How to Convert PST to Thunderbird Email – Top Best Methods

Summary: This article is a complete guide to save emails from Outlook PST file as Thunderbird emails. To know more about it stay with us and know how to import PST to Thunderbird emails with ease. Read the complete article and at the end of it, you are able to transfer emails from Outlook to Thunderbird account without any data loss.
As we all know, Microsoft Outlook is the most flexible and extensively used email programme on the planet. To handle emails, calendars, meetings, and events, many small and big businesses use Outlook in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server and Office 365. Outlook comes at a cost, despite its extensive features and capabilities. This is likely one of the main reasons why people switch from Outlook to a more dependable and cost-effective application. Thunderbird, an open-source and free email-client application, plays a critical role in attracting users’ attention.
It is a free, open-source email client that runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Ubuntu. Thunderbird is an email client that was designed and maintained by the Mozilla Foundation. It allows users to manage their emails, RSS feeds, Newsgroups, and other mailbox features. It saves data in the “.mbox” file format, which is supported by various email client software, including Apple Mail, The Bat!, and others.
Instant Solution: For an easy and secure conversion use Xtraxtor PST to MBOX Converter tool and transfer all Outlook emails to the Thunderbird account with ease.
How to Convert PST File to Thunderbird With Attachments?
Reasons to Migration PST to Thunderbird
Thunderbird is an open-source email client that can be installed on a variety of systems, as we’ve already described. The desktop application is a dependable and successful tool for users to migrate because of a number of other controlling elements.
- Thunderbird is supported by a variety of systems, including Windows, MacOS, UNIX, Linux, and Ubuntu. For Linux and UNIX users, it’s the most popular email client.
- Spam Filtering: Compared to Outlook and other email client apps, Spam Filtering is far superior.
- Thunderbird has the most advanced data security protections available.
- A one-button archive option saves the selected emails in an archive file with a single click.
- Thunderbird users may easily upload huge files to pCloud utilising the pCloud storage capability.
- Exclusive plugins: Thunderbird allows users to add a variety of useful plugins for many purposes.
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Methods to Convert PST to Thunderbird Email
The converting process can be performed in two ways, either manually or using an expert tool. In this write up we discuss these two methods to export PST emails into Thunderbird account.
#1. Manually Convert PST File into Thunderbird Emails
#2. Using Automated Tool for Conversion
Let’s move ahead and know the working process of these given solutions in detail.
Method 1: Manual Methods to Export PST to Thunderbird
Migrating Outlook emails to Thunderbird is more difficult than it appears. Thunderbird does not have the ability to import Outlook PST files directly. As a result, the only way to migrate Outlook to Thunderbird is to convert PST files to MBOX files.
PST to MBOX conversion may be done manually or automatically using a variety of methods. Here are several common manual methods for exporting Outlook emails to Thunderbird.
1. Conversion Using Thunderbird
If you have Outlook and Thunderbird installed on the same computer, you may quickly import Outlook messages into Thunderbird. Simply follow the instructions outlined below:
1. Make Outlook your default email sending and receiving application. Select Default Applications >> Set your default programmes from the Start menu.
2: On the Programs tab, choose Outlook and click Set this software as default. Then, to save the changes, click OK.

3: Open Thunderbird and select the option to Display the Thunderbird Menu.
4: Select Import from the Tools menu.

5: Click Next after selecting Mail or the Import Everything option.

6: Click Next after selecting Outlook as the file type.

