How to Convert MBOX to PDF? – Verified Methods
MBOX files are preferred for email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird and are used to store a vast email collection in plain text format. However, this file format poses a challenge in data archiving due to compatibility and accessibility problems. Hence, many people look for methods to convert their MBOX file data to a more universally accessible format like PDF. If you are looking for solutions to convert MBOX to PDF, you’ve landed at the perfect blog post! In this blog, we will mention the solutions and the reasons behind the MBOX file data conversion, so read it till the end!
Reasons to Export MBOX File to PDF
Many reasons necessitate email data conversion from MBOX to PDF, and we will mention some of them in the following points:
a. Easy File Sharing: Being universally accessible makes the PDF format easily shareable without requiring an email client. Moreover, converting MBOX files to PDF helps people access their email data conveniently on their mobiles or tablets without any computer necessity. Another advantage of the PDF format is easy sharing over emails or cloud storage uploading without hassle, thus justifying its global acceptance for data sharing.
b. Data Archival in Less Space: Another reason to convert MBOX to PDF is data archival, as PDF files embed the textual content, images, fonts, and other data in a single file. Moreover, PDF files take up less space on your computer and don’t require an email client to access them. You can view the PDF file data on PDF readers like Adobe Acrobat Reader or a web browser, which makes PDFs a consistent and stable format across devices.
c. Data Safety: Another reason to export MBOX files to PDF is email data protection. While MBOX files pose data security issues due to their lack of encryption, malware susceptibility, and data storage concerns, PDF files are more secure due to password protection and data encryption, making them the preferred choice for crucial data sharing without problems.
d. Legal Data Compliance: Many industries like healthcare and finance demand stringent policies for data retention and file format. Since PDFs are considered secure and unalterable compared to the MBOX format, they find the most preference for data backups and legal presentations due to their email client independence and secure data unalteration.
These reasons necessitate an urgent data conversion from the MBOX format to PDF, and we will mention the best solutions in the following section.
Read More: How to Resolve the “No Valid MBOX Files Were Found on Mac Mail” Error?
Convert MBOX to PDF – Expert Solutions
Now that we have read the reasons behind the MBOX to PDF data conversion, we will mention the best solutions for the data export process in this section.
Manual Data Conversion
The manual solution to export MBOX file to PDF involves the Mozilla Thunderbird desktop app and the ImportExportTools NG add-in. You have to configure your email account to the Thunderbird app and add the MBOX file for the file conversion process.
Follow these steps to convert your MBOX file data to PDF:
a. Open the Mozilla Thunderbird app on your computer.
b. Select the MBOX file, right-click on it, and go to the ImportExportTools NG menu.
c. Now, select the Export All Messages in Folder option and click on the PDF Format.
d. Pick the desired data export option – Messages and HTML Folder or Messages and Index with Subfolders.
e. Select your desired destination and start the data conversion process.
f. View the converted PDF file(s) in the destination folder.
This method makes it easy to convert MBOX to PDF but poses many limitations. The first is the technical knowledge needed to use the add-in for the data conversion process. The second is that there is no facility for bulk MBOX file conversion to PDF format. Another drawback is the absence of MBOX file attachments from the converted PDF files. Hence, this method becomes unattainable for data conversion from MBOX to PDF.
Professional Solution for MBOX to PDF Conversion
Now that the manual solution isn’t workable due to its limitations, we will mention the best method for data conversion – automated software. The software we mention here packs many benefits for a secure and seamless MBOX data export to PDF. This software is SysTools MBOX Converter. This tool can convert MBOX to PDF with intact attachments and file metadata – email header and HTML formatting – without problems. Moreover, you can carry out a bulk data conversion to PDF for multiple MBOX files without data loss.
Software Working Steps for MBOX Data Export to PDF
1. Download and run the software on your Windows computer.
2. Now, click the Add File button to add your MBOX data file(s).
3. Next, select your preferred file uploading option – Default Profile Configured or Select File(s)/Folder from the File System.
4. Then, view the entire MBOX file hierarchy in the preview panel.
5. Select the Export or Export Selected button for a complete or selective process to export MBOX file to PDF.
6. Now, select all mailbox folders or your desired ones for the export process.
7. Next, select PDF as the export file format under the Select Export Type menu.
8. Use the Advanced Settings button to apply settings like Naming Convention and Page Layout to the resultant PDF file(s).
9. Click the Save button to save the settings, and use the Browse button to select a destination location.
10. Next, click the “Maintain Folder Hierarchy” button to preserve the folder structure.
11. Finally, convert MBOX to PDF by clicking the Export button.
12. Open the destination folder to view your MBOX file data in PDF format with their attachments.
Note: Try the demo version to test the software’s capabilities and export twenty-five items per folder. Purchase the full version to export the entire MBOX file data to PDF.
Conclusion
MBOX is a file format used by email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird to store a vast email collection in plain text format. On the other hand, PDFs are the most reliable file format for document sharing without platform restrictions. Many people find PDFs more suitable for data sharing instead of MBOX files due to the reasons mentioned in this blog.
This blog post shared the reasons and solutions to convert MBOX to PDF. The manual solution involves the Mozilla Thunderbird app, and the data conversion process looks easy. However, this method has many limitations, as mentioned here. Therefore, the automated tool described in the blog becomes the best solution to export MBOX file to PDF with total data integrity and hierarchy.
