Univik Windows Live Mail Converter for Windows
Quick Facts
Key Features
Finds the Live Mail Store by Itself
On a PC that ran the program, Open looks under AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail and lists the account folders it finds there. No path to type.
Quick Facts
At a Glance Univik Windows Live Mail Converter in five numbers: inputs, outputs, price and system
3
Ways to Load Mail
The Live Mail store on this PC, a copied store folder from another PC or any folder of .eml files.
12
Export Targets
PST, EML, MBOX, PDF, HTML, TEXT, CSV and SQL Script, with Gmail, Office 365, IMAP and Thunderbird as live targets.
0
Servers in Between
A file export is written on your PC. An upload goes from your PC straight into the mailbox you sign in to.
6.9
Current Version
Runs on 64-bit Windows 11 and Windows 10. Needs .NET Framework 4.8, which Windows Update supplies.
$29
Starting Price
10 items per folder in trial mode. A $29 licence covers 2 PCs with a 30-day money-back promise.
Key Features
What It Does Univik Windows Live Mail Converter, feature by feature
Eight jobs the Windows Live Mail converter tool handles from one window.
Reads a Copied Store From an Old PC
Copied the store folder to a USB stick before the old machine was wiped? Browse to that copy on Windows 11 and the whole store loads, with no Live Mail installed.
Batch Windows Live Mail Converter for the Whole Store
Every account folder and every Storage folder goes into one run. Inbox, Sent items, Drafts and the folders you made keep their names and order in the output.
Attachments and Headers Stay Intact
Each .eml file carries its own attachments, From, To, CC, date and Message-ID. The converter software writes them into the PST, MBOX or PDF without stripping a field.
Advanced Search Before You Export
Narrow a 15-year store to one sender, one subject line, a date or time range, a word in the body or messages with attachments. Tick the folders the search should cover.
Extract Addresses, Phone Numbers and Files
The Extract menu collects email addresses and phone numbers from years of correspondence into CSV lists, and saves attachments and contact photos as files.
The Store Is Never Written To
The software opens the .eml files and the Mail.MSMessageStore index read-only. New files land in the output folder you select, so the original store stays good for a second try.
Header, Hex and Raw Views
Each email opens in four tabs inside the tool. Message Header lists the Received lines and the Message-ID. Raw Message and Hex View show the .eml exactly as Live Mail wrote it.
The Short Version
Why Your Windows Live Mail Emails Are Stuck
Windows Live Mail stores mail in a sensible way, one .eml file per message. Two things still keep that mail locked on the old PC.
Trap 1: An Export That Needs Classic Outlook on the Same PC
File > Export email > Email messages > Microsoft Exchange only works when a 32-bit classic Outlook is installed beside Live Mail. The new Outlook has no import for it at all. On Microsoft Q&A, users report Live Mail closing and reopening mid-export with no Outlook folder written.
Trap 2: A Program Microsoft Retired in 2017
Support for Windows Essentials 2012 ended on 10 January 2017 and the installer left Microsoft's site. On Windows 11 the old build often opens mail but refuses to reply or forward, so the export menu is out of reach for many people.
The Way Out: Read the .eml Store Directly
Univik Windows Live Mail Converter skips the Live Mail program and its export menu. The tool reads the store folder itself, keeps the folder tree from Mail.MSMessageStore and writes PST, MBOX, PDF or EML that any current app opens. Our view: copy the store folder first, convert the copy and only then retire the old PC.
Inside the Store
Inside the StoreThe Files Windows Live Mail Keeps Your Mail In
.eml
One File per Message
Every email, with its headers and attachments, is a single .eml file inside a folder named after the mail folder. Thousands of them add up to a store. The EML file guide explains the format in detail.
Mail.MSMessageStore
The Folder Index
An ESE database at the top of the store. It records the folder tree and the read, replied and flag state of each .eml file. A copy of it sits in the Backup subfolder.
Store folder
Accounts and Storage Folders
One subfolder per mail account, plus Storage folders for the local folders you made yourself. Copy the whole store rather than single subfolders and the converter rebuilds the tree.
Three Steps
Three StepsHow to Batch Convert Windows Live Mail Emails
No export menu, no classic Outlook and no Live Mail install are needed for the file route.
1
Open the Live Mail Store
Click Open. The software finds the store under AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail on this PC, or you browse to a store folder copied from another computer.
2
Select the Output Format
Open the Export menu. PST suits Outlook, MBOX suits Thunderbird and Apple Mail, EML keeps single files, PDF makes records and IMAP uploads to a live mailbox.
3
Convert and Check the Counts
Run the batch, then compare the folder counts in the output with the counts shown in the folder tree before you retire the old store.
Download the Free Trial
Windows 11 and 10 · Live Mail and Outlook can both be absent · file exports stay on your PC · questions go to the people who wrote it
Who Uses It
Who Uses ItWhen You Need a Windows Live Mail Converter
Three situations bring people to a WLM converter, often years after they stopped using the program.
A New PC With the New Outlook
Microsoft 365 came with the laptop and the new Outlook has no way to take Live Mail folders. One PST from the converter carries every folder across.
An Old Drive From a Dead Computer
The Windows 7 machine will not boot, but the drive still reads. Copy Users\name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail off it and the converter opens the store.
Mail That Must Be Kept on Record
Tax letters, property papers and family mail from 2009 onward need a form that outlives any email program. PDF copies with attachments open and print anywhere.
Finding Your Files
Where Your Windows Live Mail Emails Live on Disk
Good to know
Live Mail keeps everything on your own computer. Unless someone moved the store, it sits at C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail. AppData is hidden, so turn on hidden items in File Explorer first. If Live Mail still opens, the exact path is shown under Options › Mail › Advanced › Maintenance › Store Folder.
