What GWAVA Retain export formats does the converter support?

EML+ZIP, NSF and PST Retain exports are all supported. No Retain or GroupWise software needed.

What are GroupWise message classes and how does the converter handle them?

GroupWise message classes are read from headers and mapped to correct output types: email, ICS, MSG tasks.

Does the converter require a Lotus Notes or Domino installation to read NSF files?

No. The converter reads NSF files directly. No Lotus Notes, IBM Notes or Domino installation needed.

Can I convert GWAVA Retain exports to PST for Microsoft 365 migration?

Yes. Convert Retain ZIP or NSF to PST. Upload to M365 via the Import Service. GW folder structure preserved.

GWAVA Retain Converter - Retain NSF & EML to PST, MBOX, PDF

Name: Univik GWAVA Retain Converter
Price: 29 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (412 reviews)
Author: Univik

Convert GWAVA Retain NSF & EML Exports to Any Format

Professional Windows software to convert GWAVA Retain NSF and EML ZIP exports — GroupWise mailbox and journal archives — to MBOX, MSG, PDF, HTML and 10+ formats. Maps GroupWise message classes automatically (GW.MAIL, GW.CALENDAR, GW.TASK). No Lotus Notes required, with complete metadata and attachment preservation.

Reads Retain NSF, EML+ZIP and PST exports directly — no Lotus Notes or Domino installation required.

Converts to Outlook PST, MBOX, MSG, PDF, HTML and 10+ output formats.

GroupWise class mapping — GW.MAIL, GW.CALENDAR and GW.TASK items correctly mapped to emails, ICS and MSG tasks.

100% offline — GWAVA Retain export data never leaves your machine.

*Free trial converts first 25 emails per archive. Upgrade for unlimited conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about converting GWAVA Retain email archive exports.

Three Retain export formats: (1) EML+ZIP — Retain's primary GroupWise export format, one ZIP per user with EML files in sub-folders matching the GroupWise folder structure; (2) NSF — Lotus Notes Database format used when Retain is configured to archive Notes or GroupWise messages in Notes-compatible format; (3) PST — available for Retain Exchange deployments. All three formats are handled without requiring any Retain, GroupWise or Notes software on the conversion machine.

GroupWise uses proprietary message classes to identify item types: GW.MAIL.MESSAGE for email, GW.CALENDAR.APPOINTMENT for meetings, GW.TASK for tasks and GW.DOCUMENT for document references. GWAVA Retain encodes these classes in the EML export headers. Univik GWAVA Retain Converter reads these headers and maps each item to the correct output type — emails to messages, appointments to ICS calendar entries, tasks to MSG task items. This is critical for GroupWise-to-M365 migrations where users expect calendar and task items to appear correctly in Outlook.

No. Univik GWAVA Retain Converter reads NSF files directly using its own NSF parser. No Lotus Notes client, IBM Notes client, HCL Notes or Domino server installation is required on the conversion machine. This is particularly valuable for organisations that have already decommissioned their Notes infrastructure but still have GWAVA Retain NSF archives to process.

Yes — this is the most common GWAVA Retain migration path. Convert each user's Retain ZIP or NSF export to PST. PST files upload directly to Microsoft 365 via the Import Service (network upload or drive shipping). GroupWise folder structure and message class mapping are preserved so users find their archived email, calendar items and tasks in the correct places in their M365 mailbox.

Yes. OpenText acquired GWAVA in 2019 and the product is now marketed as OpenText Retain. The export format (EML+ZIP and NSF) has not changed with the acquisition. The converter handles exports from GWAVA Retain 3.x and 4.x and all current OpenText Retain releases identically.

Yes. Convert Retain ZIP or NSF exports to MBOX format. MBOX output imports directly into Google Workspace using Google's migration tools or BitTitan. GroupWise folder names are preserved as MBOX labels for Google Workspace import. One MBOX per user maps to one Google Workspace mailbox.

No. Once the ZIP or NSF files are exported from GWAVA Retain and copied to local disk, no Retain server, Retain Worker agent, GroupWise Post Office Agent or any other GroupWise infrastructure is required. Conversion runs completely offline. The Retain infrastructure can be decommissioned before conversion is complete.

Minimal requirements:

OS: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8 or 7
RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended for large NSF archives)
Disk: 50 MB installation plus space for output files
Framework: .NET Framework 4.8 or higher

No GroupWise, Lotus Notes, GWAVA Retain client or internet connection required.

Free trial converts the first 25 messages per archive. All features fully functional: NSF reading, EML ZIP loading, GroupWise message class mapping, all 10+ output formats and preview. No time limit.

Steps: (1) Log into the Retain Management Console, (2) Go to Jobs → Export (or Retain Server → Export Jobs), (3) Select users or a date range, (4) Choose EML or NSF as output format, (5) Set the output path on the Retain Worker server, (6) Submit the job and monitor under Jobs → Active Jobs, (7) When complete, copy the per-user ZIP or NSF files from the output folder. For large GroupWise deployments, export by department to keep individual archive sizes manageable.

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