How to Import MSG Files into Thunderbird – Easy Method
An MSG file is an Outlook email file. It stores the content of a single email message, such as the message body, attachment, senders, recipients, date, etc. When you want to save individual emails, simply select the email in Outlook, drag it to the desktop home screen, and drop it there. The Outlook email will be saved as an MSG file in your system.
If you want to open that email in the Thunderbird application, you can not just open the MSG file in Thunderbird. You first need to convert the MSG to EML file format. After that, you can access the mailbox content. Thunderbird is an email client that enables you to manage multiple email accounts through a single platform. In the upcoming sections, we will show you how to open an MSG file to the Thunderbird application.
Major Differences Between MSG and EML File Format
Both MSG and EML files can store individual emails in your system. However, these files have differences. Based on that, you can use them when needed.
| MSG File Properties | EML File Properties |
| An MSG file contains an individual email and other Outlook properties. | An EML file stores individual email content but does not save other Outlook properties. |
| An MSG file is supported by MS Outlook. | An EML file is a universal file and is supported by various email providers. |
| With MSG file, you can save, share and import Outlook emails | With an EML file, you can only save the email content |
Now, let us check different methods to import MSG file to Thunderbird application.
How to Import MSG Files into Thunderbird Manually
The DIY approach to open MSG file in Thunderbird is very simple. Any user without technical knowledge can easily change the MSG file to EML file format and access it in the Thunderbird email client. Before performing the procedure, you must have installed MS Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird on your PC. These applications are required for MSG to EML file conversion.
- Locate the desired MSG files and right-click on them.
- Click on the Open with option and choose Outlook
- You will see the MSG file content. Click File and then Save As.
- Select Text only in the Save As type and press the Save
- After that, open the converted Text file and Press Shift+S.
- Now, choose All Files in the Save As type and add the text ‘.eml’ at the end of the file name.
- Hit the Save button to save the text file as EML.
- Right-click on this converted EML file. Select the Open With
- Choose the Thunderbird It will open the EML file in Thunderbird.
By performing the above procedure, anyone can easily open MSG into Thunderbird. Whether you have technical expertise or not, you will not require additional assistance. However, this DIY/manual approach has a restriction that you can not convert MSG files into EML in bulk. It allows you to convert one MSG file at a time. Therefore, to overcome this drawback, we recommend the professional MSG File Converter Tool.
Automated MSG Converter Tool to Migrate MSG Files into Thunderbird
DRS MSG File Converter Tool is the most reliable and efficient approach to import MSG files into Thunderbird. You can migrate MSG files in bulk without disturbing the hierarchy and file content. You can import MSG files to Thunderbird, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, Office 365, and many email clients. Also, the utility can convert MSG to PDF, EML, PST, CSV, MBOX, DOC, PNG, etc. During bulk migration, you can remove duplicate and unnecessary MSG files. Moreover, the application is widely compatible with all versions of Windows OS.
Steps to Import MSG into Thunderbird Email Client
- Download and launch the DRS MSG File Converter Tool.
- Tick the Multiple Files/Folder option and press the Next
- Now, click Select Files, choose desired MSG files, and hit Open.
- All selected files will appear in the list. Press Next to proceed.
- Check the preview and select MSG files you want to convert. Hit Next.
- Expand the Save/Backup/Migrate As field and choose Thunderbird email client.
Note: Mozilla Thunderbird must be installed on your PC to upload MSG to Thunderbird.
- After that, select the remaining conversion options and hit Convert.
Conclusion
MSG files are proprietary file formats of MS Outlook. You can access MSG files via Outlook. When you want to import MSG files into Thunderbird, you will need to convert MSG to EML first and then open the EML file in the Thunderbird application. The manual method is suitable when you have only a few MSG files to convert. However, if you want to export several MSG files, we recommend the best MSG Converter Tool for migrating any number of MSG files at once.
About The Author:
Shivam is a digital marketer and technical content writer at DRS Solution®, specializing in topics like databases, email recovery, and migration solutions. He enjoys researching and crafting content that assists database administrators, businesses, and beginners in resolving various issues related to MS SQL, MySQL, and Microsoft Exchange.