Microsft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird are among the top email clients. Most users switch from Outlook to Thunderbird and vice versa as per their needs. It happens when they quit using Outlook and move to Thunderbird. Many users ask, “How do I switch from Outlook to Thunderbird” or “How do I convert PST to MBOX in Thunderbird”. To know the answers to all these questions, stay here. We will learn the methods to convert Outlook to Thunderbird here.
To convert Outlook PST to Thunderbird, we will use a Manual technique with all its steps. To add on, we will also discuss the professional technique using the experts’ recommended tool. The name of the utility is PST to MBOX Converter. But before that, let’s know the reasons to convert PST file to MBOX.
Why convert Outlook to Thunderbird?
There are various reasons to convert Outlook PST to MBOX. Some of them are as under:
- Users have to pay to continue using MS Outlook after 30 days trial. Therefore, users change to Mozilla Thunderbird for free services.
- PST files are prone to corruption, and this is the reason users convert PST to MBOX.
These are some factors, why there is a need to convert Outlook to Thunderbird. Now, we will learn the methods to convert Outlook PST to Thunderbird in the below context. You can also check the ways to combine 2 PST files into 1.
Convert Outlook PST to MBOX Manually
Method 1: Export emails from Outlook via Google Takeout
In this method, you have to configure your Outlook account in Gmail. For this, follow the below steps as described:
- Launch MS Outlook on your system.
- Tap on the File tab in the menu bar and select Add Account.
- Provide Username and Password to proceed.
- Now, Launch Gmail and open your Gmail Account.
- Then, tap on Settings and click on Forwarding and POP/IMAP alternative.
- Now, select the option Enable IMAP and hit on Save Changes.
- After that, allow access to less secure apps in Gmail by clicking on this link: https://myaccount.google.com/lesssecureapps
- Then, in your Microsoft Outlook Account, click on File.
- Now you can access Microsoft Outlook emails in your Gmail account.
- Launch Google Takeout to proceed.
- Pick the folders and all the attachments to export.
- We will get a link to download archived emails. The files will download in the MBOX file format.
The above manual approach is Workable. But the manual trick is not appropriate for non-tech users due to some limitations. Let’s find out the drawbacks of Manual techniques in the below Context.
Weaknesses of Manual Process
These are some weak points of Manual Procedure:
- The procedure includes lots of steps to achieve the results and is time-consuming.
- The steps are complicated and confusing. Due to this, novice users may not perform these instructions.
- High chances of data loss.
- Limitations of converting a small amount of data.
- PST file is at risk of being corrupted.
These all are some limitations of Manual techniques. To solve this concern, we have one more approach. In the below paragraph, we will learn about the Professional approach.
Convert Outlook PST to Thunderbird Professionally
Previously, we discussed the Manual approach and its steps. Now we will learn the Professional technique in brief. In this method, we will use PST to MBOX Converter. This utility lets users convert PST file to MBOX without losing any data. It helps to convert PST to MBOX, PDF, EML, TXT, HTML, MHTML, etc.
The best thing about this software is it comes with a user-friendly interface. Novice users can also use it with ease. It also helps transfer PST files to Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Thunderbird, Office 365, AOL, Opera Mail, etc. To add on, It comes with a free demo version that converts 50 emails for free. Let us review the full post in a few lines.
To Sum Up
Here, we discussed the best available solutions to convert Outlook to Thunderbird. It includes a manual process with a step-by-step guide. However, the Manual technique is not free from issues. Hence, we introduced another approach which is the Professional Method. Finally, I want to conclude that users must consider using a Professional way of conversion over manual tricks. I hope you find this blog helpful to convert PST file to MBOX.
