A small business employee handled all company communication using Windows Live Mail on a single office desktop. The growing demand for remote access became a barrier to productivity. As we know, Windows Live Mail cannot be accessed through a mobile, the employee was unable to check emails when working remotely or travelling. Therefore, to resolve this issue, the company decided to import Windows Live Mail to Gmail. There are both manual and automated Windows Live Mail Converter Tool to do this migration. This shift to Gmail will provide the employee with secure, anytime, anywhere access to their entire email history. Read the blog till the end to understand the entire migration process and why it is beneficial to do this.
Windows Live Mail is a desktop email client that enables users to handle emails from multiple providers. Gmail is a free email platform that offers secure, cloud-based storage and an easy-to-use email platform. Windows Live Mail is accessed only on the Desktop, while Gmail can be accessed on various devices.
Why Migrate Windows Live Mail to G Suite?
Importing WLM emails to Gmail keeps emails secure, accessible, and easy to share. Here are the advantages why many users prefer this transition:
- Windows Live Mail lacks cloud integration and only works on desktops, limiting accessibility. Gmail can be accessed from anywhere and on any device.
- There is a limited storage space provided by WLM, while Gmail offers comparatively more cloud storage. This makes it highly scalable for large and small industries.
- Gmail is equipped with advanced security features like 2FA, data encryption, etc. Windows Live Mail offers only basic security features.
- There is integration of robust collaborative tools in Gmail with other Google services. This enhances teamwork efficiency and productivity.
- Gmail is integrated with Google Workspace’s AI-based spam filtering that helps users to organize their inboxes.
How to Import Windows Live Mail to Gmail?
After understanding the need to import Windows Live Mail emails to Gmail, let’s now talk about how users can do it easily. The user can choose between a manual method and an automated method. An automated tool is available to simplify the task and provides an instant way to do the process. Let’s explore both the manual and an automated tool-driven method.
Manually Forward Windows Live Mail to Gmail
This method is useful when the user wants to forward only a few emails. This will forward the new emails from WLM to Gmail.
Follow the steps below and start the process:
- Open Windows Live Mail on your system.
- Select the email(s) that you want to forward to Gmail.
- Right-click on them and choose Forward.
- In the “To” field, enter your Gmail address.
- At last, click on the Send button.
Limitations: It is a time-consuming process when handling a large number of emails. It does not maintain the folder structure and might not work properly with emails having large attachments.
Using Microsoft Outlook to Import WLM to Gmail
This is suitable for medium to large-scale migrations. In this method, Outlook will export your emails and upload them to Gmail using IMAP.
These are the steps to begin importing WLM emails to Gmail:
- Open the MS Outlook application.
- Navigate to File > Add Account > Manual Setup or additional server types.
- Then, choose IMAP and enter the server details:
| Incoming Mail Server (IMAP) | Server: mail.outlook.com |
| Port: 993 | |
| Encryption: SSL | |
| Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) | Server: mail.outlook.com |
| Port: 587 | |
| Encryption: TLS | |
| Username | Your WLM Email ID |
| Password | Your WLM Password |
- Similarly, set up your Gmail account in Outlook.
- Drag and drop emails or the entire folder from your WLM account to Gmail.
Limitations: It involves complex technical steps. Syncing a large number of emails will take a considerable amount of time. Moreover, it may not preserve the folder structure.
Using Gmail’s Import Feature to Migrate WLM Emails to Gmail
It offers a good solution to import old emails to your Gmail account using Gmail’s POP3 Import feature.
Below are the steps to convert WLM to Gmail:
Step 1: Enable IMAP/POP in Gmail
- Sign in to Gmail with your account credentials.
- Go to Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Choose Enable POP for all mail under the POP Download section.
- Then, click on Save Changes.
Step 2: Transfer Windows Live Mail emails to Gmail
- Open the Gmail application.
- Navigate to Settings > Accounts and Import.
- In the Check mail from other accounts section, click on Add a mail account.
- Enter your Windows Live Mail Email ID and click Next.
- Now, choose Import emails from other account (POP3). Then, click Next.
- Fill in the POP Server settings:
| POP Server | pop3.live.com |
| Port | 995 |
| Username | Your WLM Email ID |
| Password | Your WLM Password |
| Encryption | SSL |
- Choose the instructions prompted and click on Add Account.
Limitations: It will not maintain the folder structure. It is a time-consuming process. The technical steps are complicated for non-technical users.
An Automated Tool to Import Windows Live Mail to Gmail Account
The Windows Live Mail Converter is a powerful and comprehensive solution for converting WLM emails. It import WLM to Gmail email client and other multiple file formats. This tool supports both single and bulk migrations, making it suitable for large-scale migrations. Users can also filter messages, exclude attachments, and eliminate duplicates. Additionally, it guarantees that the original email structure is preserved, offering a smooth, error-free transition.
Below are the simple steps to migrate Windows Live Mail to G Suite:
- Before proceeding with the tool, drag and drop the desired email from WLM to your desktop.
- This will be saved as an EML File.
- Now, download and run the tool.
- Select from Select File/Files or Select Folder and click on Next.
- Browse and open the .eml file that was saved on your desktop.
- Select and preview the EML File from the hierarchical tree structure. Then, click Next to continue.
- In the Saves/Backup/Migrate As section, choose Email Clients and select Gmail.
- Log in with your Gmail account credentials.
- Opt for any additional features if needed.
- Finally, click on the Convert button.
Conclusion
Importing Windows Live Mail to Gmail is crucial to maintain their accessibility over time. Gmail is a preferred choice as an email client for easy access and in a collaborative environment. This blog post explained a step-by-step approach on how to import Windows Live Mail to Gmail. The Windows Live Mail Converter provides a fully automated and error-free solution, making it ideal for businesses. Select the method that best suits your needs.
Related Post: Import Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q- How to transfer Windows Live Mail emails to Gmail?
Ans- In Windows Live Mail, select the emails that you want to transfer. Right-click on them > Forward, and in the “To” field, enter your Gmail address. Click on Send.
Q- Can I use Windows Live Mail with Gmail?
Ans- Yes. For that, you have to first enable IMAP in Gmail. Then, add your Gmail account in WLM by selecting IMAP and using SMTP. It will take a moment to sync your emails to Gmail. After some time, you can access your WLM emails in Gmail.
