How to Convert Thunderbird to MBOX? Best Effective Ways

Sometimes, users are required to convert Thunderbird to MBOX files for backup and migration to other email clients such as Apple Mail, Eudora, Netscape, Opera Mail, Sylpheed, PocoMail, and many more.
Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source desktop email client that allows sending and receiving emails for personal and business communication. It supports IMAP, POP3, and SMTP protocols to configure email accounts.

In this article, we will consolidate the best approaches to export MBOX files from Thunderbird, both manually and using Thunderbird to MBOX Converter. If you are not familiar with Thunderbird’s features, then the manual method may not be reliable for you. Don’t worry; we will also share simple and quick methods to export Thunderbird to MBOX using Thunderbird Converter to make the process hassle-free.

Causes to Export Thunderbird to MBOX

• Some professional users need to create a backup copy of your mailbox data. It helps to store and protect your mailbox data and it can be easily restored if required.
• MBOX file contains multiple emails in a single file making it easier to manage and organize large amounts of email data. Users can easily store, manage and transfer and keep their email archives organized.
• It’s a simple way to archive your old mailbox data as it is not required in your active mailbox but should still be restored for future reference.
• Some users export Thunderbird to MBOX to migrate into other reliable email platforms such as Apple Mail, Eudora, Postbox or any other.
• If Thunderbird gets corrupted or system failure, having an MBOX file can help you in case of data recovery. By exporting MBOX files from Thunderbird helps you to reduce the risk of losing your crucial email data.

How to Convert Thunderbird to MBOX Using Thunderbird to MBOX Converter?

If you are not familiar with Thunderbird applications or have a batch number of profiles required to export, we suggest you opt for the Thunderbird to MBOX Converter as it offers the ability to export any individual or multiple Thunderbird profiles at one shot in a simple manner. This software is also capable of converting emails, contacts, and calendars without leaving any data behind.

Instructions to Export Thunderbird to MBOX

1. Download and launch “Thunderbird to MBOX Converter” on your machine.
2. Click on “Convert configured Thunderbird mailboxes” or select files or folder manually.
3. Choose “Thunderbird mailbox folders” as you want to export.
4. Browse “MBOX file” in the list of select saving options.
5. Enter the destination path and click Next to start “Convert Thunderbird to MBOX”.

Epitome elements of Thunderbird to MBOX Converter

• This software can also migrate Thunderbird to Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, Maildir, and all IMAP-supported email platforms.
• It supports dual-mode selection of files or folders to choose the Thunderbird profile according to the user’s preference.
• You can also use the filter functionality to convert emails based on date range, from, to, subject, exclude folders, root folder, sender’s blank address, receiver’s blank address, and more to fulfill all user needs.
• It is specially designed with a simple, easy-to-navigate interface that can be operated by any user without requiring technical expertise.
• With this software, you can also export Thunderbird emails to CSV, PDF, PST, HTML, and 28+ other select saving formats.

How to Export Thunderbird to MBOX via Local Folder?

If you want to manually export MBOX files from Thunderbird, then you can follow the guidelines as we have instructed below:

1. First, open “Mozilla Thunderbird” on your system.
2. Now, select the “mailbox folder” you want to export and right-click on it.
3. Here, choose “New Folder” to create a local folder under the local folder.
4. Drag and drop the desired emails to the “local folder”.
5. After copying the emails, it will create an “MBOX file” in your Thunderbird profile location:
6. C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Mail\Local Folders
7. Go there and save the “MBOX file” at your secure and separate location.

Hurdles of Manual Method

• Moving a batch number of emails or multiple folders can be a time-taking and complicated process.
• You cannot export selective emails or filter out emails as per specific criteria with the manual method.
• You can only export one folder at a time, which can be inconvenient for users with large or numerous folders.
• Locating the Thunderbird profile folder and ensuring all emails are transferred correctly may be challenging for less experienced users.

How to Convert Thunderbird to MBOX Using Import/Export NG Tools?

If you are familiar with Thunderbird add-ons and have expertise in Thunderbird then you can follow the instructions as we have discussed below:

1. First, open “Mozilla Thunderbird” and then click on the “Tools”.
2. Now, click on “Add-ons and Themes” and search “Import/Export NG Tools”.
3. Tap on “Add to Thunderbird” and pop up on your screen click on OK.
4. Now, Go to the “Mailbox folder” and right-click on it.
5. Here, choose “Import/Export NG Tools” and select export folder(MBOX).
6. Thereafter, choose “As MBOX file”, single MBOX file or any other as per user required.
7. Enter the “destination directory” and click on the select folder to start “export MBOX files from Thunderbird”.

Issues with Import/Export NG Tools

• Import/Export NG Tools not compatible with all versions of Mozilla Thunderbird. Users who have recently updated Thunderbird might find that add-ons do not work as expected or crash frequently.
• In some cases, emails or attachments may not be exported correctly leading to incomplete MBOX files.
• If you are trying to export many emails or a large email folder then the tool can be slow or freeze especially on systems with limited resources or during complex operations.

Frequently Raised Concerns about Convert Thunderbird to MBOX

How to use Thunderbird to open a MBOX file?
To open a MBOX file in Mozilla Thunderbird simply drag and drop the MBOX file into your Thunderbird email client. Or can use Import/Export NG Tools to import MBOX file into your Thunderbird email account or can use Thunderbird to MBOX Converter to directly import in Thunderbird account.

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What is the difference between Maildir and MBOX in Thunderbird?
Maildir and MBOX files are two different storage formats. MBOX contains all messages in a single file, making it easier to backup but less efficient with large mailboxes. Maildir stores each email as an individual file, offering fast performance but requiring more storage.

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How do I export all emails from Thunderbird?
To export all emails from Thunderbird you need to install Import/Export NG Tools add-ons. After installing right click on the mailbox folder and choose format(MBOX or EML). This will allow you to export all emails from Thunderbird in bulk.

Observational Verdict

In this tutorial, we have mentioned top-tested solutions to convert Thunderbird to MBOX manually using the Local Folder or Import/Export NG Tools add-ons. As an alternative, we also explained Thunderbird to MBOX Converter, as it can convert Thunderbird emails, contacts, and calendars, and can easily convert multiple Thunderbird profiles.