files
IMAP, SMTP, and POP protocols are all supported IMAP, SMTP, and POP protocols are all supported
Low-security High-level security
The Exchange server is not supported Exchange Server is supported
It is not compatible with any mobile platform Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile are all supported
There isn’t a way to schedule it Scheduling by email is possible

How to Migrate Outlook to Thunderbird

If you have both Outlook and Thunderbird installed on the same computer, migrate Outlook PST files to Thunderbird will be simple.

  • To send and receive emails, make Outlook your default email client. To do so, hold down the Windows key and the letter I. Then select Apps from the drop-down menu.
  • Select Default Apps from the drop-down menu. Then, under the Emails section, select the default app. After that, set Outlook as your default email client.
  • Now launch Thunderbird and choose the option to Display the Thunderbird Menu.
  • Select Tools >>Import from the drop-down menu.
  • Now select “Mail” and “Import Everything” from the drop-down menu.
  • To proceed, select Outlook as the file type and click Next.
  • Finally, hit the Finish button to finish the process.

Everything from Outlook will be migrated to Thunderbird. Under the term “Outlook migrate,” all of the migrated things will be kept in Local Folders.

Method 2: Using IMAP Option

Migrate Outlook to Thunderbird windows using this way, then you must select the IMAP option to continue this process.

  • Open your default mail id that is configured in Outlook.
  • After that, the user needs to enable the IMAP option in your mail-id.
  • Then, just open Thunderbird on your device and click on add account option after that, configure your mail account to thunderbird.

Method 3: Use Google Takeout

To migrate Outlook PST to Thunderbird using this approach, you must first configure your Gmail account in your Outlook client.

You may copy your data from Outlook mailbox to Gmail account once your Gmail account is established in Outlook. Then, to obtain all of the emails in MBOX format, utilize Google Takeout. Finally, Mozilla Thunderbird will be able to open this file.

This section walks you through the method’s implementation step-by-step:

  • Enable IMAP in your Gmail account by going to Settings>>Forwarding and POP/IMAP>>Enable IMAP.
  • Open Outlook and go to the “File” tab, then “Add Account.”
  • Enter your Gmail account login information and establish your Gmail account in Outlook using IMAP.
  • Then, under the newly formed Gmail ID, create a new folder and move the necessary Outlook emails into it.
  • Log in with your Gmail account to Google Takeout (https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout?).
  • Select “Select data to include”>>Mail option>>Verify that all mails are chosen >>click the Next button.
  • Set the following options:
    • Sending a download link through email is the preferred way of delivery.
    • Type of export – one-time archive
    • .zip and 2GB are the file types and sizes.
  • Then select Create archive from the drop-down menu.
  • Google will send you an email with a link to download your archives when they’ve been created. To save the ZIP file to your computer, choose Download.
  • Unzip the ZIP file you just downloaded. All of your communications will be stored in an MBOX file that you will get.
  • Finally, migrate the MBOX file you previously saved into Thunderbird’s email client.

Note: After that, you’ll need to migrate the .mbox file into Thunderbird. Migrate an MBOX file to Thunderbird to quickly access the data in your account.

Important Note

As you can in all this method has some errors, issues, lack of technicalities, and major data loss. We know that data loss is a horrible Situation for working people as well as, time taking also. So, here is the best method to convert Outlook emails to Thunderbird with any issue you get 100% accurate results with 3steps software is a user-friendly tool for non-technical and technical people.  

Last words

This post concluded with instructions on how to manually migrate Outlook to Thunderbird windows. Manual approaches are fantastic, but they have certain limitations and constraints, such as the fact that they take a long time and effort, expose users to the risk of data loss, and do not enable users to migrate several PST files at once. So, start by using these techniques on a limited number of emails.

By Shubham Dixit

Shubham is a distinguished subject matter expert and accomplished author with an unparalleled understanding of technology. With a deep-rooted passion for all things tech-related, Shubham brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their written works.