Top 4 Ways to Convert OST to MBOX on Linux, Mac & Windows

Decided to convert OST to MBOX for hassle-free email management and handling, and looking for a trusted solution. On Linux, creating an MBOX file from OST can be easily done using the open-source “readpst” command-line tool. However, for Mac and Windows OS users, the process is a bit tricky. Mac users are required to use Windows, Outlook mac and Thunderbird Mac to get the output MBOX from OST.

Windows users only require Outlook and Thunderbird to convert OST emails to MBOX. You may choose any of the free techniques based on the OS you are using. However, all the free methods have some challenges, like no folder hierarchy preservation, being unable to handle large OST files for MBOX conversion, and a time-consuming process, etc.

However, for non-tech and professional users, a dedicated OST to MBOX converter tool is recommended. Such a deeply engineered solution provides output that is compatible with all MBOX-supported email clients. This promise of compatibility and data integrity is missing in the manual walkarounds. Depending on the requirement, you may go with any of the techniques described below.

Convert OST to MBOX on Linux Via OpenSource “readpst” CLI Tool

To convert OST emails into MBOX on Linux can be easily done by installing the readpst CLI tool. You may use the open-source CLI tool by installing the package using the command (sudo apt install pst-utils). To maintain folder hierarchy in the output MBOX, use the command (readpst -r -u filename.ost). For detailed walkarounds, follow the steps below.

1. At the start, press Ctrl + Alt + T to launch the terminal on your Linux device.
2. Next, run the command “sudo apt update && sudo apt install pst-utils” to install the package.
3. Then, write cd and drag and drop the folder containing OST files into the terminal window to autofill the path.
4. Now run the command “readpst -r -u filename.ost”. This -r flag will help to maintain folder hierarchy during conversion.
5. Finally, run the ls command to view the converted OST emails in the MBOX file location.

Convert OST to MBOX on Mac Via Windows and Thunderbird Mac Bridge

To convert Windows-based OST to MBOX on Mac. Initially, we need to export OST to PST using Outlook Windows. Secondly, we need to use Mac Outlook to import PST and Thunderbird Mac to import PST to Thunderbird and export MBOX using ImportExportTools NG. The detailed working steps are described below.

Stage 1: Extract OST to PST using Windows Outlook

1. Run Outlook on Windows and click on the File tab.
2. Now, click on the Open and Export > Import/Export.
3. After that, select Export to a file > Outlook data file (.pst).
4. Finally, select the OST file, browse the storage path and click Finish.

Pahse 2:  Import PST to Mac Outlook Legacy Using the Import Feature

1. Launch Outlook Mac on your Mac device.
2. Now, click on the File tab and select the import button.
3. Then, choose the Outlook for Windows archive file (.pst) option.
4. Thereafter, add the extracted PST from stage 1 and click continue to finish the import process.

Stage 3: Use Thunderbird Mac Native Import and ImportExportTools NG to Get OST in MBOX

1. Launch Thunderbird Mac and go to Tools > Import.
2. Next, Thunderbird detect the folders on my computer from the Mac Outlook profile.
3. After that, right-click the imported folder and select ImportExportTools NG > Export Folder > MBOX
4. Finally, save the converted MBOX on your Mac’s local storage.

Manually Convert OST Emails to MBOX for Free on Windows

To manually convert OST into MBOX format, we will use Thunderbird’s native import tool to import OST to Thunderbird. Thereafter, we will use the ImportExport Tools NG as an add-on to export Outlook OST data in MBOX format. Since OST is Outlook Windows dependent, it is simpler to convert OST into MBOX on Windows as compared to the free Mac technique.

1. Run Thunderbird on your Mac device, and click on Tools > Import.
2. Next, select Import from Outlook and tap the continue button.
3. After that, use right-click on the imported Outlook OST and select ImportExportTools NG
4. Finally, select folder export (MBOX) > As MBOX file to finish converting OST to MBOX on Windows.

Why Manual Ways Fail to Convert OST to MBOX without Outlook?

OST is a proprietary format of Microsoft used by Outlook to store mailbox data for offline use. This OST file is commonly created when configuring the Outlook email client with an IMAP or Exchange server account. Therefore, to quickly convert OST into MBOX without Outlook, a specialized OST to MBOX converter tool is required that works without using the Outlook MAPI interface.

Professional OST to MBOX Converter for Mac and Windows

For a quick and secure conversion process, you may try the dedicated OST to MBOX converter. This is a deeply engineered solution designed to convert orphaned OST files to MBOX without requiring the MAPI interface. Therefore, users seeking a solution that can run without Outlook may go with this professional OST converter. For a detailed working tutorial for flawless conversion, follow the steps described below.

How to Use MailsWare OST to MBOX Toolkit without Outlook Working?

1. At the start, download and run the MailsWare OST to MBOX converter.
2. Next, click on the Select Files or Select Folders option to add OST files.
3. After that, select the OST emails folder required to convert into MBOX from the folder tree.
4. Then, select the saving option as MBOX from the saving option list menu.
5. Finally, choose the output storage path and click convert to start OST to MBOX conversion.

Concluding Words

To sum up the above blog on the topic of how to convert OST to MBOX on Linux, Mac and Windows. We have discussed 4 tested methods to get the job done. In this blog guide, we have seen three manual free techniques dedicated to each Linux, Mac and Windows OS. Secondly,  we have discussed a powerful OST to MBOX converter that can run without Outlook dependency.