In today’s time, users have lots of options to choose from for managing their mailbox data. Many users prefer desktop email clients to web-based apps. However, due to multiple reasons, users wish to change their email client.
This is when users need to know, how to locate MBOX files. After finding the location of MBOX files, users can smartly export the MBOX file data to the desired email client using an effortless method.
Know about MBOX File
MBOX which is expanded as a mailbox and contains various email messages. MBOX files hold an association of emails into one file. It was exclusively used by UNIX and now with other email clients like Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Entourage, etc.
This file format stores emails in plain text and they have different forms:
- MBOXO: This file type is the original system mailbox format. It uses a specific constant string termed ‘’???@???’’ in place of the email address of the sender.
- MBOXRD: This file type is a variation of MBOXO mailbox.
- MBOXCL: The MBOX file extension is used by the UNIX system.
- MBOXCL2: This file extension is similar to the MBOXCL format.
Structure of MBOX files
MBOX file contains multiple email messages concatenated together. It consists of:
- Header section: The header section contains details about email messages like sender, recipient, date, subject, and other metadata.
- Message Separator: The message separator line shows the beginning of the message and it helps to separate individual emails from another.
- Body of message: The body of the message contains the actual content of the message including text, HTML formatting, and attachments of emails.
- Timestamp and Metadata: The MBOX file may contain timestamp information and other metadata for each message, providing details about when the message is sent or received & other details.
- Encoding and character set: MBOX files support multiple encoding schemes and character sets to manage different languages and special characters.
- Attachments: The MBOX file also contains attachments associated with email messages.
Also Read: Open MBOX Files My Computer
Where are MBOX files located?
The location of MBOX files varies upon many factors such as OS (Windows/Mac), versions, and the email client.
Locating MBOX files on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
- Go to the start menu and then look for %APPDATA%
- This will open the Roaming folder. Here, you will find a Thunderbird folder. Double-click on it.
- Then, pick the Profiles folder.
Note: You can directly go to the Profiles folder by following the given path:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles
In this path, use your actual username in the place of username.
There are chances that a few folders may be hidden and users must unhide them. For this, the steps are as follows:
- Double-click on This PC icon from the desktop and it will open File Explorer.
- Hit the View tab and then on the Options button.
- This will open the Folder Options box. In the View tab, mark the Show hidden files, folders, and drives option. Tap on the Apply button and later on the OK button.
Locating MBOX files on Mac OS
- Pick the home folder and then the library folder.
- Select the profiles folder and then hit the Thunderbird profile. This would be like: Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/sample.Default
Locating MBOX files on Linux and UNIX OS
You can locate the folders on Linux and Unix systems at the location: ~.thunderbird/<profile name>/
For users using the third-party build, you can find the folders in the given location: ~.mozilla.thunderbird<profile name>
Automated program to view Mailbox data files
With Softaken MBOX Software, users can easily view MBOX files without any email client. The software offers a smart UI to view multiple MBOX files. The app supports more than 15+ email clients like Opera Mail, PowerMail, Mulberry, Eudora, SeaMonkey, Evolution, and various others. Without any restrictions, users can view MBOX emails with attachments.
Conclusion
This comprehensive guide will let you know all about MBOX files including how to locate MBOX files on your systems. Moreover, if you wish to view the data of MBOX files, use the freeware tool discussed above.