How to Restore MSF Files in Thunderbird Account- Ways to Import MBOX

Find Out How to Restore MSF Files in Thunderbird with Reliable Solutions

Noel Miles: "I have been using Mozilla Thunderbird from the last few months. Suddenly, all my emails disappeared from the inbox. I had been struggling all day to retrieve my lost data. I tried to troubleshoot the problem. Then, someone suggested me to delete MSF files. I deleted them and it proved to be very dangerous. I had some unpredictable behavior on some folders. Please suggest me any solution on how to restore MSF files in Thunderbird. Any lead will be greatly appreciated."

Are you looking answer to the same question? Does the query seem familiar to you? If yes, then do not despair as the issue can be resolved easily. You only need to read the write-up until the end. So, let us get started. In Mozilla Thunderbird, there is an SBD file. In this sub-directory file, emails are stored in two types of file format. First one is .msf extension and the second one does not have any extension. The file which does not have any extension is generally the MBOX file. To import MSF file into Thunderbird, best possible approaches have been discussed.

Approaches to Open MSF File in Thunderbird

A user needs to follow these set of instructions to restore MSF files in Thunderbird application:

1. Navigate to Tools option in the menu.
2. Click on ImportExport Tools and then, import all messages from a directory.
3. Afterwards, select also from its subdirectories.

4. In the next step, you have to select the subdirectory which you want to open in Thunderbird.
5. Once the process is completed, the MSF file can be seen is left column of the Thunderbird application.

Note: In case, the Import-Export tool is not present, this can be added with the help of add-ons. Launch the Thunderbird application in the local system and move to the box which has three parallel lines in the top right-hand side corner. Select the option of an add-on. In search all add-on box, type ImportExport Tool.

Limitations of the Manual Approach

To restore MSF files in Thunderbird, the manual procedure is generally not preferred. It is because of the reasons that it has some shortcomings which are listed as follows:

• All the steps are to be performed by the users. So, if any mistake is committed at any point, this may lead to loss of data.
• No option of selective data migration is exhibited. The irrelevant data from the same folder will also be transferred.
• This method is a bit tricky for non-technical users if they do not know the basics of the Mozilla Thunderbird application.

Alternative Solution

To overcome all the drawbacks of the manual solution, users can use another technique. This can be performed with the help of the third-party tool like Thunderbird Import Wizard. According to the experts, it is the best solution to import MSF files into Thunderbird email application. Single or multiple files can be moved by using two different options: select file (s) or select folder. Moreover, selective emails can also be moved using a date filter.

The Final Words

MSF files are created in the sub-directory file of the Mozilla Thunderbird application. To restore MSF files in Thunderbird both manual and automated methods exist. The manual method possesses some drawbacks due to which it is not preferred. Hence, an automated tool is also explained to view MSF file in Thunderbird. The commercial utility maintains the folder structure and not even a single bit of data is lost.