7: To complete the import procedure, click the Finish button in the final window.
This will transfer all of your Outlook emails to the Thunderbird interface.
2. Configuration of Gmail in Outlook Account
Outlook and Thunderbird both allow you to manage numerous IMAP accounts. Users can import PST files into their specified email accounts in Thunderbird. If you already have a Gmail account linked to your Outlook profile, go to the steps below.
1. Start Outlook with Gmail setup.
2. By dragging and dropping the emails from Outlook into the Gmail folder.
3. Create a new folder in Gmail and drag all your Outlook emails into it to have the Outlook emails display in the Gmail folder.
4. After moving Outlook emails to your Gmail account, you’ll need to link the Thunderbird programme to the same account.
5. If you successfully link your Gmail account to Thunderbird, you will be able to access your Gmail emails in Thunderbird.
3. Using Thunderbird Import Process
Outlook’s PST file stays at the default place despite the fact that it is no longer working. You may import it into Thunderbird if you like.
1. To begin, go to the following website URL and download the Thunderbird app: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/.
2. Select Tools from the options menu. Choose Import.
3. Your Address Books, Feed Subscriptions, Emails, and Settings are imported using the Import wizard. You may either import everything or just some objects. Choose Next.
4. Select Outlook as the file type you want to import. To continue, press Next.
5. Emails have been imported successfully. Select Finish.
4. Use Google Take Out to Convert Outlook PST to Thunderbird Email
This method necessitates setting up a Gmail account in Outlook and then using a Gmail backup tool which is Google Takeout to export its mailbox data into MBOX format. The following is a step-by-step guide on implementing the method:
1: Go to Settings >> Forwarding and POP/IMAP and choose the radio option “Enable IMAP” in your Gmail account.

2: Open Outlook and select File >> Add Account from the File menu.
3: Hit Enter after entering your Gmail account’s login details.
Your Outlook is now set up with the same Gmail account for which you modified the IMAP settings.
4: Within the newly setup Gmail ID, create a new folder and move the relevant Outlook emails to there.
5: Next, open Google Takeout (https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout) by logging into your Gmail account with Chrome or another efficient browser.
6: Select the Mail option solely from the Select data to include tab, and deselect all other options. In the All Mail data included category, be sure you tick the Include all message in Mail option. After you’ve made all of your adjustments, click Next.

7: In the Customize archive format tab, select the Delivery method, Export type, and File type and size, then click Create archive.
8: After Google creates your archive, you may download the ZIP file containing your Outlook data in MBOX format. To save the ZIP file to your computer, select Download.
9: Extract the ZIP file into a handy location. You’ll receive an MBOX file with all of your emails, including spam and garbage.
Finally, use the Thunderbird email programme to import the MBOX file you downloaded.
To import files into Thunderbird, you’ll need to install an add-on. To import files, download and install the ExportImportTool add-on and restart Thunderbird.
Limitations of Manual Method
- IMAP must be enabled on IMAP accounts in order for Outlook to export the PST file.
- Both the destination Thunderbird and the source PST may be corrupted if the import procedure is interrupted unexpectedly.
- Importing files from more than one account is not feasible.
- The user can use several filter settings while exporting a PST file. Only those PST files that have been filtered will be imported.
Method 2: Directly Convert PST to Thunderbird Emails
To get over all of the constraints of manual techniques, using a third-party programme like Xtraxtor PST to MBOX Converter will be the best option. This utility not only transfer PST file to Thundrebird but also to webmail accounts. You can use this tool to import PST to Gmail, Office 365, Hotmail, and many more.
Along with that it also provides various file formats to save .pst file data. It offers you to convert PST to CSV, PDF, HTML, MSG and many other file formats.
Let’s check the working of the automated tool.
1. Install the Automated Tool on your computer and run it.
2. Choose Open >> Email Data File >> PST File >> Select File from Folder from the File menu.
3. Select Thunderbird as a saving option under Export.
4. Finally, your Thunderbird database default location will be automatically shown ad destination location and then click Save.
Here you directly convert PST to Thunderbird Mail account without any hassle. You can also try the demo version of this software and perform the conversion process.
Conclusion
When we consider the numerous approaches presented thus far, the one with the fewest procedures, the fastest outcomes, and a reliable source will always capture the user’s attention. To summarise, using a dependable third-party programme is the best method to achieve the most effective results in the shortest amount of time. If you want to try it, then use the demo version of this software. Prepare to free download, install, and use it right now.
Also Read: secure Gmail Mailbox from Cyber- Attacks



