No "Outlook" import option in Apple Mail

1. Download and install MessageSave on your Windows PC and restart Outlook. <This is a Direct Download Link>
2. Run "Tools -> MessageSave -> Apple Mac Export -> Export Messages" menu command to export your Outlook folders as MBOX files.
3. Copy the MBOX files over to the Mac.
4. Import the MBOX files into your Mac mail client ( Apple Mail, Outlook for Mac or Entourage ).
5. That's it. You're done.

<Edited by Host>

I'm going through the same difficulty. I'll call Microsoft help desk to check if they can help me.

I've found a work around. First open Outlook for Mac, then drag and drop a mailbox to the desktop or a folder created for the purpose (This will create an "mbox" file. Open Mail and select "file", then "import mailboxes" and select "files in mbox format". Browse to the mailbox and import. Mail will create a folder called "imported" and you will find your imported mailbox there. The only hassle I found was that if one of your mail folders has subfolders, these have to be dragged and dropped separately although you can import multiple folders.

Works beautifully! Thanks a lot.. :-D

Apple should have this import default.. they do have an interrest in people switching back to mail.

Import seems to work for me, but the email messages are gobbledygook, something about MIME format. Any ideas how to fix it to be useable?

sallyrfwrote:

The following work-around was provided by "sallyrf" and I can confirm that it worked perfectly! (Thanks, Sallyrf).

1. Open Outlook for Mac.

2. Drag and drop a mailbox to the desktop (This will create an "mbox" file.)

3. Close Outlook for Mac.

4. Open Apple Mail.

5. Select "File", then "Import Mailboxes" and check the box for "Files in mbox format".

6. Browse to the mailbox that you saved on your desktop in task 2 above.

7. Import.

8. Apple Mail will create a folder called "Imported" and you will find your imported mailbox there.

9. Drag the imported mails to your Mail inbox or other mailbox as required.

10.Delete the "Imported" mailbox and the "mbox" file from your desktop.

Remember that if one of your mail folders has subfolders, these have to be dragged and dropped separately although you can import multiple folders.

Glad to know it has helped some. I'm not sure why Apple doesn't have more import options. Thanks for putting the solution in points. It is much easier to follow.

sallyrf wrote:

Glad to know it has helped some. I'm not sure why Apple doesn't have more import options. Thanks for putting the solution in points. It is much easier to follow.

Outlook for Mac has exactly 1 export format that can be used for Mail, yet you complain about Apple Mails 5 import options as being not enough. Call Microsoft, their interoperability is awful.

I've done exactly as you've describe above and while every message is imported, each message is unreadable. Small example of a converted email pasted below:

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Not particularly useful really. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Mail crashes on importing any mbox file exported from Outlook via that drag & drop method.

SlippySlope wrote:

I just checked my Outlook for Mac export function. You can export to Outlook for Mac Data file (.olm) but there is no corresponding .olm data file import option on Apple Mail.

I quess Apple doesn't want you replace your Outlook with Mail.

Outlook does not support any standard email export format, and that's Microsofts choice.