# Reading .mbox files

Suppose you have found yourself in want of leaving an email provider. You have figured out how to export all of your old emails into a file and you have that file on your computer. How do you go about reading those old emails? Your current email client may have a way of import .mbox files, but let's assume you just want to quickly search for something and not bother with a lot of setup.

### Using Thunderbird

One method is through [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/).

#### Steps 

1. Download and Install Thunderbird
2. Open Thunderbird and decline all invitations to add an account, at this stage it will create a section called `Local Folders`
3. Right-click `Local Folders` and go to settings.
4. Navigate to the section titled `Local Directory` and click `Browse...`
5. Select the folder that your .mbox file is located within.
6. Restart Thunderbird
7. Click the email tab and the local folder section will be populated with `Trash`, `Outbox`, and a folder name that matches the title of your .mbox file.

{{@26#bkmrk-free-computer-club-%C2%A9}}