How to Open a Google Takeout .Mbox File
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- #googletakeout #mboximport #onescales
This video tutorial is those of you who used Google Takeout, Backed Up your gmail or google workspace emails and folders and want to access or import your emails.
In this video we use Mozilla Thunderbird and Mac Mail as 2 solutions.
These Instructions Fit Windows, Linux and Mac
* Want to Import to Gmail? • How to Transfer Old Em...
Important Links:
Google Takeout: takeout.google...
Thunderbird Email Client: www.thunderbir...
Thank you! Concise and helpful, glad there's CC too :)
If anybody is having trouble with V115.12.1 on Windows, the steps are mostly the same but the layout is a bit different.
- I just wanted my read my backed up emails without connecting it to any of my other email services or accounts, so I created a 'fodder' account to use. In the hamburger menu on the top right, I chose to create a "Feed" account and it seems to work fine.
- In account settings (also in the hamburger menu after you create your account), there is a setting to choose a "Local Directory" which I just pointed to the folder with the mbox file, just like the video.
Thanks for sharing your steps. Very helpful
You're a life saver man. Couldn't find a solution to this anywhere.
Happy it helped
Hi @onescales,
I cannot see the local folders showing up in the account settings. There is only one option outgoing server (SMTP). Can you help with figuring out how to upload from local folders?
Can you take a screenshot and share it ?
I am unable to replicate the options on my mac. there is no option that shows local settings or local folders
did you try to scroll down or see if there's a down arrow to open up more. can you send a screenshot?
So helpful, Thank you so much :)
Happy it helped!
what do i do if the takeout and mail, forlder is there but the mbox file isn't?
Make a new folder and import again into the new folder
@@onescales thank you
@@gregordalicano6240 good luck. Update me
that actually worked. thankyou so much
@@gregordalicano6240 happy to hear!!
I have someone other gmail account take out, his id is deleted now I want to view his mails from takeout file
@@irkfaisal if you have the mbox file you can follow steps in this video
@@onescales I view the take out file, had to install a extension in thunderbird
@@irkfaisal not sure what you mean. Was it a large zip? A takeout file with Gmail and other exports? Can you share more?
@@onescales yes it was a .mbox file of 4.8GB containg all google app data like drive, docs and sheet. I got some error while importing in the thunderbird then I used chat gpt ,it suggests me to install an extension. Then I was able to view the whole .mbox file.
My Thunderbird has Account Settings but nothing after that. Can't add or open anything.
Did you scroll? Try to see arrows to on more? Any way you can provide screenshot and share in comments?
You have to make a fake account first.
There was an error loading file this is whats happening on my end, and it wont show the mbox file on thunderbird
What does the error say?
@@onescales it says import failed unexpectedly, more information may be available in the error console. Im on windows 10 btw.
@@saniydel did you check the error console ?
@@onescales yes and it says uncaught (in promise) DOMExeptiin: could not open file at (location). And tb.account.size on disk - attempted to set the scalar to an incompatible value. If on the disk size it still have 135gb left
@@onescalesi think i have to re download the file again, well thank you for your time I appreciate it man! Thank you
Thank you
Your welcome
thanks
You're welcome!
Thank you for a great video! Not even Google advises you how to access your own information that was downloaded. Cheers!
Your welcome!
The make it purposely complex so you have to pay for more storage.
the only problem was, "if you don't want to setup an account you can "skip, skip, skip"
but you can't "skip". you can't create a "local folders" without setting up an account.
you can create a fake one and bypass
Just did this for an uncle who filled his gmail account and needed to backup his attachments. I did it on Windows 11 and the steps were pretty much the same, the only part that was not clear on the video was how to create a dummy account. It seems you HAVE to add an account first whether real or dummy before you get the option for "Local Folders" so if you don't see those options it's because you need to add an account first. If anyone is also after the attachments, I used an add-on for thunderbird called "Extract'Em" that allows you to download them into a zip file.
Thanks for the video! Google takeout mentions thunderbird and apple mail but that's about it.
your welcome. you can just setup existing account and write fake info inside.
Thank you so much for this video! I thought I had no way to open my files but you got me. Appreciate you!
your welcome. happy it helped you
Maybe you can help me. I was stuck like you were and this video helped me a whole lot, HOWEVER, I am stuck near the end. When I get to the part in Thuderbird where I click "Browse" to add the MBOX link, the file does not show up in the local folder: downloads. But when I open the downloads folder from my computer it is there. PLEASE PLEASE HELP! IS the part of the problem because it came in a ZIPdrive?
