Import EML to Windows 10 Mail Account

You have a folder of .eml files from an old PC, a backup or an export and Windows 10 Mail will not take them in. An EML file is one saved message and Mail only shows mail stored in accounts so it cannot import files. Methods below get your EML files into an account Windows 10 Mail used so your messages show in your folders again.

Can you import EML to Windows 10 Mail account?

Not directly. Windows 10 Mail opens one EML file at a time and has no option to import many files into folders. To import EML files, drag them into an IMAP folder with another mail client or use converter software, then let your account sync that folder.

Timing matters too. Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail, Calendar and People on 31 December 2024 so those apps no longer send or receive email. Microsoft tells users to move to new Outlook for Windows, which you get from Microsoft Store or through its Open Outlook prompt inside Mail. Windows 10 itself left support on 14 October 2025. Local mail remains exportable but live mail now sits on your provider's server so IMAP is your target.

Use IMAP accounts only. Gmail, Outlook.com and most hosted mailboxes support IMAP. Outlook.com uses outlook.office365.com, port 993 with SSL/TLS and Microsoft states it requires modern authentication so create an app password if your normal one fails.

How to open one EML file in Windows 10 Mail or new Outlook?

Right-click your EML file, select Open with and choose your mail app. That opens one message for reading and does not copy it into any folder.

1. Open File Explorer and find your .eml file.
2. Right-click it, select Open with, then select Mail if it still works on your PC or Outlook (new).
3. In new Outlook, you can also drag a file onto your reading pane. Double-click works once new Outlook is your default app for .eml files.

Microsoft documents these three ways in Open .eml, .msg and .oft files in new Outlook. They open a message in its own window. They do not import it.

How to add EML files to Mail with Thunderbird?

Add your IMAP account to Thunderbird, drag EML files into a Local Folders folder, then move them into an IMAP folder. Messages upload to your server so your account shows them on every device.

1. Install Thunderbird on a Windows PC and open it.
2. Select Menu, New Account, then Email. Enter your name, email address and password, then sign in. For Outlook.com, Microsoft's sign-in window opens.
3. Confirm Thunderbird selected IMAP. For Outlook.com, incoming server is outlook.office365.com, port 993, SSL/TLS.
4. Right-click Local Folders and create a folder named EML Import.
5. Select your .eml files in File Explorer and drag them into EML Import.
6. Select messages in EML Import, then drag them into a folder of your IMAP account. Right-click and Move To works as well.
7. Open new Outlook or your webmail and confirm messages show in that folder.

Real Thunderbird users hit walls here. On Mozilla Support, one user failed to drag .eml files from a thumb drive into Inbox. A moderator advised creating a subfolder in Local Folders first, dragging files there, then Moving messages to IMAP folders a few at a time. Another user found that Ctrl+S had saved Shortcuts instead of .eml files so nothing imported until they saved messages again.

Catch: you move small batches by hand and thousands of messages take hours. Our guide on how to Import EML to Thunderbird account includes local use of EML files.

Steps to import EML files with software

1. Install Corbett EML Converter on a Windows PC and open it with Run as administrator.
2. Select Open, then Email Data Files, then EML File.
3. Add one message or a folder of many, whatever its size. Attachments open with your mail.
4. Tick messages you want in its tree and retain others unticked.
5. Check mail in five preview modes: Content, Message header, Properties, Hex view and Raw message.
6. Set filters by date, time, From, To, Cc, content, attachments, file name or file size if needed.
7. Select Export, choose IMAP, enter your account details and press Save.

It works from a folder so retain your EML files in one directory. Test with demo first, then compare folders in your account. Need local files instead? It exports to PST and MBOX too and our guide on how to Import EML files to Outlook shows PST steps. Moving mail to Google? See how to Import EML to Gmail.

Which way to add EML files to Mail suits you?

Open one file with Open with, use Thunderbird for dozens of messages and software for folders and archives.

Need sender addresses or files from EML? See how to Extract attachments from EML files.

Why does an EML import fail?

Mail app shows no new mail

Support for Windows Mail ended on 31 December 2024 so it no longer syncs. Open new Outlook, add your account and look there, because messages you imported wait in IMAP folders.

New Outlook opens EML in separate window

Opening is not importing. On Microsoft Q&A, a user with Windows Live Mail files found that drag and drop only Opened files in new windows. Microsoft staff replied that EML files cannot be imported directly into new Outlook. Route them through an IMAP account.

Cannot move Mail app data to another client

An eM Client user could not import from Windows 10 Mail and got a not installed error. Support said importing from Windows 10 Mail is not possible. Their fixes: export messages as .eml and import from a folder or sync your account online.

Drag and drop does nothing in Thunderbird

Create a Local Folders folder first, drag files there and move them to IMAP in small batches. Check that your files end in .eml and are not shortcuts.

Outlook.com sign-in fails

Outlook.com needs modern authentication. If your normal password fails, create an app password in your Microsoft account security settings.

What to do after the import?

Compare folder counts in your account with your EML folder, then retain originals until counts match. Open a few messages with attachments to confirm they open. Copy your EML folder to an external drive as a backup.

Switching apps later? See how to Import PST to Outlook or Download IMAP emails from server.

Questions About EML Files in Windows 10 Mail