How to Export Thunderbird Email to Outlook - 2 Working Ways

Larissa updated on Mar 15, 2024 | Home >Computer Instruction

Are you tired of struggling with Thunderbird's limitations and ready to switch to Outlook? If so, you're one of the several users who have found out that Outlook offers a more robust and user-friendly email experience. The good news is that exporting your emails from Thunderbird to Outlook is a fairly simple process.

In this article, we'll explain how to export Thunderbird email to Outlook in simple terms that even the least tech-savvy person can follow.

Whether you're moving to a new job, a new computer, or just looking to streamline your email experience, this guide will help you make the transition with minimal hassle. So, let's dive in and get started!

Why You Need to Export Thunderbird Email to Outlook

As previously stated, Outlook provides a far superior email user experience than Thunderbird. But why exactly is it important to make the switch and export your Thunderbird emails to Outlook? Here are a few reasons why you should consider it:

  • Better organization

Outlook has a better folder system than Thunderbird, which makes it easier to organize and sort your emails. With Outlook, you can create nested folders, color-code them, and even create custom views to help you quickly find the emails you need. In fact, it has a spam folder, which Thunderbird lacks. This makes it easier to stay on top of your inbox and keep your emails organized.

  • Better integration of the calendar

Outlook's calendar is tightly tied to the email client, which makes it easier to make appointments and keep track of your schedule. You can easily see your calendar along with your emails, set reminders, and even set up meetings with other Outlook or web-based email users. There are not many better ways to stay organized with schedules than this.

  • More Efficient Search

Finding important emails is now simpler thanks to Outlook's improved search feature, which is faster and more accurate. It uses a powerful search algorithm to quickly find emails based on keywords, sender, or even specific attachments. This can be a huge time saver if you're looking for a specific email.

  • More add-ons and plugins

You can further tailor your inbox experience with Outlook's extensive library of plugins and extensions. You can save time and effort by automating your email responses and using signature templates and tracking tools.

  • Better security

Compared to Thunderbird, Outlook has better built-in security features, like the ability to encrypt messages, filter out suspicious attachments, and send malicious emails to spam. This can help you protect your sensitive information and keep your emails safe.

  • Better compatibility

Outlook is widely used in most organizations and businesses, so if you’re planning to work in an organization or switch jobs, it would be better to be familiar with Outlook as it is more commonly used. This can help you be more productive and efficient, as you will use the same email client and tools as your colleagues.

The benefits of Outlook over Thunderbird are too many to ignore, and switching to it can vastly enhance your email experience.

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[2 Tips] How to Export Thunderbird Email to Outlook

Now that you understand the benefits of exporting your Thunderbird emails to Outlook, it's time to learn how to do it. Here are two methods for migrating your Thunderbird emails to Outlook:

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
1. Migrate Thunderbird Email to Outlook with WebMail Account Log into your webmail account and access the settings...Full steps
2. Migrate Thunderbird Email to Outlook by Dragging and Dropping Open both Thunderbird and Outlook on your computer....Full steps

1. Migrate Thunderbird Email to Outlook with WebMail Account

To do this, you will first need to export your Thunderbird emails to a web-based email service (like Gmail), and then you can import them into Outlook. This is a great option if you want to avoid dealing with the technical details of migrating your emails directly from Thunderbird to Outlook. But as easy as it is, you still need quite some human input to get it done.

You'll need to export your Thunderbird emails to a web-based email account to get started. Here's how you can do it in two phases:

Step 1: Log into your webmail account and access the settings. Look for the option to enable IMAP.

enable imap

Step 2: Follow the prompts to configure your IMAP account and save the changes.

configure your imap

Step 3: Launch Thunderbird and add your webmail account by providing the required details.

add webmail account

Step 4: Verify the account by opening the email message that will be sent to you.

Phase 2: Configuring your Webmail account in Outlook

Step 1: Open Outlook and go to File > Add Account.

open outlook

Step 2: Select the option to manually configure server settings and provide your account information.

configure server settings

Step 3: Choose the IMAP option and enter the server names for incoming and outgoing emails.

Step 4: In the advanced Settings option, ensure that your outgoing server is set to use the same settings as the incoming server.

advanced settings

Step 5: Enter the appropriate port numbers (993 for incoming, 587 for outgoing) and encryption settings.

Step 6: Test your account settings and verify their validity, then proceed to the next step.

Step 7: Import your Thunderbird MBOX files to Outlook.