@@Jacque-ql6up Hey! If you're following the video perfectly, all I can think of is, have you already extracted the file? If you're trying to open it from within a zipped folder (Google saves a Takeout as a zip) it won't work, you need to extract the files first then import the extracted MBOX file
Oh my - this may be the answer to my problem. Can you tell me how I extract the files? Can you direct me to a good video? THANK YOU so much for trying to help me. @@JamesWareham-wf7rc
This works for opening gmail. Is it similar to open Google Chat messages? Great video also!
great to hear! google chat messages is a different format so this method will not work. i have added to our list of future videos but cannot gurantee the timeline on this as we have many in our backlog. cheers
I want to view the gmail takeout file of a deleted user, how can i view the file ? I tried but it Downloader my gmail account data
If you deleted that user you cannot access the mbox. If it is in a google workspace account and you recently deleted than you can ask the admin to restore that account and maybe restore it
Ty i was having trouble with it but you told me do not select .mbox but the folder, and it worked 👍
Happy it helped you
Can not even acces my money from working vecause google disbaled my account and this method doesnt work i dont know what to do
Did you contact support?
Please help me my zip file is password protected I don't how to extract Or open
google taekout doesnt password protect the file. are you sure this is from google?
I'm backing up my emails because they're eating too many of my Google drive space. If I use this method, will my imported emails remain on Thunderbird even if I delete the originals on my gmail account?
Yes as long as you first backup and download the files to your computer before deleting. Note that google drive backups from takeout are not in an mbox file. Only gmail backup is mbox
@@onescales Thanks
@@justsomeguy9073 :)
Perfecto! Sept 2024, works perfectly!
@@kizashikaze9066 :)
Very Helpfull and works, thank you...😊
@@titoprakoso2465 happy to hear. Your welcome
Thanks for the great video. Normally when a zip file is opened it can be directed to a storage location, It seems that you still have the Mbox in the downloads file. It seems a crowded place to leave it. What windows locationdo you recommend? I don't know where the local folders normally reside in Thunderbird.. Currently it had been using the mail server which was the cause of my problem. Thanks
Terence
Your welcome. When you unzipped it, you could have unzipped to another folder to keep it cleaner
Thanks for your reply,.. Is it a good idea to put it on onedrive of ms 365 II need to scan through the past e mails easily while working on current e mails. f@@onescales
i HAVE AN ADDDITIONAL QUESTION I have a inbox on my e mail server which I will need to download. I have only received one mbox file at this time. Will google put the additional mbox files in the same file transfer location or will I have to repeat the process that you have outlined.
i love you
love you too. happy it helped you
Amazing stuff mate! Is there anyway I can get the restored MBOX files to show up on my regular gmail too?
@@VikramJames-j4p thanks. Just follow the steps at ua-cam.com/video/0hah75Gwm2A/v-deo.html
@@onescales Thank you, appreciate it
@@VikramJames-j4p anytime
I am having the same issue on Mac. The local folders option does not appear
Any chance you can screenshot and share it in the comments? You can use Imgur or google drive and make it public
You have to make a fake account first.
Dang, they are charging for Thunderbird now!
@@robtxrealtor it’s always free
@@onescales I just looked today. It's not I promise
GuruPeer its a donation min $8
Do you know of a way to import these emails back into another, existing gmail account?
yes. working on a video and will update you once live.
Video is complete. Here's how to sync back to a new gmail address - ua-cam.com/video/0hah75Gwm2A/v-deo.html Especially from minute 4:37
I appreciate your video however I have some questions: Why would I get my emails through takeout only to transfer them into another server to be stored there? Don't most users want to have that takeout file extracted on their own computer or external hard drive for viewing at later dates? There must be a way to download the files, extract them and view on your device without involving yet another app or provider who then holds your data?
The way that google decided to offer your backups is via mbox which requires software to open it . There’s no other way. Just like a xls file requires excel or other to open it.
I never comment but this was worthy! Finally a video that helped! Much Thanks!
Appreciate it and happy it helped!
Maybe you can help me. I was stuck until I used this video which helped me a whole lot, HOWEVER, I am stuck once again, near the end. When I get to the part in Thunderbird where I click "Browse" to add the MBOX link, the file does not show up in the local folder: downloads. But when I open the downloads folder from my computer it is there. PLEASE PLEASE HELP! IS the part of the problem because it came in a ZIPdrive?
Thank you so much
Any time
Many thanks
@@ERPDepartment-n7c your welcome!
the apple mail one is importing but not not the mozilla (didn't get any way to skip account set up)
then you can use apple mail. there is a way to skip on mozilla but you can also make a fake mail to get to import steps
fanks :)
@@TyGuyRL :) your welcome
Thank you
Your welcome!
