02 Best Methods to Convert PST to MBOX in Easy Steps

Summary: In today’s era of technological transformation, conversion of PST to MBOX format is always a top priority for users because users are widely used by several email clients. As we know, Microsoft Outlook stores all the personal information of users in the form of PST file format. But sometimes, due to several bugs or malware in the system or application, it may crash your Outlook. So, in this situation, users may be required to convert Outlook PST files to MBOX file format, which is a widely used file format. In this blog, we will discuss the two best and easiest methods to convert PST to MBOX file format. In addition, you can also go for the PST File Converter, which is a third-party utility and allows you to export single/multiple PST files to MBOX.

A Detailed Overview of PST and MBOX Files

PST:- Microsoft Outlook uses PST (Personal Storage Table) files as an Outlook data file, and it allows the storage of email data locally, including messages, calendar entries, contacts, tasks, journals, and others. This file allows you to archive, backup or transfer email data between different instances of Outlook or for migrating data to other email clients.

MBOX:- MBOX (Mailbox) files are a widely used email storage format that can store multiple email messages and attachments in a single file, typically used by various email clients and applications, like Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Entourage, Spice-bird, GyazMail, Sparrow, The Bat, Mulberry, Sylpheed, Opera, Power Mail, Postbox, Netscape, etc. Additionally, MBOX files are often considered more portable than PST files because of their platform-independent nature.

Why Need to Convert PST to MBOX?

There are several reasons why users might need to convert PST (Personal Storage Table) files to the MBOX (Mailbox) file format:-

• If you’re switching from Microsoft Outlook (which uses PST files) to a different email client that supports MBOX, you’ll need to convert your PST files to MBOX.
• If you want to change the platform from Windows to Mac, then you need to convert PST files to MBOX because PST file is only compatible with Outlook for Windows and MBOX files are platform-independent.
• MBOX files can be accessed on a wider range of platforms and email clients compared to PST files, which are specific to Microsoft Outlook. 
• Some users want to archive or back up their mailbox data in the MBOX format because it’s easier to manage and store.

Overall, converting PST files to MBOX format can be essential when you want to ensure data compatibility, portability, and accessibility across different email clients and platforms. Now, we will move to the solution part of converting Outlook PST files to MBOX file format.

02 Best Methods to Convert Outlook PST Files to MBOX

There are two different methods to convert Outlook PST files to MBOX file format, either manually or professionally. Here, we describe the easiest steps for exporting PST mailboxes to MBOX files. Choose one as per your requirements.

Method 1: Convert PST files to MBOX Manually

Converting Outlook PST to MBOX files is considered to be more typical; thus, you need to follow every step carefully. However, in case you missed any single steps during the process, it may lead to serious data loss. So, follow the steps correctly:-

Step 1: Enable the IMAP option in Gmail

1. Sign in to your Gmail account and click the Setting icon>>See All Settings.
2. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP section.
3. Here, you need to enable the IMAP option and click Save Changes.

Step 2: Configure Gmail with MS Outlook

1. Open Microsoft Outlook and go to File.
2. Now, click the “Add Account” option.
3. Enter the required information in the space provided, like Name, password, etc.
4. Click on the “Manually configure server settings or additional server types” option.
5. Click “Next” and then click on the option next to “Internet E-mail” and then click on the “Next” button.
6. Fill in the required field in the “Add New Account” screen.
7. Change the “Account Type” drop-down menu to “IMAP”, and in the “Incoming Mail Server” field, enter “imap.gmail.com” & “smtp.gmail.com” in “Outgoing Mail Server” and fill in other required fields.
8. Click on the “More Settings” tab and then go to the “Advanced” tab
9. Change the Incoming Server (IMAP) & outgoing Server (SMTP).
10. Now click on the “Outgoing Server” tab.
11. Select the “My Outgoing Server (SMTP) requires authentication” checkbox and then on “use the same settings as my incoming mail server.”
12. Click OK and then Next.
13. Now click Finish to complete the process.

Step 3: Import Old Outlook PST file into the Configured Outlook Gmail account

1. Start Outlook and click on the File.
2. Click on Open & Export and then choose the Import/Export option.
3. Select Import from another program or file and then click on Next.
4. Select the Outlook Data File (.PST) and then click on Next.
5. Browse the PST file from its location and then Next.
6. Now, click on Finish to complete the process.
7. After this, Outlook PST file data will automatically get synced with your Gmail as the IMAP account works as a mirror image between the email server and email client.

Step 4: Save Gmail Account data into MBOX via Google Takeout

1. Open the Google Takeout page.
2. Login to your Gmail account.
3. Go to the Select data to include section and click the Deselect All.
4. Here, check All Mail data Included to include all your emails in the exported MBOX file.
5. Click on the Next Step button.
6. Now, choose file type, frequency and destination.
7. Click on the Create Export button to proceed further.
8. The Exporting process is started, and you will find a mail on your Gmail account containing a Download link.
9. Open your Mail>>Download the file>>Zip File>>Extract it.
10. Finally, you will get a .mbox file format on your computer.

Method 2: Convert Multiple PST to MBOX Professionally

If you fail to use the manual method or it does not help you to convert all the data from Outlook mailboxes to MBOX file format, then we recommend you to use the PST Converter Tool. The Software allows users to convert single as well as multiple Outlook PST files to MBOX file format in a few simple steps. It even allows you to preview the mailbox data before converting them into MBOX files.

Follow the Easy Steps to Convert PST to MBOX

1. Start the PST File Converter Software on your system.
2. Add Outlook PST file or files using the Select File option>> Next.
3. Select the folders you need to convert and click Next.
4. Choose the saving format as MBOX from the drop-down list.
5. You can include the needful features and set the saving path.
6. Click Convert to start the PST to MBOX conversion process.

Conclusion

Converting PST to MBOX manually seems like a daunting task, but with the third-party utility and these easy steps, you can make the PST to MBOX conversion process easier. However, make sure to take a backup of the Outlook PST file before initiating the manual or professional process. Just following these steps will help you to perform conversion efficiently and without hassle.

Convert MBOX to PST – FAQs

About The Author:

Pradyum Shashank

I am a technical content writer with an experience of 4 year specializing in writing about databases, data recovery, file management, e-mail recovery & migration solutions. Also, I am proficient in working in a challenging environment using all my skills and want to serve the reputed growth of the industry in the development field.

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