How do I Import Dovecot Maildir to Entourage Application RGE Archive Format?
Import Maildir emails to Microsoft Entourage on Mac by converting them to RGE format using the Turgs Maildir to Entourage Migration Tool on Windows. The process has two stages: convert Maildir to RGE on Windows, then import the RGE file into Entourage on Mac. The free trial converts a limited number of emails for testing.
Switching from a Windows mail setup using Maildir to Microsoft Entourage on a Mac requires a format conversion step. Maildir stores each email as an individual file in a directory structure. Entourage uses the RGE archive format for storing its email database. These two formats are not directly compatible, so you need a conversion tool to bridge them.
The Turgs Maildir to Entourage Migration Tool converts Maildir or Maildir++ format to RGE on Windows. You then transfer the RGE file to your Mac and import it into Entourage. This guide covers the full two-stage process.
What Is Maildir and Why Migrate to Entourage
Maildir is an email storage format used by many mail servers and clients on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It was introduced with the QMail server in the mid-1990s. Unlike MBOX files which store all emails in one large file, Maildir stores each email as a separate file in a directory with three subdirectories: cur (current messages), new (newly received messages), and tmp (messages in transit). This structure makes it fast and safe to modify individual emails without affecting the rest of the mailbox.
Entourage was Microsoft’s email client for Mac OS X before it was replaced by Outlook for Mac. It stores all data in a proprietary RGE archive format. Users switching from Maildir-based setups on Windows to Entourage on Mac need to convert their email history to RGE format before they can access it in Entourage. The Turgs Maildir Converter handles this conversion.
Method 1: Convert Maildir to RGE Format
Download and install the Turgs Maildir to Entourage Migration Tool on a Windows machine.
Step 1: Launch the Turgs Maildir to Entourage Migration Tool on your Windows machine.
Step 2: Add your Maildir files. The tool offers two selection modes: single file and directory (Maildir++) selection. Use the directory option to add all Maildir folders at once.
Step 3: The software shows all selected Maildir files and directories in the interface. Check the items you want to convert and click Next.
Step 4: Select “Entourage RGE” from the list of output formats. This is the format that Entourage on Mac can import directly.
Step 5: Choose your destination folder. You can save to any local path or external drive for easy transfer to your Mac.
Step 6: The tool offers file naming options to organize emails before migration. Choose the naming pattern that best fits your workflow.
Step 7: Click Convert to start the Maildir to RGE conversion. The tool processes all selected Maildir files and generates the RGE archive.
Once conversion completes, copy the RGE file to your Mac using a USB drive, AirDrop, or file sharing.
Method 2: Import RGE into Entourage on Mac
Step 1: Open Entourage on your Mac. Go to File, then click Import.
Step 2: In the Entourage Import Wizard, select the option “Entourage information from an archive or earlier version” and click Next.
Step 3: On the next screen, choose “Entourage Archive (.rge)” as the import source and click Next.
Step 4: Browse to the RGE file on your Mac and select it.
Step 5: Entourage imports the emails from the RGE archive into your Entourage mailbox. Click Done when the import finishes.
Your Maildir emails are now in Entourage on your Mac, organized in the same folder hierarchy as the original Maildir structure.
Key Features of the Migration Tool
Dual selection mode: Select individual Maildir files or entire Maildir++ directory structures in one step. This handles both flat Maildir collections and nested Maildir++ layouts that use dots as folder separators.
Email element preservation: The conversion maintains the hierarchical folder structure, message attachments, text content, colors, and other email properties from the original Maildir files.
File naming options: Choose from several file naming patterns before migration to keep your emails organized by date, sender, or subject in the output RGE archive.
Custom destination path: Save the RGE output to any local or external storage location. This makes it easy to transfer the converted file to your Mac using a USB drive or network share.
Works with all Maildir variants: The tool handles both standard Maildir and the extended Maildir++ format used by Dovecot and other IMAP servers. You can also migrate Maildir emails to other formats including Thunderbird, Gmail, and other clients.
Limitations to Know
Limitations
- The conversion tool runs on Windows only. You need a Windows machine (or a Windows virtual machine on Mac using Parallels Desktop) to run the conversion step.
- The free trial converts a limited number of emails. Purchase the full license to convert complete Maildir archives without restrictions.
- Microsoft Entourage was discontinued and replaced by Outlook for Mac. This workflow applies specifically to Entourage users; Outlook for Mac uses different import formats.
- Very large Maildir archives with tens of thousands of emails may take considerable time to convert depending on your hardware.
- The RGE file must be copied from Windows to Mac using a file transfer method. The conversion cannot be run directly on the Mac without Windows or a virtual machine.
- The tool does not delete or modify the original Maildir files. Your source mailbox remains intact after the conversion completes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dovecot Maildir stored by default?
Dovecot uses Maildir++ directory layout by default. All mailboxes are stored under a single root directory and subfolders are prefixed with a dot. The root Inbox is typically at the root Maildir path, while subfolders appear as directories like Maildir/.Sent and Maildir/.Drafts within the same parent directory.
Can I transfer Maildir emails in bulk to Entourage?
Yes. The Turgs conversion tool handles batch processing. Load an entire Maildir++ directory with all its subdirectories in one step, select the items you want, and the tool converts everything to a single RGE archive file. The import into Entourage then brings in all emails at once from that archive.
Does the tool preserve email attachments during conversion?
Yes. The conversion maintains all email attachments from the Maildir files in the RGE output. After importing the RGE file into Entourage, all attachments appear in the corresponding emails exactly as they existed in the original Maildir messages.
Can I use Parallels Desktop on Mac to run the Windows converter?
Yes. If you only have a Mac, install Parallels Desktop for Mac and set up a Windows virtual machine. Run the Turgs Maildir to Entourage converter inside the Windows virtual machine, convert your Maildir files to RGE, then copy the output file to your Mac filesystem for import into Entourage.
What Maildir formats does the tool support?
The tool supports standard Maildir (single-level directory structure) and Maildir++ (extended format with nested subfolders using dot-prefixed directories). Both are commonly used by Dovecot, Courier, and other mail servers.
Is the original Maildir data deleted after conversion?
No. The conversion tool creates an RGE archive as output without deleting, moving, or modifying the original Maildir files. Your source mailbox remains completely intact. You can verify the Entourage import before decommissioning the original Maildir data.
