Easily Migrate Thunderbird to Outlook With Contact & Calendar

Although Thunderbird is free and open-source, there can be a few reasons why a user may need to switch from Thunderbird to Outlook, such as a change in professional environment, upgrading to Office 365, or the user may be tired due to general Thunderbird issues, like Thunderbird not receiving emails, etc.

In this article, we have covered the most proficient methods to export Thunderbird contacts to Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2013 with emails, contacts & calendar in a hassle-free manner.

Method 1: IMAP Bridge to Migrate Thunderbird to Outlook

Using an IMAP account as a mediator is the easiest way to ensure a complete Thunderbird to Outlook transfer without the technicalities of file (MBOX/EML) export or import.

Note: The steps given below uses the free Outlook.com account as a bridge because – it provides 15 GB of free email storage and 5GB of additional cloud storage and can handle contact & calendar as well. You can also create a new outlook account for migration purposes. (https://signup.live.com/)

The steps given below remain ideally the same for Mac & Windows devices.

Phase 1: Configure your Email Account in Thunderbird

1. Open Thunderbird on your Mac or Windows.
2. Go to the navigation menu >> Add Account.
   
   
3. Use IMAP to configure your Outlook.com account in Thunderbird.

Phase 2: Export Thunderbird Emails to Outlook Email Account

1. Create a new folder under the configured Outlook account. (Eg: ThunderbirdImport)
2. For custom folders:
3. Move entire Thunderbird emails to Outlook account using Right Click >> Move To >> Select the newly created folder as destination.
4. For pre-built mailboxes (like Inbox, Sent, Draft, etc.):
   1. Open the Mailbox
   2. Press Ctrl+A to select all emails from Thunderbird Mailbox.
   3. Right-Click >> Move To >> Choose the newly created folder as destination.
   4. Repeat the same process for all Mailboxes.

Phase 3: Migrate Thunderbird Address Book (Contacts) to Outlook Account

1. Press Alt+2 to open the Thunderbird address book.
2. Locate your Outlook account-specific address book
3. Go to All Address Books
4. Press Ctrl+A to select all contacts in Thunderbird to be migrated to Outlook.
5. Simply drag & drop them to move them to an Outlook.com account.

Phase 4: Configure the Email Account in Outlook New/Classic

1. Open Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
2. Click File, then click Add Account.
   
   
3. Enter your full email address and click Connect
4. Log in with Microsoft Graph API (for Outlook.com account) or Password if you are using any other IMAP account.
5. Finally, click Done to migrate Thunderbird to Outlook.

Tip: You can now set up the same Outlook.com account in Outlook Web App (https://login.microsoftonline.com/) to access Thunderbird data in Outlook web anywhere.

Method 2: Manually Export Thunderbird to Outlook (EML, CSV, ICS Files)

This method allows you to skip dependency on any IMAP account and helps you carry out Thunderbird to Outlook migration fully offline with email contacts & calendar.

Phase 1: Import Emails from Thunderbird to Outlook as EML

Both Mozilla Thunderbird and Microsoft Outlook support the EML format. You can export Thunderbird emails to EML format and then import EML files into Outlook New or Classic.

1. Open your Thunderbird on your computer.
2. Right-click on the Thunderbird mailbox to export to Outlook.
3. Choose ImportExportTools NG >> Export All Messages in Folder >> EML Format option.
4. Browse the location to save the EML files.
5. Go to the location where your emails are stored.
6. Right-click on any email that you want to open.
7. Choose Open With >> Outlook. 
8. And your EML file will open in Outlook successfully.

Phase 2: Manually Import Address Book from Thunderbird to Outlook

1. Open your Thunderbird.
2. Go to the Address Book from the top.
   
3. Select the needed contacts list
4. Click on the Tools >> Export.
   
   
5. Choose CSV from the saving type list.
   
6. Select the path to save the resultant file.
7. Lastly, click on the Save

You will get your Thunderbird address book on the selected location as a CSV file. Now, follow the other steps to import CSV to the Outlook account.

1. Firstly, start your Outlook account
2. Go to the File tab and choose Open & Export >> Import/Export.
   
3. Choose the “Import from Another Program or File” option.
   
4. Select “Comma-Separated Value” and the Next button.
   
5. After that, browse your exported Thunderbird CSV file.
6. Click on the Next icon and choose the folders of Outlook as the saving path.
7. Lastly, click on the Finish button.

Phase 3: Export Thunderbird Calendar to Outlook

1. Press Alt+3 in Thunderbird to open the calendar.
2. Go to the Events & Tasks tab.
3. Choose Export >> select Home (for complete Thunderbird calendar data).
4. Browse the destination, give a name, and save.
5. Open Microsoft Outlook.
6. Go to File >> Open & Export.
7. Click Open Calendar.
8. Choose the exported ICS file and press Open.

Method 3: Automated Thunderbird to Outlook Conversion Tool

Import Thunderbird to Outlook Using the Tool – Step by Step

Step 1: Convert Thunderbird to PST (Outlook Data File) Using the Tool

1. Launch the Thunderbird to Outlook converter.
   
2. Choose Convert Configured Thunderbird Profile data.
   
3. Select the required Thunderbird emails, contacts, and calendar.
4. From the saving option, choose PST.
   

Step 2: Import the Thunderbird exported PST into Outlook
For Outlook Classic:

1. Open MS Outlook.
2. Click on File >> Open & Export.
   
   
3. Choose Open Outlook Data File (.pst)
4. Select the converter file & press Open. 

For Outlook New:

Note: For Outlook New you can only import a PST file if you have a paid subscription plan.

1. In Outlook New, go to File
2. Choose Open & Export
3. Go to the Import Tab
4. Click on Get Started
5. Select the PST file and press Open
6. In Outlook, you can simply drag and drop the PST file

You have now migrated Thunderbird to Outlook successfully in a streamlined way with no data loss.

Which is the Best Method of Thunderbird to Outlook Migration?

• Guarantee of complete integrity – preserved attachments, folder structure, metadata, and all email properties.
• Filter option to move selective Thunderbird data based on date, to/from, keywords, and folder to Outlook.
• Give a detailed log report to track Thunderbird to Outlook Conversion status and error reports.
• The tool fetches data from the Thunderbird Profile folder directly, thus you can import Thunderbird Emails to Outlook even if Thunderbird crashes.