How to Export Ubuntu Mailbox to PST for Outlook : Solved
Ubuntu users are very familiar with Maildir and MBOX files. Part of the reason is because those are the two mailbox formats used by almost all Ubuntu email clients. But that familiarity often hinders the users when they want to move the Ubuntu MBOX files to Windows or Mac system to use in Outlook.
MS Outlook is the de-facto email client for Windows. It also has a favorable viewpoint among the Mac users. Especially for professional work, Outlook is the most used email application for desktop and laptops. So, most users who move from Ubuntu to other OS, find themselves in a situation where they need to access Ubuntu mailbox in Outlook.
Unlike Ubuntu in which all the major email clients (Thunderbird, Mutt Mail, Sylpheed, Claws mail, etc.) uses the MBOX file, Outlook actually uses PST file for mailbox storage. There are no native options to import MBOX file to Outlook. Hence, the only choice is to convert Ubuntu mailbox to PST and then import the converted files in Outlook.
In this blog, we will teach you exactly how to do that in a step by step manner.
Note – This article only covers the conversion of Ubuntu MBOX files and has nothing to showcase Maildir files. If your email client uses Maildir format, please visit Maildir to PST Converter to access your Ubuntu mailbox in Outlook.
Export Ubuntu Mailbox to PST for Outlook Step by Step
There are no native options in Outlook to identify and process Ubuntu MBOX files. Henceforth, we are going to discuss the next most recommended approach that works in 2 phases.
- Phase 1: Export and Move the Ubuntu Mailbox Files to Windows OS
- Phase 2: Convert these files into PST format
- (Optional) Phase 3: Import the PST file in Outlook application
While the first two phases provide you with the required PST files, the optional third phase helps in accessing the Ubuntu file in Outlook. You can skip if if you don’t need to do that.
Phase 1: Export and Move the Ubuntu Mailbox Files to Other OS
First of all, locate the MBOX files on your Ubuntu system and move it to the Operating system on which you want to access that file (Windows/Mac). You can use a storage media to move the files.
Phase 2: Convert these files into PST format
Once you have the Ubuntu MBOX files on your preferred system, it is time to convert them into PST. We will be using MBOX to Outlook PST Converter available for both Windows and Mac system. With this tool, you can easily convert Ubuntu mailbox to PST without any issues. It has a plethora of features to help you during the conversion.
Given below are the steps in brief as well as detailed manner for Windows application. If you wish to convert Ubuntu mailbox on Mac system, please visit Mac MBOX Converter for related steps.
Simple Steps to Convert Ubuntu Mailbox to PST:
- Step 1: Run Ubuntu Mailbox converter and hit “Add File”.
- Step 2: Import the Ubuntu mailbox files from system.
- Step 3: Preview emails before conversion to Outlook.
- Step 4: Hit “Export” to convert Ubuntu mail to Outlook PST.
Now, for the same instructions in detail along with screenshots, follow the steps below:
- Run the software on Windows system and hit the Add File button.
- Select MBOX Files from the list and hit the Next button.
- Browse and import the Ubuntu mailbox files from your system and hit the Process button.
- The application will scan all the mailbox files and display the emails within the software interface. Hit the Export button from the ribbon bar to proceed.
- Now, choose to Export All Folder or Export Selected Folders as per requirement. Next, select the PST format from the list of option to export the Ubuntu file.
- Hit the Export button to start the conversion. Once the process completes, you can read the report as well as open the location to verify converted files.
After converting Ubuntu mailbox to PST, users in general wish to access them in Outlook. Therefore, we have included such steps in the next phase.
(Optional) Phase 3: Import the PST file in Outlook application
The instructions given here are for Windows users.
- Open Outlook and go to Open & Export option.
- Choose the Import/Export option.
- Hit Import from another program or file and click Next.
- Hit Outlook data file(.pst) and click Next.
- Browse the converted PST files from your Windows system.
- Select the Outlook folder where you want to import the converted Ubuntu mailbox.
- Hit the Finish button.
Observational Verdict
There aren’t many solutions available to import Ubuntu mailbox in Outlook. And the internet is filled with such outdated solutions that instead of email migration, leads to loss of data. Therefore, we have collected together all the steps that a user can follow to convert Ubuntu mailbox to PST without any hassle. This method will let you open MBOX file of Ubuntu in Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 & 2003.