Forum Discussion
How do I export Thunderbird inbox mail into my Microsoft Exchange Server Inbox?
We have been trying to find good email client applications that have a unified inbox and do certain things we prefer. Upon doing so we used Thunderbird which by default for POP accounts it has the "Delete Messages after 14 days" selected... we did not realize this and have lost years worth of emails off of our Microsoft Exchange servers due to this issue. Thunderbird still has ALL of our emails... The size of emails and profile is about about 98gb... which is higher than Thunderbirds normal 2gb export.
How do I export all of these inbox emails out of Thunderbird to then somehow import them back into our Microsoft Exchange server inboxes so they repopulate again for IMAP users? One article I read said the Import to Microsoft needed to be a CSV file but thunderbird does not export to CSV. Anyone else go through this issue and have a solution? It's extremely disruptive for a few our upper management that this has effected and we need to find a fix to restore all of the emails to the server that Thunderbird settings removed from it's POP settings.
After reading your issue, I have listed below a few of the best techniques for converting Thunderbird inbox mail into Microsoft Exchange Server inbox mail.
Export Emails from Thunderbird
- Install ImportExportTools NG in Thunderbird:
- Open Thunderbird.
- Navigate to Tools - Add-ons and Themes.
- Search for "ImportExportTools NG".
- Install the add-on and restart Thunderbird.
- Export Emails as EML Files:
- Right-click the folder e.g., "Inbox" in Thunderbird.
- Select "ImportExportTools NG" Export all messages in the folder - EML format.
- Choose a location on your computer to save the exported emails.
Now, import emails into Exchange Server.
Use Microsoft Outlook Connected to Exchange Server
- Open Outlook and ensure it is connected to your Exchange account.
- Drag and drop the EML files into the desired folder e.g., "Inbox" in Outlook.
The above method may be hard and risky when you have a large amount of data. So, rather than using a risky way you can use a reliable tool like Gain Tools MBOX to PST Converter.
Now, Import the PST file into Outlook:
- Open Outlook.
- Go to File - Open & Export - Import/Export.
- Choose Import from another program or file - Outlook Data File .pst.
- Select the PST file and specify the folder to import into.
After completing the import, log in to your Exchange account using Outlook or another client to verify that all the emails are in the desired folder.
Due to various protocols & file formats, exporting Thunderbird inbox emails to Microsoft Exchange Server requires many steps. This task's specific steps are here:
Step 1: Thunderbird Email Export
- Add ImportExportTools NG:
- Launch Thunderbird.
- Select Add-ons and Themes from the menu.
- Install ImportExportTools NG from search.
- Restart Thunderbird.
Export Inbox:
- Right-click Thunderbird's Inbox.
- In ImportExportTools NG, select the Export folder.
- Choose EML or MBOX for export. For large email transfers, MBOX is best.
- Save the file: Decide where to store exported emails.
Second: Import emails to Exchange.
- For EML, use Outlook.
- Import EML Outlook:
- Create an Outlook Exchange Server mailbox.
- Just place EML files into this folder.
- Post to Exchange.
Second Choice: Third-Party Tool
Convert MBOX to PST:
Convert MBOX to PST MBOX to PST converter.
Outlook PST Import:
- Go to Outlook.
- File > Open/Export > Import/Export.
- Import from another software or file, choose Outlook Data File (.pst).
- Select the Exchange mailbox folder to import your PST file.
Exchange Sync:
After email import, Outlook syncs with Exchange instantly.
Step 3: Import Review
- Check your Outlook or Outlook Web Access Exchange Server inbox to ensure all emails were imported.
Notes: Please backup Thunderbird emails before proceeding.
Many third-party tools can convert MBOX to PST, especially BLR MBOX Converter.
To export Thunderbird emails back to Microsoft Exchange Server, use Thunderbird's "ImportExportTools NG" add-on to export the emails as .eml files. Once exported, use a tool like "MFCMAPI" to import the .eml files into your Exchange inbox. This method avoids the size limit and restores emails for IMAP access.
To export Thunderbird mailbox to Microsoft Exchange Server inbox, first, use the "ImportExportTools NG" add-on in Thunderbird to export the mailbox as an MBOX file. Then, use a third-party tool like "MBOX Converter" to convert the MBOX file to PST format. Finally, import the PST file into Microsoft Exchange using Outlook’s Import feature or PowerShell. This process allows you to restore the mailbox content back to Exchange for IMAP access.
