How to Open MSG File with Thunderbird? Stepwise Method

Mozilla Thunderbird is a powerful email client that comes with zero charges and provides multiple services such as email management, calendars, and news feeds. Also, Thunderbird doesn’t natively support MSG files. But don’t worry in this article we are going to discuss some advances to open MSG file with Thunderbird.

Why do we need to choose to Open MSG file in Thunderbird?

Thunderbird is a robust, free alternative to Outlook. It supports multiple email formats, but it doesn’t support the MSG file natively. It can handle EML files, which can be converted from MSG files.

• Managing multiple MSG files is challenging sometimes because the MSG file carries only a single email.
• Users prefer Thunderbird as the second choice over Outlook to store their emails in a better way.
• If users want to open MSG files, they must have Outlook only whereas Thunderbird being a free email service, comes in handy to manage files.

After getting all the reasons the question is still in our mind as to how to perform this kind of conversion. Follow the steps given below to open MSG file with Thunderbird.

Method 1: Converting MSG File to EML in Smartly to Open MSG File with Thunderbird.

Using this method we are going to open MSG file in Thunderbird. You have to perform the given method sequence-wise.

Note: You have to install Outlook and Thunderbird on your device.

1. Double-click on the MSG file to open it in Outlook.
2. Tap to File on the Microsoft Outlook software.
3. Now click on Save to save the file into EML format.
4. Choose the file-saving location.
5. Save as the file in text format.

Note: Your MSG file has been saved in TEXT format now you have to change the extension of the file to EML and click save. Now follow the steps to open the EML to Thunderbird.

1. Find out the file where you saved the file.
2. Right-click on the file and open it to Thunderbird.
3. Finally, your MSG file in EML format has been opened.

Method 2: Import MSG File to Thunderbird Using the IMAP Method.

This method is for those who want to import MSG file to Thunderbird and Gmail versatile solution. This method is performed through the Gmail IMAP. Follow the method in detail to perform the method.

 1-Step: Enable IMAP in Gmail

1. Login to your Gmail account.
2. Click on the setting option at the top right corner of the email page and Select See All settings.
3. Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
4. Under IMAP Access select Enable IMAP.
5. Now click to save the changes.

2-Step: Configure Gmail to Outlook

1. Open MS Outlook in your System.
2. Go to File >> Account Settings >> Account Settings
3. Under the Email tab click New
4. Enter your Name, Gmail email address, and the password, then click next.
5. Once the verification is completed, click Finish.

3-Step: Sync Gmail Emails in Outlook

1. In Outlook, click on Gmail Mailbox.
2. Right-click on the Gmail mailbox, choose “New Folder” and name it.
3. Now select emails to transfer from Outlook.
4. Press Ctrl and drag and drop these emails to the new folder in your Gmail account.
5. Finally, refresh the Gmail to see the emails in the new folder.

4-Step: Final step to configure Gmail in Thunderbird

1. Open  Thunderbird Email Client.
2. Go to “Account settings” from the menu section.
3. Click “Account Actions” at the bottom left, then “Add Mail account”.
4. Now Enter your Gmail address and password.
5. Then select IMAP from the available configuration and click continue.
6. After that, your Gmail has been successfully added to your Thunderbird.
7. Now Navigate it to your Gmail mailbox within Thunderbird. Then Thunderbird begins downloading including those emails which you migrated from Outlook.

Following these steps, Google acts smartly to configure emails from Outlook to Thunderbird. This method is for those who don’t want to use any kind of external tool.

Method 3: Open the MSG file Directly on the Browser

In this method, we are not talking about how to Open MSG file with Thunderbird but this method is for those who want to open MSG files directly without any hassle. To access your MSG file I’m suggesting a free online tool 4n6 MSG File Viewer using this you can easily access your MSG file through your browser. Follow the given steps to execute the method.

1. Visit Online Msg file Software on your browser
2. Drag and drop or click to open the file.
3. Choose the MSG file and open.
4. Scroll down to the page and check your MSG file components.

Using this method, you can access your all email components including the attachments.

Method 4: Open MSG file in Thunderbird Using the Paid Method

This is the best way to open msg file in Thunderbird. Using this method, I’m going to explain how to open an MSG file using the paid method. To execute the method, you need to download the paid software.

 Download Now

1. Download and install the software.
   
2. Click to Open option on the right side of the software page.
3. Choose the file >> Select the MSG file >> Choose the file or folder.
   
   
4. Now, click to export and export it to EML to access MSG file in Thunderbird.
5. Choose the destination path and click save.

Note: Using the paid method export file in multiple formats such as EML, MBOX, PST, HTML, CSV, etc.

Benefits of Using the Paid Method

• Using this method user can access bulk MSG files at one time
• Through the software, you can directly access MSG files.
• Software comes with advanced features to export files in multiple formats.
• Using this software, it is easy to access your MSG file in multiple clients using the export options.

Drawbacks of Manual Methods

While the manual method helps you to open MSG files without any cost. But they do come with several limitations:

• Time-Consuming Process: to access the MSG file in Thunderbird then you need to convert them if you are using the manual method. Converting MSG files to EML is a tough task if you have a bulk of MSG files to access.
• Requires Both Outlook and Thunderbird: If you decide to use the manual method then it is required to have Outlook and Thunderbird. This can be inconvenient if you are not an Outlook user.
• Risk of Data Loss: During the manual method if you are performing then there’s a high chance of losing the data
• Requires Technical Expertise: It is not easy to configure the setup of IMAP and for the normal user it is required a technical expert to configure it. Some users may find the process of converting file formats and setting up IMAP configurations in Gmail, Outlook, and Thunderbird complex, especially if they are not familiar with these platforms.
• Inconsistent Result: There may be issues with formatting, attachments, or email headers not transferring properly when converting MSG files manually.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed four methods to open msg file with Thunderbird. All methods are tested. But if I’m talking about the manual method this can be hard for those who are technology not friendly. I have also mentioned to you a free but advanced method to open MSG files using online software and a paid method to export MSG files in multiple formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1: Can Thunderbird open MSG files directly?

No, Thunderbird cannot support the MSG files if you want to open the MSG files into Thunderbird then you need to convert them to EML then you can open it to Thunderbird.

Q 2: Can I open MSG files in Thunderbird without Outlook?

Yes, using the paid method you can access the MSG files to Thunderbird after converting the MSG files to EML using the Paid software.

Q 3: What is the easiest way to open MSG files without installing software?

Using the online software which I have mentioned above users can access MSG files without installing any kind of software. Using this users can access MSG files directly through the web browser.