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How to Import Emails From a Full cPanel Backup to Thunderbird
How to Import Emails From a Full cPanel Backup to Thunderbird

Importing emails from a full website backup to Thunderbird

Updated over a year ago

If you have a full backup of your website hosted on cPanel, you can easily import emails to Thunderbird with the help of the ImportExportTools NG extension. To do so, follow the steps below 👇

Step 1 – Install an Email Import Extension in Thunderbird

In Thunderbird, click on the triple bar ≡ in the top-right and select Add-ons and Themes from the menu:

Add-ons and Themes option in Thunderbird

Search for the extension ImportExportTools NG:

Installing the ImportExportTools NG extension in Thunderbird

Click on Add to Thunderbird:

Installing the ImportExportTools NG extension in Thunderbird

Finally, confirm the addition:

Installing the ImportExportTools NG extension in Thunderbird

Step 2 – Start the Import Process

In Thunderbird, find the email account into which you wish to import emails. Right-click on Inbox and select ImportExportTools NG Import EML MessagesIndividual EML Messages:

Importing emails to Thunderbird

Step 3 – Find Email Files in the Full Backup

Now, within the full backup, locate the email backup folder. First, open the homedir folder:

Locating the email backup file

Then, open the mail folder:

Locating the email backup file

Select the folder that has the domain name of the backup in question:

Locating the email backup file

Select the name of the email you want to import:

Locating the email backup file

Finally, go to the cur folder of that email:

Locating the email backup file

Step 4 – Finish the Import Process

The cur folder will be empty. To view files within, select All files (instead of Emails files) here:

The option to view All files or Email files

Now, select the email files and then click on Open:

Importing emails from a backup to Thunderbird

Finally, the extension will import all emails, and they will be synchronized via IMAP on the server:

Importing emails from a backup to Thunderbird

And that's it – now you know how to import emails from a full cPanel backup to Thunderbird!

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