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Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 on Mac with Attachments

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  • Updated on January 15th, 2025

Summary: Thunderbird is a basic desktop email client, while Office 365 offers a range of advanced features for business. Many users are switching from Thunderbird to Office 365, but they often worry about finding a safe and straightforward solution for this task. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the best and most reliable methods to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365. Furthermore, we will also introduce an advanced solution using the MBOX Converter for Mac. Let’s start by understanding a common issue users face when making this switch.

User Query: ”I’m facing challenges in migrating my old Thunderbird email data to Office 365. I need a step-by-step guide or a reliable tool that can seamlessly transfer my emails, contacts, and other important data from Thunderbird to Office 365 without any loss or complications. The process seems confusing, and I need clarification about the compatibility and reliability of the available solutions. I’m looking for assistance to ensure a smooth transition without risking data integrity or encountering technical glitches.”

I received this question and discovered the most effective solutions for users looking for a quick and risk-free way to complete this task. Let’s first talk about the reasons that are behind this conversion.

Why Import Thunderbird to Outlook 365?

Here, we are going to explain some reasons for the migration of

Thunderbird to Office 365.

  • Office 365 facilitates the integration of data storage, sharing, collaboration, and communication features, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity.
  • Easy integration with various Office apps such as Skype, Exchange Server, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint eliminates compatibility issues and enhances overall workflow efficiency.
  • Users can choose plans tailored to their specific needs, avoiding unnecessary costs by paying only for the features required, whether it’s essential email services or a comprehensive suite of productivity tools.
  • Post-migration, Office 365 enables access to apps and data from any device, aligning with modern workstyles that often involve mobility.
  • Office 365 stores data in the cloud, allowing convenient access from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is especially beneficial for users requiring remote access or frequently on the move.
  • Office 365 employs strong security measures, including data encryption and advanced threat protection, minimizing the risks associated with data loss, breaches, or security-related downtime.
  • Office 365 automatically updates its applications, avoiding delays associated with manual version updates and ensuring constant access to the latest features and security updates.

After viewing the above points, you can go through the best methods to migrate Thunderbird to an Office 365 account.

Three Techniques to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365

In this section, we will walk you through three different methods that will make the Thunderbird to Office 365 migration process go smoothly. Now, let’s examine each approach in more detail.

Technique 1: How to Export Thunderbird to Office 365 with Outlook

In this method, we’ll explore an easy way to move your Thunderbird emails to Office 365 using the Outlook application. We’ll break it down into three simple steps:

  1. Export your Thunderbird emails in MBOX format.
  2. Convert these MBOX files to Outlook and change them to PST format.
  3. Import the PST files into your Office 365 account.

Let’s dive into the process without any delay.

Step 1: Export Thunderbird emails in MBOX files

  1. First, go to the Thunderbird.
  2. Select the folders that hold the emails you want to migrate.
  3. Right-click on the selected folder and choose Export.
  4. Now, select MBOX format as the file format.
  5. Then, choose a destination folder to save the exported MBOX files.
  6. Click Save to export the emails.

Step 2: Convert MBOX to PST using Outlook

  1. Now, open Outlook on your device.
  2. Then, go to the File tab and click on Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file, and click Next.
  3. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
  4. Browse to the location where you saved the MBOX files.
  5. Select the MBOX files you want to import and click Next.
  6. Choose the folder in Outlook where you want to import the emails.
  7. Click Finish to start the conversion and import process.

Step 3: Import PST into the Office 365 account

In this step, you need to import PST files to Office 365.

  1. Open the web browser and log in to your Office 365 account.
  2. Go to Outlook Online.
  3. Click on the Settings gear icon and choose Import mailbox.
  4. In the Import mailbox window, select PST file and click Next.
  5. Browse to the location where you saved the converted PST file.
  6. Choose the folder in Outlook Online where you want to import the emails.
  7. Click Start Import to import the PST file into your Office 365 account.

If you’re not friendly with Outlook and prefer an alternative manual method to migrate Thunderbird to your Office 365 account, check out the method described in the next section.

Technique 2: How to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 without Outlook

This method will teach you how to configure an Office 365 account in Mozilla Thunderbird in order to migrate from Thunderbird to Outlook 365. We will divide this task into two easy steps to make it easier. Let’s get right into it.

Step 1: Set up your Office 365 account

  1. First, open the Thunderbird account on your system.
  2. Then, go to the Tools>>Account Settings options.
  3. Now, choose the Account Actions>>Add Mail Account option.
  4. Here, enter your login and IMAP details for your Office 365 account.
  5. In the end, hit the Finish button to start the migration process.

Step 2: Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365 Account

  1. Again, open the Thunderbird account and choose the emails that you need to import into the Office 365 account.
  2. Right-click on the selected items.
  3. From the list, select the Copy To option.
  4. Finally, choose the configured Office 365 account.

There isn’t a straightforward way to manually migrate Thunderbird emails to Office 365. As we discussed earlier, we covered two manual approaches with step-by-step instructions to move Thunderbird to Office 365. However, if you have a lot of data to convert, you’ll need to repeat the steps, as the manual methods don’t support bulk migration from Thunderbird to Office 365. Firstly, let’s go over the limitations of these manual methods in the next section.

Limitations of Manual Method

By following the step-by-step instructions, you can smoothly export Thunderbird emails to Outlook 365. However, these methods work well for those looking to move a small amount of data. Now, let’s explore the drawbacks of these manual methods.

  • If you are not a technical user, you will face many difficulties when attempting to connect the accounts because this approach requires technical expertise to operate.
  • To do this, users must follow several stages, which adds time and complexity to the process. You must repeatedly carry out the second step for every email.

Now, we’ll introduce the automated and safest method, free from limitations and suitable for all users. This method enables you to migrate a large amount of data from Thunderbird to Office 365 all at once. Let’s proceed to grasp the detailed process.

Technique 3: Best Solution for Migrating Thunderbird to Office 365 on Mac

The Thunderbird Mail Backup tool is the fastest and best solution for importing Thunderbird data like emails, attachments, calendars, and more into various file formats and web-based or cloud-based clients. It easily converts MBOX files to PDF, PST, MSG, CSV, Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, IMAP, and many others. Moreover, it has a simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy for both non-technical and technical users. The software offers multiple features, including mail filtering, migrating emails without attachment files, removing duplicate emails, and more. Whether you’re a professional or personal user, it can handle any size of data efficiently. Let’s now explore the detailed steps for using this software.

Follow the steps to Migrate Thunderbird to Office 365:

    Download Now Download Now

  1. First, download, install, and run the Thunderbird Mail Backup tool on your device.
  2. Preview the folders from the left panel, and then click Next.
  3. Now, click on the drop-down list and select the Office 365 option.
  4. Then, enter your ID and App password and hit the Sign-In button.
  5. After that, pick the desired features that you want.
  6. Finally, click on the Convert button to start the process.

Conclusion

This blog explained three ways to migrate Thunderbird to Office 365, using both manual and professional methods. The manual approach has limitations and needs technical know-how to transfer Thunderbird emails to Office 365. On the other hand, the professional process can handle any amount of data effortlessly. It’s user-friendly, making it easy for all users, and it offers advanced features. Furthermore, you can download this tool for free. You now have the responsibility to select the approach that works best for you.

About The Author:

Suman Rawat is a technical content writer and expert in the fields of email migration, data recovery, and email backup. Her passion for helping people has led her to resolve many user queries related to data conversion and cloud backup.