How to Convert EML to PST with All Attachments 100% Safe?

Looking to convert EML to PST? Whether you have 50 or 50,000 emails, this ultimate guide has got you covered. Here, we will discuss free manual methods and the best expert-tested EML to PST Converter for IT Admins, Forensic Teams and Normal Home users. Each method is explained step-by-step with proper screenshots so that you can choose the right approach based on your requirements without wasting time.

Understand EML vs PST

Before diving into the methods it is important to understand the basic differences between these two file formats and why transforming to PST is necessary.

The core problem is Microsoft Outlook does not support bulk importing EML files directly. Even if you try to open hundreds of EML files then Outlook will open them one-by-one in separate windows which makes it practically impossible to manage. So, to view your complete data in an organized manner then you must convert EML to PST. Now, let’s discuss some of the common scenarios where users often look for this conversion.

Who Needs to Convert EML to PST?

Every user has its own requirements and reasons to migrate email data. Here we have listed most common real scenarios so read them before proceeding to get a clear view.

• IT Administrators (Corporate Migration) – EML to PST conversion helps a company when they upgrade its IT infrastructure and move from open source email client to Microsoft Outlook environment. For this, IT admins are assigned with a task to migrate thousands of employee emails simultaneously without losing the original folder hierarchy and experiencing downtime. To do this, they usually rely on a professional EML to PST Converter.
• Forensic Investigators & Legal Teams (eDiscovery) – During legal investigations, emails are extracted and saved as individual EML files to preserve them as evidence. However to analyze them or present in court investigators need to convert EML to PST. That is why this transition must be done very securely and while preserving the sensitive metadata details such as To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, IP details and more.
• Home Users (Upgrading PC or email clients) – The need to export EML to PST often comes when a user is moving to a new Windows PC or wants to switch from email clients like Windows Live Mail, Apple Mail or Thunderbird to Outlook. Since all the files are scattered and saved differently due to which it becomes confusing for a non-technical user to manage and merge them into a single file. To make it easy, EML to PST conversion becomes important.

How to Convert EML to PST Manually? 2 Free Methods

Below we have categorized each method based on data volume to help you choose according to the collection of EML files you are dealing with.

Method 1- Using MS Outlook

To continue with this method, you are required to have Outlook Classic installed in your system. In addition, it includes 2 stages so follow them carefully.

Stage 1- Import EML files to Outlook

1. Firstly, visit the file explorer and select the EML file.
2. Right-click on the file and choose Open with.
   
   
3. After that, select Outlook from the options.
   
4. Once the file will open, click on Move > Other Folders.
   
   
5. Next, select the folder where you want to import EML files.

Stage 2- Export Imported EML file to PST

1. After the above-mentioned steps, the imported EML file will be saved in Outlook as an Outlook Message.
2. In Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > select Import/Export option.
   
3. Then, click on Export to a file and select Outlook data file (.pst).
   
   
4. Lastly, choose the Destination path to save the resultant PST file.
   

Note: This method is only suitable if you have a few amount of emails approx. 1-20 emails. As a user needs to import each EML file one-by-one which can consume a lot of time and manual effort. This approach also has high chances of losing folder hierarchy and creating duplicate emails.

Method 2- EML to PST Conversion via Thunderbird

In this approach we use Mozilla Thunderbird as a bridge and an IMAP supported account like Gmail to sync EML files to Outlook.

Phase 1- Drag-&-Drop EML files

1. Open Thunderbird. Go to Menu > New Account > Email.
   
2. Enter full name and your Gmail email address.
   
3. After that, choose IMAP and verify your account.
   
4. Wait for Thunderbird to sync your data.
   
5. Once done, right-click on the configured email ID > choose New Folder > enter a name and create a new folder.
   
6. Now, simply go to the location where your EML files are saved.
   
7. Select them and drag and drop all to the newly created folder.
8. Again wait for Thunderbird to sync all the emails to avoid missing any EML file.

Phase 2- Convert EML to PST

1. After successfully completing the above phase, open Outlook (classic).
2. Go to File > Add Account > enter the email address of the same account that you have configured in Thunderbird.
   
3. Once the Gmail account is added, navigate to File > Open & Export.
   
   
4. Click on Import/Export > Export to a file > Outlook data file (.pst) and select the folder where you have stored the EML files.
   
5. Lastly, browse the destination path and click on Finish to save EML as PST.
   

Note: This manual approach is for users who have 50-500 emails to convert. This is not an exact or tested number but a possibility. Plus, dragging and dropping hundreds of EML files can crash the application and it is fully dependent on Thunderbird, Outlook plus needs a Gmail account that has free storage space.

Why Experts Avoid Manual Methods? Drawbacks

While the above methods are free but they have hidden risks that we will have listed below to let you stay aware and choose wisely especially if you are dealing with crucial business emails, legal evidence and a huge volume of data.

