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cannot import eml files to thundrebird

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  • Last reply by Matt

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Installed Thunderbird on Win 7 platform, also installed Import.export_tools. Following your instructions for importing eml files from Windows Live Mail fails, after navigating to the folder containing eml files to be imported, but no files are shown in the folder. After CLOSE it indicates "installing files" but after a while "no files found to be imported" message appears. What am I doing wrong?

Steve S

Installed Thunderbird on Win 7 platform, also installed Import.export_tools. Following your instructions for importing eml files from Windows Live Mail fails, after navigating to the folder containing eml files to be imported, but no files are shown in the folder. After CLOSE it indicates "installing files" but after a while "no files found to be imported" message appears. What am I doing wrong? Steve S

Chosen solution

Do your message files have the .eml extension?

Are you trying to import a folder, or a set of discrete files? ImportExportTools offers both options. Both work here for me.

Where are you trying to import to? I have successfully imported to both Inbox in Local Folders, and to a subfolder in an IMAP-connected account, which I thought might not be permitted.

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Chosen Solution

Do your message files have the .eml extension?

Are you trying to import a folder, or a set of discrete files? ImportExportTools offers both options. Both work here for me.

Where are you trying to import to? I have successfully imported to both Inbox in Local Folders, and to a subfolder in an IMAP-connected account, which I thought might not be permitted.

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Finally was able to make import work. But I still need step-by-step instructions in how to best migrate (transfer) about 50 storage folders and their subfolders from Windows Live Mail to Mozilla. (Win 7 platform).

I have tried to move them all at once - unsuccessfully. Moving them one by one is tedious and also often it is inconsistent and moves folder contents into the wrong folder.

Would appreciate some help. Thank you. Steve Szappanos

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try creating the folder in local folder. selecting it then right clicking the folder to access the import export tools. that makes sure the selected folder is the destination you seek.

disable your anti virus from scanning the files and folder you are trying to import and export. they are incredibly good at simply messing up everything you try and do with email (they consider EML file a risky fie type.)

Make sure to click continue on an JavaScript errors (timeouts in this case) as clicking cancel will cancel the import process.

My recollection of the storage system used by live mail is that all folders are stored in a single sub folder.

Like "mail" with all the sub folders having a root in "mail" the hierarchy being held in a database file that only live mail knows how to read. Pointing the tool to the "root" folder (even though it contains no mail) should see mail from the sub folders imported.