Import Thunderbird mail into Entourage

With just a little effort, you can get Entourage to do this for you, since Thunderbird uses MBOX type mailbox files.

1. Locate the Thunderbird folders you want to import. They live in
   
   ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/default.bb1/Mail/Local Folders/
   
   The mailbox files are the ones with just the name of the folder, like "Inbox". (This is for my system; I'm not sure of the "default.bb1" part, but it's what shows for me. You may have to poke around a bit to find the folders you want.)
2. Entourage insists that mailbox files have the extension of ".mbx", so use Cmd-D to make a copy of each folder you want to import, and then rename the copy so it is, for instance, "Inbox.mbx". You also must set the file type to TEXT; select the file(s) in Finder and run this script in Script Editor:
   
   download script or copy/paste into Script Editor

on run
    try
        tell application "Finder"
            set theFiles to the selection
            repeat with aFile in theFiles
                set file type of aFile to "TEXT"
            end repeat
        end tell
    on error theMsg
        display dialog theMsg
        exit repeat
    end try
end run

3. In Entourage, use the File->Import menu, and specify that you want to import mail from a mailbox file. You'll reach a file dialog; navigate to your Thunderbird folders, and select one to import. You can import them one folder at a time. Each imported folder will show up as a separate folder in Entourage.

It preserved categories, attachments, pretty much everything, including read status. However, it does NOT appear to preserve replied to info.

Script and directions provided by Allen Watson,Mac MVP