• Manually syncing and dragging-dropping emails can break the inline images, external hyperlinks and HTML formatting.
• These methods often fail to maintain the original folder hierarchy which can result in complex accessing of required emails from the mailbox.
• Manual methods do not guarantee security and preservation of email header details which can be a dealbreaker for forensic and legal users.
• Last but not the least, they do not support bulk converting emails more than 500 which is useless for a user dealing with thousands of EML files.
• Additionally, it can crash or slow down the system performance and completely depends upon the internet connection.

Certified EML to PST Converter to Convert EML files Automatically

To bypass all the manual method risks and limitations, IT admins and forensic experts trust the automated approach and rely on MailsWare EML Converter. It is an industry-leading and simple-to-use software that is specially designed with advanced algorithms to handle bulk migrations easily within just minutes.

Whether a user is having few or over 50,000 of EML files, this software has the ability to complete the conversion with 100% security and accuracy without losing or altering a bit of data. The best of the software is, it does not require any email client like Outlook or Thunderbird to generate the PST file or perform the EML to PST conversion. The dedicated tool works alone on the user system itself even without an internet connection. So, download it now.

Step-by-Step Guidance to Convert EML to PST Offline

1. Download and install the EML to PST Converter on your Windows or Mac system.
   
2. Click on Select a Folder to add entire folders that you want to convert.
   
3. After that, check or uncheck them to verify before converting. Once done, click on the first drive path to load all emails.
   
4. Now you can preview the EML files content with attachments and metadata details.
   
5. Click on Convert > choose PST from the Select Saving Options list.
   
6. Last, set a destination path and hit the Next button to start EML to PST conversion.
   

Once the process is completed, you will receive a completion message, click OK. The tool will directly navigate you to the location where PST files are saved, also it will show a saving log report.

Powerful & Unique Features of the Verified EML to PST Converter

• Bulk Conversion: This software is best suited to convert EML files to PST in bulk at once without any lag and slowing down the system performance.
• Saving Options: Beyond PST, this converter provides over 35+ saving options to select the desired file format to convert them into PDF, MBOX, TXT, EMLX and more formats and import EML to Outlook, Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird etc.
• Secure Data Integrity: This tool strictly preserves the complete data integrity and originality of attachments, metadata, and formatting of the exported file.
• Preserves Attachments: It exports all metadata with attachments whether inline or external, while ensuring no data is lost during the EML to PST conversion.
• Maintains Folder Hierarchy: Helps to maintain the exact folder hierarchy and structure of the email data so that users don’t face any issue while locating the required file.
• Separate PST Files per User: This is a game-changer feature for IT admins. If you are dealing with multiple EML files, the tool can generate separate PST files for individual email addresses.
• Advanced Filter Options: Users can export specific EML files by filtering the data based on To, From, Date range, Subject etc. This helps in saving time and effort.
• Live Preview Option: This facility allows the user to preview an individual EML file before converting.
• Destination Path: Gives users complete control to select the destination path to store all the output files at a single place and can be located easily.
• Generate a Log File: It automatically creates a SavingLog.txt file which is ideal for forensic and legal teams. The information it contains is the initial date and time, chosen saving type, source path, conversion status and destination path.

Explore More: How to Import EML files to Office 365 Step-by-Step?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I convert EML to PST without having Microsoft Outlook installed?

Yes, using the expert-trusted EML to PST Converter you can perform conversion without needing MS Outlook installation. It is a 100% standalone tool that works independently and generates healthy PST files taking less time.

Q2. Will I lose my inline images and attachments during the conversion?

If you use the free manual methods then there can be high-risk of losing attachments and formatting. However, the professional tool guarantees zero data loss and securely preserve all inline images, hyperlinked texts and attachments in their original form.

Q3. Is it safe to convert highly sensitive EML files for legal or forensic purposes?

Yes, the above mentioned toolkit is forensic-grade and offline software. It never uploads any data to an external server or cloud. In addition, it generates a log report at the end of the process that provides legal teams a verifiable record of the conversion held

Q4. Does the tool have any file size limit to bulk convert EML files?

No, the software imposes no restrictions on the file size. It allows every user to convert multiple EML files to PST seamlessly with attachments and other details maintained. You can convert 50 GB or even larger data.

Q5. Can I test the software before purchasing the license?

Yes, the software comes with a free demo version that enables users to convert the first 25 EML files from each folder. It further helps to test the features and functions to get fully satisfied.

Level up your Migration: Discover How to Import EML to Exchange with Complete Safety

Conclusion

Migrating email data is not a stressful or risky task if you know the right approach. Similarly, to successfully convert EML to PST, you must know the best and right way based on the volume and importance of your data. Here we have explained all the practical and tested approaches with the number of email limits so that you can get a clear understanding for each way.

However, manual methods can be useful in cases where a user has few emails but is not recommended for IT Administrators, Forensic Investigators and professionals who handle bulk data. For them, the EML to PST converter is the ultimate and perfect solution. It will directly convert files with safety and accuracy even without the internet connection. Moreover, the software also has its own support team that assists user queries calmly and answers them within 48 hours.

Lastly, I would conclude that do not risk your email data with trial-and-error methods. Simply download the software and perform EML to PST conversion error-free.