Export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird

You want to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird, but Windows Live Mail has no Thunderbird option and Microsoft no longer supports it. WLM stores mail as EML files, so you can move WLM emails to Thunderbird by hand or with software. Below are three ways to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird, where your files sit and fixes for empty folders.

Where are WLM emails before you export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird?

Windows Live Mail keeps every message as an EML file, in folders that match your WLM folders. PCWorld lists C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail as its likely home and tells you to confirm it in your program. Mozilla's switching guide gives that path to users who export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird.

1. Open Windows Live Mail. Select Tools, then Options, Advanced and Maintenance. If your WLM has no Tools menu, select File, Options, Mail, Advanced and Maintenance.
2. Select Store Folder. Your real path shows there.
3. If you cannot see AppData in Windows, turn on hidden files and folders in Folder Options.
4. Copy that folder to your Desktop and close Windows Live Mail. You now have EML files ready to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird.

Can you drag and drop to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird?

Yes, drag and drop can move WLM emails to Thunderbird for a small mailbox. You drag EML files into a Thunderbird folder one folder at a time. It does not rebuild WLM subfolders. Drag and drop gets slow, cannot skip mail and fails in some newer Thunderbird builds, so test with 10 files first.

1. In Thunderbird, right-click Local Folders and select New Folder.
2. Name it Inbox WLM, then select Create Folder.
3. Open your copied WLM folder in Windows Explorer and select your EML files.
4. Drag them onto your new Thunderbird folder.
5. Open that folder and check dates, senders and attachments before you move WLM emails to Thunderbird from another folder.

How to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird with ImportExportTools NG?

ImportExportTools NG imports full folders with subfolders, so it suits large jobs to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird. Mozilla's guide uses it. Its Thunderbird page lists support for Thunderbird 128 and 115 and imports of EML and EMLX files.

1. To export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird, open Thunderbird, select Menu, then Add-ons and Themes. Search for ImportExportTools NG and select Add to Thunderbird.
2. Right-click Local Folders, select New Folder and name it Windows Live Mail.
3. Right-click that new folder. Starting here tells Thunderbird where your mail goes.
4. Select ImportExportTools NG, then Import all messages from a directory and also from its subdirectories.
5. Browse to your copied WLM folder and select Select Folder.
6. Wait until messages stop arriving. One Mozilla user saw about two messages per second.
7. Open your new folder and compare counts to confirm you did export WLM emails to Thunderbird without loss.

Some guides say it stops working after Thunderbird 78. Its current page says otherwise, so check your Thunderbird version against that page first. A Mozilla Support user who tried to move Windows Live Mail emails to Thunderbird found an empty folder. A helper's fix was to right-click your target folder before you start.

Steps to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird with software

1. Install Corbett Email Backup Wizard on your Windows PC and run it as administrator to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird. Select Open.
2. Select Email Data Files, then EML Files, then Choose Folders.
3. Browse to your copied WLM folder and select Select Folder. Your EML files load in software.
4. Preview folders and untick Deleted Items or Junk if you do not need them.
5. Set date, subject or sender filters if you want less mail to move.
6. Select Export, then choose Thunderbird as your email client to move WLM emails to Thunderbird.
7. Browse to set a save location, select Save, then open Thunderbird and check folders.

Corbett's page names 209+ clients but not Windows Live Mail, so run your free demo on one folder first. To move WLM mail to a different program, see how to export Windows Live Mail to Outlook or move Windows Live Mail to Gmail.

How to move Windows Live Mail contacts to Thunderbird?

EML files hold mail only. When you export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird, move contacts on their own. Mozilla's guide gives two routes. Export WLM contacts as VCF files and import them with MoreFunctionsForAddressBook add-on, or export them as CSV and use Tools, then Import in Thunderbird. One Mozilla user who moved over 100 folders mapped fields from a spreadsheet and said it worked well.

Which way to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird is best?

For a few folders, drag and drop is enough. For many folders, use ImportExportTools NG. To export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird with filters, use software.

Keep your copy of WLM files for a safety net. To move that program to another PC, see how to transfer Windows Live Mail to a new computer.

Why does export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird fail?

Thunderbird folder looks empty after you export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird

Import goes into whichever folder is selected. Right-click your target folder, start import from there and check other folders for your mail, as a Mozilla helper advised.

Folder names change when you move WLM emails to Thunderbird

A Mozilla Support user moved over 100 folders and 23,000 emails using MailStore Home. Some names lost characters and some mail landed in other folders, so he spent about four hours fixing names. Compare folder names with WLM after every import.

Import runs slowly when you move WLM emails to Thunderbird

One Mozilla user saw about two messages per second with ImportExportTools. Import folders in batches and leave Thunderbird open until counts match.

ImportExportTools NG menu is missing when you export WLM to Thunderbird

Restart Thunderbird after install and check that your version is 115 or 128, as its page lists. Right-click a folder, not an account.

What to do after you export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird?

Once you export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird, keep your WLM files until counts match in every folder. Set up your email accounts in Thunderbird, then move contacts. Learn how to download attachments from Thunderbird once your mail is in place.

Questions about Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird