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Migrate Thunderbird to Outlook Using Transend Migrator

This guide assumes that you have a standard setup and no additional files from previous migrations, custom configurations, and so on.

Before you begin, you need:

  • Administrator access on your computer
  • An xMail account
  • Transend Migrator installed on your computer

Migrating your email from Thunderbird (cMail) to Outlook (xMail) requires eight steps:

  1. Immediately forward your cMail to xMail
  2. Configure Outlook
  3. Configure Transend Migrator
  4. Transfer mail using Transend Migrator
  5. Transfer Address Book(s) using Transend Migrator
  6. Install the Calendar
  7. Transfer IMAP mailboxes to Outlook
  8. Install LDAP Directory

1. Forward your cMail to xMail

Immediately after you are notified that your xMail account has been created, you should forward your cMail to cnetid@ad.uchicago.edu, where "cnetid" is your CNetID.

2. Configure Outlook

If you need assistance setting up Microsoft Outlook 2003 for use with xMail, see this walkthrough.

3. Configure Transend Migrator

  1. Start Transend Migrator.
  2. Click Edit License to add your license information.
  3. Enter your license information in the "Name," "Organization" and "License" fields exactly as given to you. The fields are case sensitive. Click OK.
  4. You must restart Transend Migrator to enable your license. Click OK, and then click Exit. Click Yes to confirm that you want to exit.
  5. Start Transend Migrator.
  6. A Transend Migrator screen will verify your license. Click OK.
  7. On the Transend Migrator screen, click Options.
  8. On the General tab, select the "Create Log (/L)" checkbox.

4. Transfer mail using Transend Migrator

  1. On the Transend Migrator main menu, select the "Message Folders" radio button and click Next.
  2. Select "Netscape/Mozilla" in the "Convert From" field and "Exchange/Outlook" in the "Convert to" field. Click Next.
  3. On the Netscape/Mozilla Information screen, click Browse and select the location when Thunderbird is stored. Click Next.
  4. On the Exchange/Outlook Information screen, accept the default and click Next.
  5. On the Select Folder(s) to Convert screen, select all the folders using the Shift or CTRL keys and click Next.
  6. On the Miscellaneous Options screen, verify that the "Message Store" field displays "Personal Folders" and click Start.
  7. Open Outlook and verify that the message folders went to the proper location. Then check a message with an attachment to verify that it is there.
  8. Minimize Outlook.

5. Transfer Address Book(s) using Transend Migrator

  1. On the Transend Migrator main menu, select the "Address Books" radio button and click Next.
  2. Select "Netacape/Mozilla" in the "Convert From" field and "Exch/Outlook" in the "Convert to" field. Click Next.
  3. On the Netacape/Mozilla Information screen, click Browse and select the abook.mab file in your Mozilla Thunderbird folder. Click Open and then click Next.
  4. On the Exch/Outlook Information screen, verify that "Outlook" displays in the "Profile or PST" field and click Start.
  5. After the addresses have been converted, click OK.
  6. Open Outlook and verify that the contacts were added.

6. Install the Calendar

  1. In Outlook, select File → Export Data.
  2. On the Export Utility screen, highlight "vCalendar file" and click Continue.
  3. On the Agenda screen, deselect the "Tasks" checkbox in the Export section. Verify the "All" is selected in the Period section.
  4. Click Browse next to the "File Name" field. Save the file to your desktop with a name of "your CNetID".vcs. It may take a while to save the file.
  5. When all the data has been transferred, click OK.
  6. Minimize Outlook.
  7. On the Transend Migrator main menu, select the "Calendar Entries" radio button and click Next.
  8. Select "VCS File" in the "Convert From" field and "Outlook Calendar" in the "Convert To" field. Click Next.
  9. On the VCS File Information screen, click Browse and select the .vcs file you saved earlier. Deselect the "Upcoming events only" checkbox and click Next.
  10. After the entries are converted, click OK.

7. Transfer IMAP mailboxes to Outlook

  1. In Outlook, select Tools → E-mail Accounts.
  2. In the E-mail Accounts wizard, select the "Add a new e-mail account" radio button and click Next.
  3. On the Server Type screen, select the "IMAP" radio button and click Next.
  4. On the Internet E-mail Settings (IMAP) screen, enter the following information:
    • Your Name: Your name as you would like it to appear in outgoing email
    • E-mail address: Your @uchicago.edu email address
    • Incoming mail server: Enter "imap.uchicago.edu"
    • Outgoing mail server: Enter "smtp.uchicago.edu"
    • User Name: Enter your CNetID
  5. Click More Settings.
  6. Click the Advanced tab and verify that "This server requires an encrypted connection" is selected. Click OK.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Click Finish.
  9. In Outlook, Open your "imap.uchicago.edu" folder in the left navigation pane. Click once on the Inbox folder, right-click and select "Select All" from the menu. This will select all of the messages in that folder. Drag and drop them into the xMail Inbox above them in the navigation pane.
    xMail IMAP drag image
  10. Repeat step 9 with all of the other folders under imap.uchicago.edu and any folders in Personal Folders. It may take the mail a while to move, so please be patient.
  11. In Outlook, select Tools → E-mail Accounts.
  12. In the E-mail Accounts wizard, select the "View or change existing e-mail accounts" radio button and click Next.
  13. On the E-mail Accounts screen, highlight the "imap.uchicago.edu" account and click Remove.
  14. Click Yes to confirm.
  15. Click Finish.

8. Install LDAP Directory

  1. In Outlook, go to Tools → E-mail Accounts.
  2. In the E-mail Accounts wizard, select the "Add a new directory or address book" radio button and click Next.
  3. On the Directory or Address Book Type screen, select the "Internet Directory Service (LDAP)" radio button and click Next.
  4. On the Directory Service (LDAP) Settings screen, enter "ldap.uchicago.edu" in the "Server Name" field.
  5. Click Finish. You will need to exit Outlook and start it again for the settings to take effect.

Last updated: 7/05/07