How to Convert EML to PST File for Outlook in Easy Steps

A Brief Introduction to the EML and PST file

EML file is an individual email message file that stores the information in a single email. This file contains the email content, sender information, recipient information, date of the message, etc. These files are small because they store a single email message. Additionally, it is compatible with different email clients, including Microsoft Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, MS Outlook, and other email clients.

A Personal Storage Table (PST) file is the Outlook data file that stores the complete mailbox information. It contains your messages and other Outlook items like contacts, calendars, tasks, and journals and an option to save them on the computer. However, it has an advantage over EML files in that a PST file can store information equal to hundreds of EML files, and it will suggest users convert EML to PST file format. Before proceeding to the solution part, here is a detailed comparison between EML and PST files, giving you a helpful overview.

EML vs PST – Overviews

Here are the basic differences between EML and PST files, which will help you to select a specific one when converting EML files to PST for Outlook.

EML File	PST File
Short for electronic mail or email	Short for personal folder file
EML file is handy while migrating a single email.	PST files come up with an easy exporting process for multiple emails.
Multiple email clients, like Thunderbird, Windows Live Mail, Entourage, etc., support EML files.	PST file format has been introduced to be compatible with MS Outlook for Windows.
EML file stores a single email message, and there is no possibility of corruption.	PST files store all the email data, and one can easily access and manage its data without thinking about the chance of corruption.
EML file is platform-independent email clients, and you can efficiently run them on various platforms.	PST files support all the Windows versions like 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, etc.

Why Need to Convert EML to PST file

Users may want to convert EML to PST files for Outlook for various reasons. However, there are some common reasons which led most of the users to convert the EML files. 

• EML files are prone to corruption. They can get corrupted more easily than any other file format. So, exporting them into Outlook data files (PST) is an efficient way to protect valuable information from corruption.
• You need an email client that supports this file format to open EML files. However, you can open the PST files in every version of Microsoft Outlook. Hence, convert EML files to PST and open, read and view it in Outlook for Office 365, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and below.
• EML files store a single email. When you save a complete mailbox as EML files, it takes up a lot of space. On the other hand, a PST file contains the entire mailbox emails with attachments in minimal space.

There are other reasons to export EML to PST format, but the above causes are the most prominent. After learning the root cause of the need to perform EML to PST migration, let’s know multiple methods to convert EML to PST file format.

03 Best Methods to Convert EML to PST File

You can convert EML files to Outlook PST files through various techniques. The manual methods do not require additional software for converting EML files to PST format. However, you can perform the steps using third-party software, giving you an appropriate EML to PST conversion result. Also, you need to make sure that these manual methods require some technical knowledge to solve the issue. So, there are two methods to convert EML to PST files for Outlook.

Method 1: Export EML to PST Using Windows Live Mail and Microsoft Outlook

In this method, you use Windows Live Mail and Microsoft Outlook to perform the conversion. This software is for email clients and not third-party software. You use their inbuilt features to export EML files to PST file format. Follow the steps below to convert EML to PST files easily.

Step 1: Export EML files from Windows Live Mail

1. Open Windows Live Mail on your system.
2. Click on the File button in the menu bar.
3. Select the Export Email option and choose Email Messages.
4. Opt for Microsoft Exchange in the export option and then click Next.
5. It will open a screen pop-up stating that all emails will export to Microsoft Outlook. Click OK.
6. Select the desired email from the mailbox folder, migrate the complete emails, and then press the OK button.
7. Click the OK button, and it will initialize the migration. 
8. After finishing, an export completion wizard will appear. Click on the Finish button.

Step 2: Import EML files to MS Outlook

1. Open Microsoft Outlook in your system.
2. Now, go to the location where you saved the EML files.
3. Select the desired EML files that you want to migrate.
4. After that, click on the files and hold.
5. Move the pointer, place it in the inbox of Microsoft Outlook, and release the hold.
6. It will move the EML files into Outlook by converting them to PST.

Method 2: Convert EML to PST Using Outlook Express

You can convert EML to PST files using Outlook Express. First, drag the EML files into Outlook Express and then configure the EML files with Outlook Express. Now, follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. Run Microsoft Outlook in your system as administrator.
2. Click on the File tab and select Open and Export.
3. Choose the Import/Export option from the list.
4. Afterwards, opt for the Import Internal Mail and Addresses and then Outlook Express.
5. Select the Next button and then click on the Finish button to export EML files to Outlook.

These are the most common and effective Manual steps to convert EML to Outlook data files(.pst). These methods are helpful in most cases but not in every case. The manual procedures also have some drawbacks.

Limitation of Manual Methods

The manual method is best suited for those who have technical knowledge. But, users who are not familiar with technical terms can not use the above steps. So, in some situations, the manual method could be better for converting EML to PST files in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, etc. It also has some drawbacks.

• It is complicated for naive users.
• The manual steps are time-consuming as you can only migrate a limited number of emails simultaneously.
• The risk of file corruption or data loss is high with these methods.
• The above procedure will get changed with every update of Microsoft Outlook.

Because of all the above vulnerabilities, manual steps are not suitable for everyone. Therefore, you need to use a more advanced solution for performing EML files to PST conversion.

Method 3: Convert EML files to PST Using Professional Solution

Aryson EML Converter is an efficient and risk-free utility to convert EML files to Outlook PST file format. The software allows users to export single and multiple EML files to PST file format without any data loss. This technique is ideal for both technical and non-technical users while converting EML files to PST format.

Note: If you want to convert PST to EML for Windows Live Mail then you can use a professional Outlook PST Converter software from Aryson.

Simple Steps to Convert EML to PST

1. Download, Install and Run EML Converter Software.
2. Click Browse to select the EML files from your PC.
3. Select the folders and preview the required email message.
4. Choose the saving format as PST from the drop-down list.
5. Check the built-in software features and set the path for the output folder.
6. Click Convert to start the conversion process of EML files to PST.
7. Finally, you can also save the whole process report.

Conclusion

The article explains all the main reasons to convert EML to PST files for Outlook. It also guides how you can convert EML to PST format. A manual method is suitable for users who know the technical terms and can perform complicated steps. On the other hand, the automatic solution incorporates third-party software and is ideal for non-technical users to convert EML to PST.

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