How to Open MBOX File on PC? Manual Methods
When professionals receive a file having an MBOX extension, they get hyper and post their problem on tech forums / social media platforms. It happens because such persons are unaware of a reliable measure to open MBOX file independently. Instead of getting hyper, it is important to keep the mind in a charming state, if an individual ‘cannot open MBOX file’. This issue is not as big as it seems to be.
I used the Google Takeout utility to back up a few important folders of my Gmail account on my PC. When I unzipped the archive file of Takeout, I noticed that the email folders had having MBOX extension. On double-clicking upon a file, I cannot open MBOX file. One or another error stops me from viewing the content of the backed-up file. Please can you tell me what should I do to open and view Google Takeout files on Windows 11?
People from different corners of the world search for a solution to open MBOX files without any supportive application. Instead of focusing on the reasons that cause such issues, it is essential to learn about a workable approach to fix it.
“Your current state is not to read the error cause but, to quickly get a measure to fix it. So, without wasting much time, let’s begin with knowing a one-stop technique for troubleshooting cannot open MBOX file error.”
How to Access MBOX Files Manually?
Here we are going to two manual methods to open MBOX file on Mac & Windows machines using Thunderbird and Apple Mail accounts.
Method 1: “Cannot Open MBOX File”: Using Thunderbird
This method is divided into two steps, First, we will install the ImportExportTools NG add and then we will import the MBOX file.
Step 1: Install ImportExportToolsNG Add-ons
- Open your Thunderbird account.
- Click on the Tools >> Add-ons & Themes option.
- Search the ImportExportToolsNG in the search box.
- Click on the Install It button.
Step 2: Open MBOX File in Thunderbird
- Restart your Thunderbird account.
- Click on the Tools >> ImportExportTools NG >> Import MBOX File option.
- Select the Import One or More MBOX Files option and hit the Next button.
- Browse the MBOX file, where it is located.
- Hit the Open button.
Method 2: Access MBOX File in Apple Mail on a Mac
- Open your Mac Mail account.
- Click on the File >> Import Mailboxes option.
- Choose “Files in MBOX format” >> Continue button.
- Browse the location of the MBOX file to open it.
- Lastly, click on the Done button.
These are great and flawless, but have some limitations which are discussed below:
Drawbacks of Manual Methods
- Both email clients should be installed on your system.
- The folder hierarchy will not be maintained.
- Users can’t upload multiple MBOX Files at once.
Completely Free Solution to Fix Cannot Open MBOX File
Here we are going to use one of the best, advanced, and completely free MBOX File Viewer tools. The tool comes with amazing and advanced features, which makes it the first choice of users. The software is totally free and there is no hidden payment.
The approach that we are going to describe, involves the use of a freeware named MBOX file opener. It is a standalone tool to open, view, and search the content of MBOX files
All the advanced features of this tool and step-by-step working guide to solving the problem of not open MBOX file are mentioned below in detail.
Steps to Open and Read MBOX Files
- Download and install the free software on your system.
- Click on the Open button to add the files.
- Upload the single or multiple MBOX using the Choose Files and Choose Folders options.
- All the available data of the MBOX file will be shown on the screen.
- And users can preview emails in multiple view modes.
Why Users Should Choose the Free MBOX Viewer?
- The software provides dual options to add single or multiple MBOX files using the Choose Files and Choose Folders options.
- All the data of the MBOX file will appear on the screen, where users can quickly analyze the complete data that they want to open.
- The software preserved all email components including Bcc, Cc, To, From, Subject, Attachments, Image, Font size and colour, and other formatting.
- Also, it supports all the MBOX files exported from any email client including Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Entourage, Spiceworks, Google Workspace, etc.
- The tool provides three different preview modes to analyze email content including Content, Properties, and Hex View, and also users can preview attachments.
Time for Bottom Statements
The post comprises a foolproof solution to resolve the ‘cannot open MBOX file’ problem. The manual approach that we suggested in this post is not suitable for forensics experts. It is so because, through Thunderbird, investigators will not be able to attempt deep searching within MBOX files. Operations like Advance Search, Quick Search, saving of evidence in PDF, viewing attachment(s), etc., are unable to be performed via manual technique. But you can implement all these activities by using a free MBOX file opener. Therefore, the wise and smart decision is to use the tool on a Windows device.
