MBOX is a crucial file format that serves the purpose of storing all mailbox data in a single file. Most email clients, including Power Mail, SeaMonkey, Eudora, and Mozilla Thunderbird, rely heavily on MBOX for storing information. The data contained in emails is secured by MBOX. Email clients are responsible for improving business communication and acting as a mediator between two parties.
Expert Method: Get an automatic solution to convert MBOX/MBX files of more than 20 email clients like AppleMail, Entourage, Eudora, etc to Outlook PST file formats with the help of Advik MBOX to PST Converter Tool.
Outlook is a powerful application that allows users to create and configure multiple accounts. It offers several advanced features such as calendar, tasks, notes, and journals. However, these features can only be accessed if MBOX files are converted to PST files. As PST is the default file format used by Outlook, converting MBOX to PST is essential to leverage all of Outlook’s features.
What Makes MS Outlook a Better Choice than MBOX Email Clients?
Users often convert MBOX files to PST due to several reasons. Here are a few of them:
PST files can support a wide range of data types, whereas MBOX files are limited to storing email messages only.
PST files provide a systematic way of storing data, with separate folders for calendars, contacts, and inbox. In contrast, MBOX files are usually saved together and lack this level of organization.
These PST files are supported by various email clients, while MBOX files have limited compatibility.
PST files are more secure and offer high-end protection against data loss and unauthorized access to passwords. MBOX files, on the other hand, are less secure.
MS Outlook allows users to easily back up PST files, whereas MBOX files require third-party software for backup.
Users can work with PST files even when offline, while MBOX files require an internet connection for access.
There are several free options available for converting MBOX to PST which can be considered. These methods include:
Method 1: Save MBOX Emails as EML Files
This approach involves saving required MBOX emails in the EML file format and then importing them to Outlook using the Import/Export feature.
The process can be summarized as follows:
- Open the MBOX email client and right-click on the folder. Click on “New Folder.”
- Enter the folder name and click “Create Folder.”
- Select the EML messages that need to be migrated and move them to the newly created folder.
- Now, all emails will be present in the new folder.
- Select all emails and choose the “Save As” option.
- Save the files to the desired location.
Exporting emails to an external folder is another method for converting MBOX to EML. This approach involves using an add-on that can handle a large number of emails in one go.
Here are the steps involved:
- Open a browser and click on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
- Select “Add-ons” and then choose “Get Add-ons.”
- Search for the “Import Export Tools” add-on and click “Add to Firefox” (or your browser of choice).
- Click on the “Install” button in the software installation wizard. Once the extension has been added, restart the browser.
- In the browser, choose the folder containing the emails you want to export, right-click on it, and select “Import Export Tools.”
- Choose “Export all messages in the folder” and select the EML format.
- Select the destination where you want to save the exported files and click “Save.”
To export MBOX emails to PST files, follow these steps:
- Click on the “File” menu and choose “Export to a file”. Click “Next”.
- Choose “Outlook data file (.pst)” and click “Next”.
- Select the folder with the EML files you want to convert and click “Next”.
- Choose the saving location for the PST file, select the option for managing duplicate items, and click “Finish”.
Once you complete these steps, the MBOX file will be converted to PST. You can also drag and drop important emails from the EML files into specific folders of the PST mailbox in Outlook.
Limitations of Manual Method
The followings are the limitations or issues that users may face while using the free methods to convert MBOX to PST:
- The procedures are indirect and complex
- The process can be long and confusing
- There is no guaranteed data integrity
- Only emails can be transferred using the EML conversion method
- There are high chances of data and properties loss
- The conversion process requires a lot of technical expertise
- Only small data can be converted at a time
- There are risks of MBOX folder structure loss
- Multiple MBOX files cannot be converted simultaneously
- There are chances of SMTP header corruption or loss
- Multiple email clients need to be installed (more than two)
If you do not want to take any risks or invest time in the free solutions, you can use Advik MBOX to PST Converter Tool. It can directly convert MBOX files without any data limitations using just 4-5 steps. The process is simple, accurate, and efficient, and perfect conversion can be achieved in just a few minutes. You can try its demo version available on the website before deciding to purchase it.