Quick answer. Windows Live Mail cannot open an MBOX file, but it happily takes EML. So the job is to turn the MBOX into EML first. For free, open the MBOX in Thunderbird and export the messages as EML, then drag them into a Windows Live Mail folder. A tool converts the MBOX to EML in one step for large or many files.
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Why the MBOX will not open?
Windows Live Mail simply does not understand the MBOX format, so pointing it at an .mbox file gets you nowhere. What it does read is EML, one file per message, which you can drag straight into a folder. That is the key, the whole job is really turning the MBOX into EML first, then dropping those EML files into Live Mail.
Worth knowing up front, Windows Live Mail was discontinued in 2017 and no longer gets updates, though it still runs on older Windows and plenty of people keep it for offline mail. Everything below works on it as it stands. There are two ways to get the EML, a free one and a quicker one.
Live Mail will not read MBOX, so convert to EML first, then drag those in.
“Once you see that Windows Live Mail reads EML and not MBOX, the whole thing stops being mysterious, you are not really importing an MBOX, you are converting it to EML and dragging the results in. Thunderbird does that conversion for free if you are comfortable with a few steps, and a converter does it in one pass, which matters when the MBOX is large or there are several. Either way the target is EML, that is the format Live Mail actually accepts.” Shubham Dixit, Data Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
Free, through Thunderbird
Thunderbird can open an MBOX and hand you EML, so it works nicely as the free middle step. It takes a few clicks but costs nothing.
Open the MBOX in Thunderbird. Install the free ImportExportTools NG add-on, then right-click a folder and choose ImportExportTools NG, Import mbox file, and pick your .mbox. Its messages appear in Thunderbird.
Get the EML out. Select the messages and drag them to a folder on your desktop, they save as .eml. You can also use ImportExportTools NG to export the whole folder to EML at once.
Drag them into Live Mail. In Windows Live Mail make a new folder, then drag the .eml files into it. Live Mail reads each one and the mail appears. It is free and fine for a modest number of messages, though it leans on Thunderbird and takes a few steps.
Either way you end up with EML files to drag into Live Mail.
In one step, a tool
If the MBOX is large, or there are several, a tool skips the Thunderbird dance and turns the MBOX into EML in one pass. The PCDOTS MBOX Converter loads your MBOX files or a folder of them and exports them to EML in bulk, keeping the message with its attachments and headers, with filters if you only want part of the mailbox. Then you drag those EML into a Windows Live Mail folder the same way. It runs on Windows, and a free version handles the first ten items per folder so you can test it first.
The tool route, MBOX to EML in one step, then drag into Live Mail.
Here are the steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the software on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose Email Data Files, MBOX, and add your files or folder.
Step 3. Open the Export menu and select EML.
Step 4. Choose a destination folder and Save, then drag the EML into Live Mail.
Since the middle step is really MBOX to EML, our guide to convert MBOX files to EML covers it in more depth, and if you would rather read the MBOX in Thunderbird first, see import MBOX into Thunderbird.
Not to be confused with Windows 10 Mail
One thing to clear up, since the two get mixed together. Windows Live Mail is the older desktop program covered here. Windows 10 Mail is the separate built-in Mail app that came with Windows 10, and it behaves differently. If that is actually what you have, see our guide to import MBOX to Windows 10 Mail instead.
The methods compared
Both roads end with EML files you drag into Live Mail. Pick by how much mail you have.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderbird then EML | A modest amount, free | Add the add-on, a few steps |
| MBOX Converter tool | Large or many files | Windows, MBOX to EML in one pass |
Frequently asked questions
Can Windows Live Mail open an MBOX file directly?
No. Windows Live Mail does not read MBOX. It reads EML, so you convert the MBOX to EML first, then drag those files in.
What is the free way to do it?
Open the MBOX in Thunderbird with the ImportExportTools NG add-on, export the messages as EML, then drag the EML into a Windows Live Mail folder.
Why use a tool instead?
A tool converts the MBOX to EML in one pass, which is faster for a large mailbox or several files and lets you filter what you take. You still drag the EML into Live Mail.
Can I import a Gmail MBOX into Windows Live Mail?
Yes. A Gmail Takeout MBOX works the same way, convert it to EML first, then drag the EML into Live Mail.
Is Windows Live Mail still supported?
No. Microsoft discontinued it in 2017, so it gets no updates, but it still runs on older Windows and reads EML as described here.
Do attachments survive the conversion?
Yes. Each EML holds the complete message with its attachments and headers, so nothing is lost moving from MBOX to EML to Live Mail.
Which route to pick for MBOX into Live Mail
Since Live Mail only ever wanted EML, both routes get you there, and the choice is really about volume. For a modest mailbox and no cost, take the Thunderbird route, open the MBOX, export the messages as EML, and drag them in. For a large MBOX, several files, or when you want to filter what comes across, the converter is the calmer choice, one pass to EML and you are dragging files into Live Mail in minutes. If you are on the fence, start with the free route on a small folder, and reach for the tool the moment the manual steps start to drag.
