Overview: Exporting Zimbra mailbox to PST is an art if you are looking for an error-free solution. Many users who are planning for a large-scale migration might also be looking for a trusted Zimbra to PST converter. If you are also any of these users who are seeking a comprehensive guide for the conversion process, then this is the right destination for you.
Zimbra Collaboration is a collaborative suite that includes both a web client and an email server. Many organizations used to use it for their email communication purposes as it had almost all essential features and a major factor – it is available for free download. However, with the introduction of Microsoft Outlook, businesses slowly started switching to the latter due to its user-friendly interface and amazing set of features despite being a paid solution.
However, while organizations have a significant amount of data stored in their Zimbra mailboxes, the switch from Zimbra to Outlook isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are many factors that one has to consider while exporting Zimbra mailboxes to PST file format.
Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the possible ways using which you can convert Zimbra to PST without any issues. As there are two ways to perform conversion – a free manual procedure and a paid third-party tool. The manual process is only feasible for small-scale exports. Thus, you are suggested to use a third-party tool in case you have a large amount of data.
Free Zimbra to PST Converter – Manual Solution
When you talk about converting Zimbra mailbox to Outlook PST format, then it takes 3 steps to get the job done. First and foremost, you need to export your emails from the Zimbra client. Secondly, you need to import the exported Zimbra emails into Outlook client. And in the final step, you can export your Zimbra emails in PST file format.
Step 1: Export Emails from Zimbra Email Client
1. Launch Zimbra email client on your system and open the Preferences window.
2. In the left pane, you will find the Import/Export button. You need to click on that button.
3. Here you have to click on All Folders option and then hit the Export button.
4. You also get the option to export all folders or only specific folders.
5. Now click on the Export button to start exporting Zimbra emails.
6. The application will now ask you for the storage path where you need to save your emails.
7. Now you will get your emails in TGZ format. You now have to extract those emails from TGZ file and save them in EML file format.
Step 2: Import These Files in Microsoft Outlook
Now that your emails are in EML file format, you can import them in Microsoft Outlook and export Zimbra emails to PST format. This step will also guide you on how to convert EML to PST for free.
1. For this, you can simply create a new folder in Outlook so that the Zimbra emails don’t get merged into your existing Outlook emails. (Creating a new folder is an optional step as you can also import Zimbra emails to Outlook in the existing folder as well.)
2. Following that, select all EML files that you extracted from Zimbra’s TGZ file and drag and drop them into Microsoft Outlook’s folder.
3. Finally, you will be able to see those emails in Microsoft Outlook.
4. You can now use the Import/Export Wizard available in Outlook to export Zimbra emails to PST format.
Point to be noted: A major issue with this manual procedure is that when you drag and drop EML files in Outlook, you won’t be able to preview those emails in the preview window. This is the reason why many users and IT administrators don’t prefer using this procedure for conversion.
Third-Party Zimbra to PST Converter for Effortless Migration
Keeping a large amount of data in mind, it is important to go with a tried and tested automated tool instead of a free manual procedure. It is because these tools are specially designed to make the overall process simple and efficient. Additionally, you also get the surety to export Zimbra mailbox to PST without losing a single bit of data.
Conclusion
Although you have to option to export Zimbra emails to Outlook PST files for free, it is not a reliable method as you might think. That is where the need for a trustworthy and secure solution occurs. Thus, if you are also one of those users who are looking for a perfect Zimbra to PST converter, then this might be the best solution for you.