How to Export MBOX File From Thunderbird | Save Thunderbird Emails

 

The world needs software programs that are free, open-source and compatible to access their mailboxes. So, there is such software available for you by Mozilla Thunderbird. It has a file extension as MBOX that stands for MailBox. Well, MBOX is considered to be one of the best file formats as it can be accessed by many email client applications such as Apple Mac Mail, Entourage, Pocomail, Netscape, Spicebird, SeaMonkey, Eudora, etc. Though users know that MBOX is a file extension for Thunderbird but still they are unaware that they can export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file very easily.

A few days back, our technical team received a query from one of our American client. He was trying to export mailboxes from his Thunderbird account but he couldn’t found the right approach on how to export Thunderbird to MBOX file. Hence, we decided to write a solution for the same. This high-tech guide will shed light on how to export MBOX from Thunderbird email client. You don’t need a third-party tool to export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file. This can be easily done easily as discussed in the upcoming section of the blog.

How to Export Thunderbird Emails to MBOX File ?

How to Export MBOX File from Thunderbird ? – Stepwise Procedure

Thunderbird stores all emails in MBOX format that can be easily transformed into various email programs. This step-by-step working guide will help you to export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file:

Launch Mozilla Thunderbird on your system and click on the bar icon placed at the right-hand side of the Thunderbird profile. Now, choose the Add-on option from the menu to start the process to export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file.

A new window will appear on the screen. Hit on the Up & Coming option.

From the various Add-On options, search for Import/Export plugin. Now, download and install it properly. Once you install it, the software asks to restart Mozilla Thunderbird, so do the same.

Afterward, go to your mailbox, and right-click on the All Mail option. Choose the Export folder from the displayed menu as shown in the below screenshot.

Select a location where you want to export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file.

Open the folder where you have exported all mails. Now, right-click on the desired mail file and rename it as with adding the extension as .mbox.

That’s it! In this way, you can export Thunderbird emails to MBOX file by following a simplistic stepwise process as explained above.

How to Find the Default Location of Thunderbird MBOX File ?

For Windows 2000 Users and  Windows XP Users

• First Click on the Start Menu and Open RUN Utility. (Also use WIN + R Key to Open It)

• Write Run Command %Temp%. Hit on the Ok button to Explorer Temp Folder.
• Now, go to backup Folder and open Thunderbird Folders.
• You will find Profiles Folder inside Thunderbird. Open it and find your Profile Name.
• Click on the POP and IMAP folder and you will get your INBOX File.
• Copy it on the desktop and rename it as INBOX.MBOX Extension.

You can also Browse the Thunderbird Directory by Following this Location: –

C:\Documents and Settings \ <Windows user name> \ Local Settings \ Application Data \ Thunderbird \ Profiles \<Profile name> \ IMAP \ *.*

The Local Settings Folder is a Hidden Folder. So, if you want to follow this path, then you need to show all the hidden files and folders. You need to open Folders Options and Open View Tab or check Show Hidden Files and Folders option.

For Higher Versions of Windows Users Such as Windows Vista, 7, 8.1 and 10

Firstly, Open the Windows Start menu and then follow these steps:
1. In the “Start Search” box, type in %APPDATA%.
2. Press the “Roaming” item that appears on the menu screen.
3. In the Windows Explorer window that opens, choose Thunderbird → Profiles. Each folder located in this folder is a profile on your computer.

You can also navigate directly to your profile folder by following this path:
C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\
…or you can also use Thunderbird menu path Help->Troubleshooting information->hit on the “Show Folder” button.
The AppData folder is a hidden folder; to show hidden data, open a Windows Explorer window and choose “Organize → Folder and Search Options → Folder Options → View (tab) → Show hidden files and folders”.

Limitations of Manual Solution

There are many limitations involved in this manual technique, which can create issues for the users in completion of this task. Some of them are mentioned below:

1. The above-mentioned process is lengthy in nature. User will have to follow a lengthy and technical process for completion of this task.
2. Also, it contains a lot of technicalities. Non – technical users will not be able to perform the task without having any technical guidance.
3. This manual technique is only possible if Thunderbird is in running condition. If Thunderbird gets corrupted then user will not be able to follow this procedure.

Automated Solution to Export Thunderbird Emails 

As mentioned-above, to avoid the limitations user will have to go with professional solution for accomplishing the task. Users can make the use if Turgs Thunderbird Converter for performing the task of export Thunderbird emails to MBOX. This tool can be used with ease and both technical and non – technical users can make the use of this application easily. With the help of this software user will also get multiple saving options to export thunderbird mails.

There are many users who looks for accessing MBOX data in Outlook. For that it is first necessary to convert MBOX to PST which can be later opened in Outlook. To do so, you can try Turgs MBOX Converter Tool which supports PST file format as a file conversion option. Users can easily perform this task without facing any hassle.

Conclusion

This blog can easily resolve the problem of how to export Thunderbird Emails to MBOX file. The manual solution discussed above is very efficient and will take a few seconds to export Thunderbird to MBOX. I hope now you can easily export MBOX from Thunderbird without any hassle.