Apple Mac - Tuesday, February 19, 2008 15:32 - 3 Comments

Outlook Express to Apple Mail (.dbx convert .mbox)

With the release of Mac OS X Tiger, Apple has removed the option to import Outlook Express emails - so that poses me with a problem with our XP transfers.As always the solution is simple if you know where to look.(Note: If you are using Outlook, open Outlook Express and choose File / Import / Messages / Outlook)

1. Open Outlook Express. Click on Tools / Options / Maintainence / Store Folder and make a note of it. (It’s nearly always C:\Documents and Settings\YOURNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\NUMBERS\Microsoft\Outlook Express)
2. You need to convert the .dbx files (that’s the format OE uses for mailboxes) into .mbox files (that’s the format Apple Mail uses for mailboxes). Go and grab dbxconv (download) and dump it into the same directory you noted above.
3. Run….

   dbxconv -mbx -mbxextmbox *.dbx

   ….and wait, will take a while depending on how large your mailboxes are. 1-2Gb should not take more than about 40 minutes.

4. You should now have a directory full of files with the extension .mbox. Get all of these files to your new mac (FTP / Intranet / CD Burn Etc.) Open mail and enter your account detials (default opening on Tiger). Then click File / Import Mailboxes / Other and then find your .mbox files on your computer (where ever you put them). The .mbox files will be grayed out so click choose and on the next screen click OK to begin the import. This may or may not take awhile depends on the amount of mail!
5. Easy peasey, lemon squeazy. Your mail now has a new home!

If you can’t run dbxconv for some reason you can always use Entorage (use a trial, installed on all new macs, or download from Microsoft) - Just drag your mail messages out of outlook and into a folder(s) (organised of you wish), move files to the Mac, boot Entourage and drag the messages in (.eml files). Once they are all in you can click Import / Entourage in Apple Mail.