Hi Zane,
What you received is not an Outlook archive (like a .pst or .csv file)
but rather a Maildir—a standard way for Unix‑based mail servers (like
Dovecot) to store email. In a Maildir, each email is stored as its own
file inside folders (often named with a leading dot, such as |.NEWMAIL|,
|.cur|, |.tmp|, etc.), and the extra files (like |dovecot.index|,
|maildirsize|, and |subscriptions|) are used by Dovecot to manage and
index your messages. The good news is that your emails are still there
in plain text form, but you’ll need to use software that understands
Maildir or convert the format if you want to use a client like Outlook.
Here are a few approaches you can take:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. *Using an Email Client That Supports Maildir*
*
*Thunderbird (with some configuration):*
o *Linux Users:* Thunderbird on Linux can be set up to use Maildir
as its storage format. Although Thunderbird’s default is mbox,
you can start a new profile configured for Maildir. (There are
guides online on “Configuring Thunderbird for Maildir”.)
o *Windows Users:* Thunderbird doesn’t natively offer an easy
“import Maildir” button on Windows. However, you can use
conversion tools (see below) or even try to run Thunderbird on a
Linux live CD/VM to import your Maildir.
*
*Other Clients:*
o *Mutt:* If you’re comfortable with a text‑based client on Linux
or macOS, Mutt supports Maildir out of the box.
o *Maildir Viewers:* There are some standalone Maildir viewer
programs (often open source) available for various platforms. A
quick search for “Maildir viewer” might turn up a tool with a
graphical interface.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. *Converting Maildir to a More Import-Friendly Format*
* *Convert to mbox:*
o There are utilities (like |maildir2mbox| or scripts such as
|mb2md|) available on Linux that can convert a Maildir into the
mbox format. Once converted to mbox, many email clients
(including Thunderbird) can import the emails, and from there
you can sometimes export to Outlook formats.
* *Convert Directly to Outlook PST:*
o There are commercial conversion tools (for example, Emailchemy
<https://www.emailchemy.com/>) that can take a Maildir and
convert it directly into a PST file, which Outlook can open.
* *Using an Intermediate IMAP Server:*
o If you’re comfortable with a little extra setup, you could
install Dovecot locally, point it to your Maildir archive, and
then configure an email client (like Outlook or Thunderbird) to
connect to your local Dovecot instance via IMAP. This way, you
“read” your emails as if they were on a server and then you can
export them if needed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. *Understanding the Components*
*
*Maildir Folders (e.g., |.NEWMAIL|, etc.):*
These directories represent your mail folders. Inside, each file is
an individual email. The leading dot is common in Unix‑based systems
and indicates a hidden folder (though when unzipped on Windows they
may show up as normal folders).
*
*Dovecot Index and Cache Files:*
Files such as |dovecot.index|, |dovecot.index.log2|, etc., are used
by Dovecot for quick access and aren’t needed if you only want to
view the emails. The actual email content is in the files inside the
Maildir folders.
*
*Subscriptions File:*
This file usually contains a list of folders you were “subscribed”
to for IMAP access. It’s not essential for viewing the emails, but
it gives hints as to how your mail folders were organized.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which Option Is Best for You?
*
*For a Non‑Technical User:*
The easiest (though possibly commercial) solution is to use a
conversion tool (like Emailchemy) that can convert your Maildir
directly into a PST file for Outlook. This minimizes technical steps
on your part.
*
*If You’re Comfortable Trying a Free/Open‑Source Route:*
You might install Thunderbird and use one of the conversion methods
(Maildir → mbox, then import into Thunderbird) or set up a local
Dovecot instance to serve the Maildir over IMAP.
*
*If You’re on Linux or a Tech‑Friendly Environment:*
Using a client like Mutt or reconfiguring Thunderbird to use Maildir
directly could be the quickest solution.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Summary
Your email archive is in the *Maildir format* used by Dovecot. To access
your emails:
* *Option A:* Use an email client or viewer that can read Maildir
directly (or configure one like Thunderbird/Mutt).
* *Option B:* Convert the Maildir to a format that your preferred
email client (such as Outlook) can import (e.g., mbox or PST) using
available conversion tools.
A quick search online for “convert Maildir to Outlook” or “import
Maildir into Thunderbird” should provide step‑by‑step guides tailored to
your operating system.
yours sincerely
Robert, aka Bitranox
*
*
*Von:* Zane B Stein via dovecot <dovecot@dovecot.org>
*Gesendet:* Montag, 3. Februar 2025 um 15:31 MEZ
*An:* dovecot@dovecot.org <dovecot@dovecot.org>
*Betreff:* question from a newbie
My mail was hosted by a site that no longer handles email. I asked them if
they could send me a file with all my emails in it and they said sure. I was
thinking maybe I would get something I could import into Outlook such as a .pst
or .ost file, or perhaps a .csv file.
What I received was a zipped file and when I opened it there were a bunch of
folders with emails in them in some strange format (each one with a . in front
of it, such as .NEWMAIL ), plus a bunch of files along with the folders such as
dovecat.index, dovecatindex.cache, dovecot.index.log2, dovecot.list.inex,
divecot.mailbox and others with a dovecot prefix, plus one called maildirsize
and one called subscriptions.
I have no idea how to read the emails in this format.
Can someone tell me how I can access the emails in this set of files? Feel
free to ask if you need more information before you can answer.
If I need a special program to read the files, is there an easy one available
that is user friendly for someone with no experience with dovecot files?
Thank you.
Zane B Stein
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