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Cannot import mboxes with subfolder mboxes from Mac Mail into Thunderbird

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by mindy5

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I just switched from a Mac computer to a PC. My Mac Mail has about 15 years of emails in various folders within folders. I use this for my business, so it's a lot of emails. I tried to import the mbox files into Thunderbird from the auto-generated mboxes in the Library folder on my Mac computer, but when I did that, I got a series of subfolders within subfolders within subfolders named by numbers, not my folder names.

So, I tried a different method. I clicked on a main folder in my actual Mac Mail that contained sub-folders and clicked "export" and made sure to save it with its subfolders. I used the "Import/Export Tools Ng" importer add-on to import the main folder into my Thunderbird mail. However, it only imports the mail that was in the main folder. It does not bring over the subfolders (mboxes) with their mail.

I know there are a ton of importer tools out there, but I can't tell which ones will import the subfolders with their emails. I downloaded and tested a few of them on their trial versions, but none of them did what I wanted to.

Any help is MUCH appreciated!

I just switched from a Mac computer to a PC. My Mac Mail has about 15 years of emails in various folders within folders. I use this for my business, so it's a lot of emails. I tried to import the mbox files into Thunderbird from the auto-generated mboxes in the Library folder on my Mac computer, but when I did that, I got a series of subfolders within subfolders within subfolders named by numbers, not my folder names. So, I tried a different method. I clicked on a main folder in my actual Mac Mail that contained sub-folders and clicked "export" and made sure to save it with its subfolders. I used the "Import/Export Tools Ng" importer add-on to import the main folder into my Thunderbird mail. However, it only imports the mail that was in the main folder. It does not bring over the subfolders (mboxes) with their mail. I know there are a ton of importer tools out there, but I can't tell which ones will import the subfolders with their emails. I downloaded and tested a few of them on their trial versions, but none of them did what I wanted to. Any help is MUCH appreciated!

All Replies (5)

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Ok, so I just went through the process again and "Import/Export Tools Ng" importer add-on imports the subfolders, but it names them something random and it does not look like it imports the main folder's messages. It just imports the subfolders, but maybe I'm choosing the wrong option when importing. I'm sure I am missing a step here.

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See this topic about finding the correct mbox file in the .mbox file exported from Mac Mail:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=688166#c23

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Yes, that post that you just shared was the closest thing to helping me find my way these past couple of weeks. I have successfully figured out how to export a folder/mbox from Mac Mail. However, it sounds like a VERY tedious process of renaming and individually importing mboxes one by one. I probably have upwards of 200+ mboxes/subfolders because I sort my mail into my clients names, then their projects within their names, etc. It's a LOT. Do you happen to know of any process that does not involve renaming each mbox/subfolder? I'm definitely open to purchasing an importer if there is one out there that does that for me!

Thanks so much!

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I'm not familiar with commercial Mac-TB converters, although there are many. Whether they do more than the manual method described above, or transfer complex folder structures is something you have already investigated. Of course, if the folders were in an IMAP account, you could simply add the account to TB and subscribe to the folders. It might take longer to find the right tool, if it exists, than to just perform the tedious, but feasible, manual transfer.

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I'm starting to wonder if what you say is true. I have literally been trying to find a faster method for weeks. I probably could have had half my folders transferred by now with all the time I've spent trying to look for a faster resolution. I'm about at my breaking point, but I'll give this post until over the weekend in case someone else knows of a software/importer tool that imports the subfolders as well.