PST files, or Outlook Data Files, cannot be opened directly in non-Outlook environments. If you need to access emails across Windows and Mac, converting PST to EML is your best option. EML files are supported by many email clients and are highly portable and device/app agnostic.
Why Convert PST to EML?
· Windows: EML files can be opened in Windows Live Mail, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, etc.
· Mac: You can use EML with Apple Mail and other Mac-based email clients.
· Linux: Plenty of clients support EML such as Evolution, KMail and Thunderbird.
· Portability: EML files are light and easy to transfer between operating systems.
Manual Conversion (Limitations)
To do this, you must use Outlook, and it is generally Windows only:
1. Open the PST in Outlook.
2. Drag and drop emails to your desktop (which will save in .MSG format).
3. Import them into a program like Windows Live Mail and resave as EML,
4. Copy the EML files to your Mac or Linux.
Limitation: This is very time-consuming, you have to install Outlook, and you cannot run this directly on Mac.
Professional Solution – Make PST to EML file
When it comes to reliability and cross-platform compatibility, you can count on a professional tool. The Softaken PST to EML Converter will convert your PST to EML files for you seamlessly. The resulting EML files will be usable on both Windows, and Mac, as you can rely on the conversion process to make the files compatible across platforms.
Key features for cross-platform compatibility:
· Outlook or any other email client is not required for it to function. It operates entirely on its own.
· It transforms whole PST files to the operating system-acceptable EML format.
· It moves the folder or hierarchy as well as any attachments and information.
· Both ANSI and Unicode PST files are supported.
· Additionally, it enables batch processing to expedite massive mailbox conversion.
· It is compatible with all of the main email clients that accept EML, such as Evolution, Apple Mail, and Thunderbird.