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How to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365? Complete Guide

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Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On October 17th, 2023
Reading Time 7 Min Read
Overview: Are you looking for methods to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365? If yes, then you are in the right place and your search ends here. If you want to know how to go through the whole migration process, stay tuned with us till the end.

Thunderbird supports the Internet Standard Access Methods (POP3 & IMAP), but it failed to support Microsoft proprietary protocols (MAPI) to access Exchange Server & Office 365. If the administrator does not allow IMAP access, connecting Thunderbird with Office 365 does not work.

As in the present time, the trend of the switch from desktop-based service to cloud-based has increased. So, in the same context, many users are looking for a way to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.

“In the beginning, we used the Thunderbird application with free Gmail for communication, as it is a free open-source email client. After a few years, our company is now working on a big scale.

Therefore, we are moving to an intuitive and feature-rich email application that is capable of addressing all the problems that we used to encounter previously. Office 365 is the perfect suite to match our expertise. But I don’t know how to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 directly. Please suggest to me the best solution to migrate the data without facing any kind of data loss”

There are various reasons that make using Outlook Web Access (OWA) a preferred choice for users. Office 365 is a versatile service of Microsoft that runs on almost all Browsers just having a suitable Internet connection and Web device. On the contrary, Thunderbird is a desktop-based application having supports lots of Webmail and email hosting services compatibility.

Manual Method for Thunderbird to Office 365 Migration

Thunderbird supports a variety of email access methods like POP3 and IMAP4. It does not support Microsoft’s proprietary protocols to access Office 365 or Exchange servers. If your IT admin doesn’t permit IMAP, then you won’t be able to use this method.

Only if you have the IMAP settings for the server will you be able to configure the Office 365 account here to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. So, request it from your admin.

Here, we are showcasing how to configure the account if you already have the IMAP settings and port numbers. This Thunderbird MBOX to Office 365 migration process involves 2 steps, so follow them well.

Step 1: Configure your Office 365 account

  1. Open your Thunderbird account.
  2. Click on the Tools >> Account Settings option.
  3. Select the Account Actions >> Add Mail Account choice.

    migrate thunderbird to office 365

  4. Enter the login details of your Office 365 account.

    Office 365 details

  5. Put the IMAP details of your account.

    IMAP and POP

  6. Lastly, click on the Finish button to start the process.

Step 2: Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 Account

  1. Restart your Thunderbird account.
  2. Select the Thunderbird emails you want to export to Office 365.
  3. Right-click on the selected message.
  4. Choose the Copy To option from the list.
  5. And select the configured O365 account.

Drawbacks of Manual Methods

  • Users have to follow multiple steps to accomplish this, which makes the process lengthy and time-consuming.
  • Also, users will face multiple errors while connecting the accounts.
  • Not only this, but you have to repeat the second step again and again for each email.

Thunderbird to Office 365 Migration Tool: Advanced Solution

It is evident that the free manual method will not be successful without the IMAP settings. Hence, you will need a professional tool to take care of such a scenario. RecoveryTools Thunderbird Migrator is the perfect choice for users to do so as it allows them to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. Also, this tool provides the option to migrate multiple mailboxes within a single attempt without having any kind of loss of data.

Additionally, the software supports 25+ formats for conversion, migration, backup, and other processes. It can easily such as Thunderbird to PDF, Thunderbird to Yahoo Mail, Thunderbird to Gmail, Thunderbird to MBOX, Thunderbird to Lotus Notes, and multiple others.

Free Download Thunderbird to Office 365 Migration Tool:

Steps to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365

  • Step 1: Download and run the tool.
  • Step 2: Add the Thunderbird profile data.
  • Step 3: Select the needed folders/subfolders.
  • Step 4: Choose Office 365 as a saving option.
  • Step 5: Enter the login details of O365.
  • Step 6: Finally, click on the Convert button.

Complete Steps to Migrate Emails from Thunderbird to Office 365

  1. Firstly, Run the migration software & read all instructions to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365.

    Thunderbird to Office 365 Migration tool

  2. Choose the options either Convert Emails or Contacts & Calendar as per need.

    Choose the options

  3. Upload the Thunderbird profile data automatically or manually using the Select Files and Select Folders options.

    Thunderbird profile data

  4. Check the required folders and subfolders from the software panel.

    Check the required folders

  5. Click on the Select Saving Option and choose Office 365 option from the list.

    Select Saving Option

  6. Enable the Change Language option to map folders into different languages.

    Change Language option

  7. Enter the login details of your Office 365 account.

    login details

  8. Lastly, click on the Convert button to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 account.

    migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 account

Prime Features of Thunderbird to Office 365 Migration Tool

  • Direct Option for Migration: The software allows the users to perform the migration of entire mailbox data without imposing any kind of size limitations and without any disruption. In fact, without the need for any kind of technical guidance, it is possible for users to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 an unlimited number of data items such as emails, contacts, calendars, and others.
  • Migrate Unlimited Amount of Thunderbird Mailbox: The software allows us to migrate emails into our Office 365 account regardless of volume or size. It also provides users the option to autoload Thunderbird emails and contacts from the default profile location.
  • Easy & Effortless Tool: This software is one of the simplest solutions to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. It has a user-friendly interface that can be easily used by all users whether they are from technical or non-technical backgrounds. In fact, it can easily work without any additional help.
  • Maintains Metadata Properties and attachments: The software is designed with advanced algorithms to maintain Thunderbird emails, metadata & properties. All the email Metadata attributes like To, Cc, Bcc, etc. will be kept original. The attachments inserted with the emails will also be migrated during the email migration.
  • Windows Compatible Solution: This software is compatible with all the latest Windows editions as well as Mac OS editions. Users can run this software on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP, Vista, etc. for both 32 & 64-bit OS and on all other versions of MAC OS.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Ques: Is Thunderbird compatible with Office 365?
    Ans:- Neither Thunderbird is compatible with O365 nor Thunderbird MBOX files. But yes, you can use Office 365 in Thunderbird by configuring.
  • Ques: Why is my Thunderbird email not working with Office 365?
    Ans:- There are multiple reasons, why Thunderbird email not working with the O365 account such as Incorrect Configuration Settings, due to a virus attack, or an outdated Thunderbird version.
  • Ques: Why is Office 365 blocking emails?
    Ans:- Office 365 blocks emails to prevent spam and other unwanted emails.
  • Ques: Can I run Outlook and Thunderbird at the same time?
    Ans:- Yes, If you choose to use POP to get your messages, the first device that checks for new messages will grab them. To make sure you can see your messages on both devices, you’ll need to set them up to keep copies on the server.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, we just want to say that we have explained manual and professional solutions to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. Both of the above solutions are easy to use and will give you better migration results throughout the process.

Although a manual technique is available to get the job done, it is relevant only for tech geeks. To save time and effort, it is better to opt for this professional Thunderbird to Office 365 utility as it is easy to use and does not require much technical work.