Thanks man you saved me !
Happy to help!
PLEASE HELP - I've hit my fourth roadblock in two days of work: When I get to the part where I click "Browse" to add the MBOX link, the file does not show up in the local folder: downloads. But when I open the downloads folder from my computer it is there. PLEASE PLEASE HELP! IS the part of the problem because it came in a ZIPdrive?
yes you need to unzip the zip file(s) first and then follow steps
Thanks for this video. I had a few issues but solved them thanks to the responses here and searching the web:
1. You need an account (you can't skip it (anymore?) even though it's said in the video). Just make a feed-account.
2. Once you changed the local folder to the folder that contains your mbox-account, for me it still didn't load my messages. Once I removed the mbox-extension from the file, it suddenly started loading all the messages. Not sure why we need to remove it but for me that did the job.
thanks for the added comments . will help others as well.
Thanks for sharing dude!
Your welcome!
Help please. I did my takeout in 2021 and installed Thunderbird after. I don’t know if I was ever able to open the mbox file through the program but I’m trying today (open-saved message) and they are grayed out and I can’t open them
Try to upgrade your thunderbird and then try to import again
Why do I have to log into my email and allow Thunderbird access? I'm just trying to open emails that I've downloaded. That's it lol...
You can bypass this or have a wrong account and still see your emails
I can see only Disk and out going server (smtp) but not Local folders. If I use export then I got only 1 email visible out of 4 GB mbox file.
Can you share a screenshot of your version so we can see
Thank you for the wonderful video. It helps a lot to view downloaded backup emails.
Glad it was helpful!
How do you do this with the new user interface on the Windows version?
Although I don’t have newest version of windows, it probably should be the same. Can you try and share in the comments with everybody
I have 2 problems. I normally use Tnunderbird for my mails so If i switch to the file transfer and mbox settings what will happen to my regular mail ? How will I continue to log into the mail server? I need to be able to access both. Additionally when I download more mbox files will they automatically be placed in the same folder?
thanks
terence
I have another problem too. My Windows does not display the downloaded mbox files if I search the download folder.I can only find them by looking in the download displayed by Firefox. Is that due to the fact that the downloaded zip file has not been unzipped to a defined folder
The mbox import will import mail into a folder (please follow steps) . Using mail for sending and receiving is separate form importing old mail.
For new mbox files just follow the steps
Thanks for your time doing this video :)
Your welcome.
Too much verbiage
sorry. trying to fit many skill levels
amazing video gz and ty it's work perfect dude
Your welcome. Happy it helped you
Thank you. worked well for me.
@@okolodaniel7556 your welcome. Happy it helped!
I am trying to do this on Windows, Thunderbird looks completely different and I can't find the box specifying where to load local files :( . Do you think it's changed recently or something?
it should be very similiar. software layout might have changed.
@@onescales thanks for the reply, I'll try again later, I spent an hour and couldn't find it, the help at thunderbird suggesting moving the file to the mail folder but since my computer is controlled by my work I don't think I have access
@@sharonmcgavin1666 please update us so we can learn
Thanks man. You're a lifesaver !
Your welcome. Happy this video helped
Sir, can I import this mbox file to Outlook?
from my memory (at least in the past), you will have to convert the mbox to an outlook fitting format.
thanks bro!!!
your welcome!
Thank you for this video!
Your welcome!
This is so informative. Thank you!!!!
Your welcome!
You are a genuine person on yt. Rare find. Thank you
Appreciate the kind words. Trying to do my thing online
Super quick and helpful. Thank you!
Your welcome! Happy to hear it was helpful
Thanks a ton!
Your welcome!
Thanks man.
Your welcome!
Very helpful. Thanks!
happy to hear! :)
Can’t we do it in Iphone?
did you try the same instructions in mac 5:40 in your iphone?
@@onescalesyeah i tried, i didn’t find the import mailbox option
@@RahulDheerajKottumight not be an option. try on your desktop
@@onescales okay
Thank you sir 🙏
Your welcome!
Maybe you can help me. I was stuck until I used this video which helped me a whole lot, HOWEVER, I am stuck once again, near the end. When I get to the part in Thunderbird where I click "Browse" to add the MBOX link, the file does not show up in the local folder: downloads. But when I open the downloads folder from my computer it is there. PLEASE PLEASE HELP! IS the part of the problem because it came in a ZIPdrive?
Take emails out of one and put into another 🤷🤦🏻♂️.
what do you mean?
DUDE WHAT ABOUT WINDOWS!
You can use Mozilla thunderbird as shown in video. It is very similar on windows