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Summary: In this guide, you will learn methods to backup Thunderbird emails and protect your Thunderbird emails from corruption and damage. By following this guide, you can backup Thunderbird emails in various formats, such as PST, EML, MBOX, HTML, RTF, PDF, and Office 365.
Thunderbird is an open-source email client by Mozilla Foundation, which stores all your emails, attachments, filters, contacts, etc. in a separate folder from the installation folder. Similar to Outlook, you can add and configure multiple IMAP or POP email accounts in Mozilla Thunderbird.
However, unlike Outlook, Thunderbird uses MBOX file format to store the mailbox data. MBOX is a mailbox file that is widely supported by many email client apps such as Apple Mail, Eudora, Opera Mail, etc.
As Thunderbird is used for business communications, it contains valuable data that you must back up regularly to protect it from damage or corruption. You may also want to backup Thunderbird emails to migrate them to other MBOX email clients or MS Outlook.
In this guide, we have discussed various methods to back up your Thunderbird mailbox data in different file formats for quick restore in different email clients, including MS Outlook.
There are two ways to backup Thunderbird emails,
To create a backup of Thunderbird emails manually, follow these steps,
C:\Users\*ProfileName*\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\*Profile.default*\
NOTE: You will see .msf files (Mail Summary File), which contain the email header information, and other files without any extension. The files without extension are MBOX files that you need to copy and backup.
Alternatively, you can back up individual emails, by using Thunderbird options, as .EML files. To back up individual mail folder manually, follow these steps,
You cannot back up the Thunderbird emails in other formats, such as PST, Office 365, RTF, PDF, or HTML, by using the manual method. To back up Thunderbird emails in other formats, follow the next method.
You can use Thunderbird Add-on such as ImportExportTools NG or a third-party MBOX to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for MBOX to back up Thunderbird emails in other formats, such as HTML, CSV, PDF, and RTF.
NOTE: ImportExportTools NG add-on is no more supported by new Thunderbird versions.
The steps are as follows,
As ImportExportTools NG add-on is no more supported by the latest Thunderbird versions, you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX to export and back up Thunderbird emails more conveniently and faster in various formats. The software also exports and back up Thunderbird emails in Outlook importable PST format and Office 365.
The steps are as follows,
C:\Users\*ProfileName*\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\*Profile.default*\
Now, you can import the backup PST file into any Outlook or Office 365 account by using the Import/Export wizard.
You must back up Thunderbird emails regularly as they may contain critical information and data. Backup helps restore the emails later if they get corrupt or lost due to events such as hard drive failure or system crash. In this guide, we explained a few methods to back up Thunderbird emails in multiple formats. You can use Stellar Converter for MBOX to back up Thunderbird emails quickly in Outlook importable PST file, HTML, RTF, PDF, and Office 365. It also helps you migrate MBOX mailbox data to Outlook and Office 365 in a few clicks.
Besides Thunderbird, the software supports all other MBOX email clients such as Entourage, Spicebird, Pocomail, Eudora, Apple Mail, Mulberry, SeaMonkey, Claws Mail, Opera Mail, Netscape, Mozilla Mail, Evolution, Mutt, Sylpheed, Cone, & GNU Mail.
Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.