2. Migrate Thunderbird Email to Outlook by Dragging and Dropping

This approach requires a little more work on your part, but it's still quite simple. It involves manually dragging and dropping your Thunderbird emails into an Outlook folder.

To get started, you'll need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Open both Thunderbird and Outlook on your computer.

Step 2: In Thunderbird, go to the folder where the emails you want to export are stored.

Step 3: Select the emails you want to move and drag them over to Outlook.

Step 4: Once the emails are in Outlook, you can organize them into folders, add labels, or even forward them to another recipient.

Notice:
If you're looking to select multiple emails at once, simply click on one of the email items and hold down the Shift key. While holding the Shift key, use the arrow keys to select multiple email items. This is a quick and easy way to select multiple emails without having to individually click on each one.
Even though this looks short, it's a bit time-consuming but still gets the job done.

Both of these methods can help you export your Thunderbird emails to Outlook. You can select the best one for you based on your technical expertise and the number of emails you need to transfer. You'll get to enjoy the benefits of improved organization, better calendar integration, and many more when you're done.

You Should Backup Outlook Regularly - Keep Your Emails Safe

After switching from Thunderbird to Outlook and importing all of your old emails, the next step is ensuring your data is safe. Imagine losing your important emails, contacts, and calendar events in a flash due to a computer crash or data corruption. It's a nightmare no one wants to experience, and that's why backing up your Outlook data is so important.

Why settle for mediocre backup when you can have the best? EaseUS Todo Backup is the ultimate Windows backup software that allows you to easily backup and restore Microsoft Outlook data. EaseUS Todo Backup is a popular choice, and it's easy to see why. It's easy to use and has advanced features like incremental backup and differential backup.

easeus todo backup back up outlook

Think of EaseUS Todo Backup as your personal time machine. It's like having a DeLorean that can take you back to the time before any data loss. And the best part? It can automatically schedule backups, so you don't have to worry about remembering to do it manually. It's like having your own personal data, guardian angel.

Don't let data loss ruin your day or get you into problems. Use EaseUS Todo Backup to back up your Outlook data regularly to make sure that your data is safe and sound.

Concluding Thoughts

To get the most out of your email, try exporting your Thunderbird messages to Outlook. Using a webmail account or dragging and dropping gets the job done for you. While one is partly automated, the other is totally manual.

But it's just as important to back up your Outlook data to protect your valuable information in case your data gets lost or damaged. EaseUS Todo Backup is a powerful and user-friendly backup software that makes it easy to create and restore backups of your Outlook data. With advanced features and scheduled backups, it's the best way to shield your Outlook data.

FAQs

1. How do I export Thunderbird emails to Outlook PST?

Exporting Thunderbird emails to Outlook PST can be done using the "import and export" feature in Outlook. Go to the menu option in Outlook, select "open & export," then choose "import/export." Select "export to a file" and then "Outlook Data File (.pst)" as the file type. Follow the prompts to export your Thunderbird emails to an Outlook PST file.

2. Can you export emails from Thunderbird?

Yes, you can export emails from Thunderbird by using the "export" feature in Thunderbird. Go to the File menu in Thunderbird, select "export," then choose “mail." You can then select the email account you want to export and the location where you want to save the exported emails.

3. How do I transfer emails from Thunderbird to Outlook 365?

You can transfer emails from Thunderbird to Outlook 365 by first exporting your Thunderbird emails to a web-based email account (such as Gmail) and then importing them into Outlook 365. This can be done using the "Import and Export" feature in Outlook 365. Select "Open & Export" from Outlook 365's File menu, then "Import/Export." Choose "Import from another program or file" and CSV as the file type. That should get the work done.

4. How do I import my address book from Thunderbird to Outlook?

First, export your address book from Thunderbird to a CSV file. Then, import it into Outlook. Select "Tools" and "Export" in Thunderbird's "Address Book" to do this. Save the file in LDIF format. Next, in Outlook, click "File," "Open & Export," and "Import/Export." Choose "Import from another program or file" and CSV as the file format. Complete the  process by following the prompt.

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Updated by Daisy

Daisy is the Senior editor of the writing team for EaseUS. She has been working at EaseUS for over ten years, starting as a technical writer and moving on to being a team leader of the content group. As a professional author for over ten years, she writes a lot to help people overcome their tech troubles.

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Written by Larissa

Larissa has rich experience in writing technical articles and is now a professional editor at EaseUS. She is good at writing articles about data recovery, disk cloning, disk partitioning, data backup, and other related knowledge. Her detailed and ultimate guides help users find effective solutions to their problems. She is fond of traveling, reading, and riding in her spare time.

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