How to Open MBOX file in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010 on Windows ?

Mark Regan | October 15th, 2021 | Convert Your Data, How to

This blog post is dedicated to some important techniques using which one can easily open MBOX file in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, etc.

Last night, I got an MBOX file and have been asked to go through some emails in it and reply back to my team leader. Due to some personal reasons, I need to go out of the city. There are some security restrictions so I only have to use my laptop. I have only MS Outlook 2019 on my laptop and I recognized that these MBOX files are incompatible with Outlook. So, what should I do now? How can I open MBOX file in Outlook?

You Can’t Open MBOX File in Outlook! Or Can You?

The bitter truth is no you can’t! There is no way to import MBOX into Outlook as the latter has its own proprietary file format is known as PST (Personal Storage Table) where all emails are stored.

MBOX which is a very common mailbox storage file for email applications like Thunderbird, Mulberry, SeaMonkey, Apple Mail, Eudora, Entourage, etc. is incompatible with Outlook.

Nowadays, plenty of corporate and home users need a robust and versatile email application that can handle both their personal as well as organizational chores. Hence, if you want to open the MBOX content of one email client into another email client (Outlook) then the only workaround is to perform a conversion process.

Remarkable Simple Solution!
Open MBOX files in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and prior versions with the help of MBOX to PST Converter Tool. With this software, it’s just a matter of few clicks and you can easily open bulk MBOX files in Outlook. Download the trial setup of software to check it now!

Manually Open MBOX File in Outlook from Thunderbird

Firstly, open Thunderbird and configure your target Gmail account via IMAP.
Then, make a new folder in Thunderbird where you can store the desired emails you want to read in Outlook.
Now, choose the messages that you wish to open in Outlook and move them to a newly created folder. Drag and Drop the chosen files into a new folder.
Thereafter, open MS Outlook and choose the messages which you intend to add to Outlook.
Then, drag chosen emails to a new folder in Outlook (or any required location). You can access your MBOX files in this folder.

This was how you can open .mbox files in Outlook with the manual approach. But do you know that this method is valuable if you are technically adept? Also, there will be certain shortcomings associated with manual solutions.

You will need to install both thunderbird and Outlook for the conversion.
Users will have to open the MBOX file in Outlook in multiple phases.
It’s a lengthy, complex, and intimidating process.
Requires user’s supervision (one error can ruin the whole process).
Strongly Poses data loss issues.

Now the good news is that there is a simple and effective technique to open MBOX files in Outlook. The only trick will be you will require MBOX Conversion as said above that PST is the only format that Outlook supports.

How to Open MBOX File in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 ? – Recommended Solution

The road to open an MBOX file in Outlook depends on a few factors – which converter you are going to use, MBOX file size, type of items present in MBOX file, etc.

But, most importantly if you are using the suggested solution then it will keep the complex MBOX folder hierarchy intact, metadata, and all email components preserved.

Here are the steps to open an MBOX file in Outlook:

Download and install the software on your Windows machine.

Pick either the “Select Folder” or “Select Files” option as per your need.

Choose required MBOX files/ folders for conversion.

Select PST as a saving option and other data filter options.

Enter a destination location for saving the output.

Start the conversion process by hitting on the Convert tab.

Within a few moments, you will get your MBOX files converted into PST format.

Now, you can easily import PST file in Outlook by following these steps-

Launch MS Outlook and go to File>> Open & Export>> Import/ Export option.
Then, select Import from another program file and hit on Next.
Now, choose the Outlook data file .pst and click Next. Browse desired PST files and press Next.

What Benefits Can You Enjoy with this Automated Software ?

Since both MBOX and PST files are different in their inner framework and thus their formats vary for storing data. Thus, an application to open MBOX file in Outlook should have dedicated logic and precise algorithms to convert emails cleanly.

Moreover, it will require to have essential features so as to have a successful conversion – intuitive & user-friendly interface, great usability, instant processing speed, and so on.

Users can open multiple MBOX files into PST format in one batch. So, if you have huge MBOX files, then you will find the automated software extremely useful. This is because the conventional converters do not give batch email conversion support.
It preserves the folder structure of MBOX data. Also, the tool keeps intact the email components such as Sender/ Recipient details, subject, images, attachments, hyperlinks, etc.
Using this application, it is incredibly easy to load single or multiple MBOX files for processing.
Moreover, you can get a full preview of the chosen MBOX email message with intrinsic details like Date, From, To, Subject, etc before starting the conversion.
The tool offers intelligent search options with the help of which you can “Search only displayed headers”, “Search complete RAW messages”, “Search between dates”.
Once you have chosen PST format to import MBOX to Outlook then you can select options like “Create new PST” and “Update default PST”.
There is complete freedom to save the resultant PST files at any location on your Windows machine. Users can browse the desired target file saving path for user-friendly storage.
The software is compatible with MBOX files of email applications like Mozilla Thunderbird, Entourage, Eudora, Gmail Takeout, Gyazmail, Horde, Mulberry, Postbox, SeaMonkey, Sparrow, Sylpheed, etc.
There is no need to have a default MBOX supportable email client or application on your PC to perform how to open MBOX file in the Outlook process. This is because the software does not demand any external application installation for the process.
Rejoice now Outlook users because the recommended utility has vast compatibility with all MS Outlook versions. Yes, you can open an MBOX file in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and prior versions.

What Could be the Reasons to Open MBOX File in Outlook ?

A user might want to switch to Outlook due to the shortcomings of MBOX files. Lets’ see in detail:

1. MBOX email files are available principally in open source email clients, which are not all that exceptional for proficient email correspondence.

2. People are also hassled about the file securing issues in MBOX documents, after which they have confronted a great deal of trouble in opening and getting to files.

3. MBOX files are secure, yet at the same time they effectively get degenerate, and thus it turns out to be extremely hard to track down an answer for fixing them.

4. One of the most annoying issues of MBOX files is that they make problems with the network file system. This conduct can raise a ton of trouble in the hour of critical use.

5. Last but not the least, if a user does not have MBOX supporting email client configured in their system, then in order to view them in Outlook, it becomes quite necessary for conversion.

Regularly Asked User Queries

I want to switch from Mac to Windows OS. I have some old archive Apple Mail .mbox files which I need to open in Outlook 2016 (Windows 10). How to open Mac MBOX file in Outlook 2016?

For the migration process, try using the BitRecover MBOX email to PST conversion tool.

How do I open an MBOX file in Outlook 2016?

You can follow the above-suggested software and step-by-step processing to open MBOX file in Outlook 2016.

Can I open MBOX file in Outlook 2007 directly?

No, there is no direct option available because Outlook is compatible with only .pst format.

I have bought a new computer running on Windows 10 platform. Does this software will work to open MBOX file in Outlook Windows 10?

Yes, why not! You can use this application on any Windows machine including the Windows 10 OS.

How can I evaluate the performance of the software before I invest my money in it?

Just take the free trial of the software to test how the utility works. It permits to the conversion of the top 25 MBOX data items into PST files. Later you can buy the license edition for a full migration.

Time to Wrap Up

If you are facing any problem to open MBOX file in Outlook, you can go with the native method and open the file in multiple phases on your own. However, it’s not a productive approach and the technicalities involved pose a full risk of information loss. So, if your MBOX mailbox data is significant, you should not have any uncertainty and use the BitRecover Software for the best results. This is because it’s a one-stop solution – a tool trusted by innumerable customers worldwide. Also, it is carefully programmed to implement one purpose – to open multiple MBOX files in MS Outlook in the swiftest way possible, without negotiating the data fidelity.