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Professionals or businesses sometimes switch email clients for better features, security, and cloud integrations. Though Thunderbird is open-source and free to use, many users still prefer to migrate to MS Outlook for better email management, advanced security features, integration with Office 365, etc. However, users face a major challenge in migrating emails stored in Thunderbird MBOX to Microsoft Outlook. Thunderbird stores emails in SBD and MBOX formats while Outlook uses PST format to store emails.
There is no direct way to convert Thunderbird SBD to Outlook PST, so the user has to save Thunderbird emails to a format that can be accessed with Outlook first. Before learning the complete process to access SDB emails in Outlook PST, let us first know the reasons to export emails from Thunderbird to Outlook.
Why Convert Thunderbird SBD to Outlook PST?
There are many reasons to convert/export Thunderbird SBD to Outlook PST. Here are a few:
- When a user switches from Thunderbird to Outlook, the need to convert Thunderbird SBD to PST arises, as SBD files cannot be accessed with MS Outlook.
- Saving Thunderbird emails to PST allows users to access emails in offline mode
- Thunderbird data is scattered, while when stored in a PST file, all data is available in one PST file.
- Organizations that use Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 require PST format for email management, compliance, and centralized storage.
- A PST file is a preferred format for backup and archiving.
Manual Methods to Convert SBD to Outlook PST
Before starting the process, let us have a clear view of an SBD file first. An SBD or Subdirectory file is a folder created by Thunderbird to store subfolders of a mailbox. It means if a folder has subfolders, it is stored as
Step 1: Find the Thunderbird Profile Folder
- Open Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Go to: Menu > and after that click on “Help” > after that “More Troubleshooting Information”
- Scroll to Profile Folder.
- Click “Open Folder“.
- After that Go to: Mail > Local Folders or Mail > <your-account-name>
- You will see files like:
Inbox
Inbox.msf
Inbox.sbd/
Note: Back up and Restore Thunderbird Profile if the profile is corrupted or inaccessible.
Step 2: Extract SBD files into MBOX format
- Restart Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Locate the folder that maps to .sbd.
- Select all emails by using CTRL+A.
- Drag and drop MBOX emails into a folder on the desktop.
- Email EML files will now be saved in the MBOX mailbox file format.
Step 3: Load EML Emails into MS Outlook
- Open Outlook on PC.
- Create a new folder in Outlook to load or save MBOX files.
- Thereafter, locate the folder where EML email files are saved.
- Select all EML files by using the Ctrl+A key.
- Finally, now drag and drop EML mail files to Outlook.
Direct Method to Convert Thunderbird SBD to Outlook 2019, 2016
The manual method for converting Thunderbird SBD to Outlook PST is not the best option for migrating bulk emails. For effortless migration user can use BLR MBOX Converter, which can handle bulk conversion like a pro. This automated MBOX Converter tool can directly load a Thunderbird profile from the system without the need to download the profile first. It provides users with the option to convert only selected emails or the whole folder at a time. This utility also converts MBOX files to Office 365, NSF, TGZ, EML, EMLX, PST, AOL, Gmail, Amazon Work Mail, etc. Try the free demo edition to learn more about the software.
Final Verdict
In the article above, we have explored various methods to convert Thunderbird SBD to Outlook PST format. The manual method is a bit complex for novice users, and there is always a risk of data loss. Moreover, users have to perform the process for each email one by one, which is time-consuming. Therefore, if you have a large mailbox, taking the help of a third-party MBOX Converter is suggested. Professional software ensures data safety and accuracy, so if the data is important, don’t take the risk of applying manual methods.
