Mail Transfer from Any System to Outlook in Seconds

Today, there are lots of email clients. Some users prefer web-based systems, some use desktop programs, and others stick to mobile apps. Despite the existence of competitors, millions of companies and users still choose Outlook. If you want to move your correspondence, migration will take a couple of minutes or even seconds. Of course, if you do it right.

The key obstacle to quick export/import is format differences. You cannot just drag-and-drop files from Thunderbird to Outlook — the Microsoft system can recognize PST or EML. However, there are dozens of other formats. That is why Outlooktransfer solutions are so popular. Automation gets the job done quickly.

Why Transfer Attempts Fail

To be fair, you may succeed in moving your email manually. It should meet two conditions: its volume is modest, and the file formats are identical. If you need to transfer gigabytes of data, dragging and dropping will take forever (if it is possible at all). Other concerns are connected to:

• It's Not Only Text

All too often, the original formatting and attached files are lost or distorted. Aside from text, emails may include images, styles, and other files that must be transformed.

• Data Loss

Suppose you have thousands of work-related emails in your inbox, and the company announces its switch to Outlook. You would prefer the transfer to be 100% accurate. Without migration software, there is always a possibility that some of your data will disappear or become corrupt.

• Conversion Issues

That is why the manual transfer is often impossible. Outlook does not recognize MBOX used by Thunderbird and dozens of other tools (Gmail, Mac Mail, the Bat!, etc.). Neither does it read IML from Incredimail. Conversion is often mandatory, and it requires third-party solutions.

Example: Thunderbird to Outlook

As we have mentioned, Thunderbird stores data in the MBOX format, so direct import is impossible. You could, however, use Gmail as your intermediary. For users who do not have a Gmail account, the first step is to create one.

Next, both mailboxes must be linked together by working with the IMAP settings. The user should add Gmail to their Thunderbird account. A new folder for Gmail is created in their inbox structure. It allows them to copy the emails they want to move and transfer them to this folder. It concludes the first stage.

The second stage is to configure Gmail to Outlook, and it is quite lengthy. The user generates a new folder with Gmail in their Outlook inbox. Once both accounts are in sync, you can access all Thunderbird emails.

(Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)