Take the whole folder, including Mail.MSMessageStore and the Backup subfolder, to any Windows 11 or 10 PC. The converter software reads the copy from a USB stick or an external drive. Single messages saved on the desktop are plain .eml files and the free EML Viewer opens those on their own.
Side by Side
Three Routes for Emails Stuck in Windows Live Mail
Two of them are free and worth trying first. Both stop short of the whole job.
| What you need | Live Mail Export to Microsoft Exchange | Drag .eml Files Into Outlook or Thunderbird | Univik Windows Live Mail ConverterTRIAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | No charge | No charge | $29 licence |
| Needs Windows Live Mail installed | Yes | No | No |
| Works with the new Outlook or 64-bit Outlook | No, classic 32-bit only | Classic Outlook only | Yes, via PST or IMAP |
| Whole store in one run | One PC, one attempt at a time | Folder by folder | One batch |
| Keeps the folder tree | Yes | You rebuild it by hand | Yes |
| Makes PST, MBOX or PDF files | PST only, inside Outlook | No | Yes |
| Mail app available on Mac or Linux afterwards | Windows only | Yes, Thunderbird | Windows only |
The Thunderbird route is free and runs on Mac and Linux. Mozilla's own help page points to the ImportExportTools add-on for .eml folders, one folder at a time.
What You Need
System Requirements Univik Windows Live Mail Converter needs a 64-bit Windows 11 or 10 PC and .NET Framework 4.8
Windows Version
A 64-bit Windows 11 or Windows 10. Windows Update already includes .NET Framework 4.8 on both.
Live Mail Not Required
The converter reads the store folder on its own. The old program only matters when you want the tool to find the store for you.
Memory and Disk
4 GB RAM covers a normal home store. Give an attachment-heavy store 8 GB, plus free disk space close to the store's own size for the output.
File Exports Offline
Internet is needed for the installer and for Gmail, Office 365 or IMAP uploads. PST, MBOX, EML and PDF exports work with the cable unplugged.
| Software Information | Univik Windows Live Mail Converter |
| Version | 6.9 (Latest) |
| Licence | Free trial, paid licences from $29 for 2 PCs |
| Platform | 64-bit Windows 11 and Windows 10 |
| Framework | .NET Framework 4.8 or higher |
| Reads | The store folder (.eml files plus Mail.MSMessageStore) from Live Mail 2012, 2011 and 2009, plus Windows Mail folders from Vista and any folder of .eml files |
| Writes | PST, MBOX, EML, PDF, HTML, TEXT and CSV, plus SQL Script for MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB or Oracle |
| Moves To | Gmail, Office 365, any IMAP service and Thunderbird |
| Not Covered | Outlook Express .dbx files (see the DBX Converter) and the Windows 10 and 11 Mail app store |
Questions
Windows Live Mail Conversion Questions
Copy the store folder from the old PC and open it in Univik Windows Live Mail Converter. The converter reads the .eml files inside the folder on its own, so neither program needs to be on the new PC. Select PST, EML, MBOX or PDF and run the batch.
Yes, through a PST file. The new Outlook for Windows has no import for it, and the old File > Export email > Microsoft Exchange route needs classic Outlook on the same PC. Convert the store to PST, then open the PST in classic Outlook or attach it to a Microsoft 365 mailbox that the new Outlook shows.
The default location is C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail, and AppData is hidden. Inside the program you can read the exact path under Options > Mail > Advanced > Maintenance > Store Folder. Each message is one .eml file and the folder tree sits in Mail.MSMessageStore.
Yes. Univik Windows Live Mail Converter is a Windows 11 and 10 program that needs only the store folder, not the Live Mail program. Microsoft ended support for Windows Essentials 2012 on 10 January 2017 and removed the download, so a copied store folder is the normal starting point on a new PC.
Yes. The converter opens the store folder read-only and writes new files to the output folder you select, so the .eml files and Mail.MSMessageStore stay as they were. A file export is written on your own Windows PC with no Univik server in the path. Only a Gmail, Office 365 or IMAP export sends mail online, into the account you sign in to.
Stores written by Windows Live Mail 2012 (build 16.4.3528.0331), 2011 and 2009 all use one .eml file per message, and the converter reads them all. Folders of .eml files from Windows Mail on Vista open the same way.
Yes. The Export menu has an Email Services group with Gmail, Office 365 and IMAP. Google OAuth or an App Password signs you into Gmail and Microsoft OAuth into Office 365. IMAP reaches any other service, including Outlook.com, which stopped syncing with it in June 2016.
The trial is free and saves 10 items per folder, enough to check the output against the old store. The paid licence is $29 for 2 PCs with a 30-day money-back promise.
No. Outlook Express kept whole folders in .dbx files, which the Univik DBX Converter reads. The Mail app in Windows 10 and 11 keeps its own store under Comms\Unistore. Univik Windows Live Mail Converter is built for the .eml store of Windows Live Mail and Windows Mail.
No. The converter, like the program it reads, runs only on Windows, on 11 and 10. Mac users copy the store folder to a Windows PC and run the conversion there. For a quick look at single .eml files, the free online EML viewer opens them in any browser.
More Tools
More Univik Email Converters
Page reviewed by Nick Rogers Univik founder, since 2013
Fact Checked
Univik founder Nick Rogers checked this page before it went live. Facts about Windows Live Mail, its store folder and its end of support are checked against Microsoft support pages, Microsoft Q&A threads and public references. Product claims on this page describe version 6.9.
Last reviewed on 19 October 2026
Since 2013Sources VerifiedNick Rogers