.MBOX File Extension

MBOX file format is an extension for a text file which is used for storing and organizing collection of email messages. MBOX basically stands for Mailbox. This mailbox file format stores all of the email messages of an entire folder in a single database file. It creates more or less long text file containing one email after other.

A messages encoded in MBOX file format begins with "From " line and it continues with a series of non- "From " lines which later ends with a blank line. "From " means the line in the messages and the header starts begins with five letters F, r, o, m and space. Each .mbox file represents number of email messages that are ordered subsequently as well as grouped in a folder.

There is several web based as well as desktop based email applications which saves their mailbox in MBOX format like Backupify, Horde Webmail, Turnpike, Mozilla Thunderbird, Spicebird, Gmail, Eudora, Opera mail, The Bat ! etc.

MBOX file type can be easily indexed by any document management system, also it can be injustice by eDiscovery applications.

If you are using Mozilla Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Eudora, Opera Mail or Apple mail then you can directly open .mbox file in these applications to view your email messages along with attachments.

Secondly if you are not using any of the above email clients then you can use third party applications. Free MBOX File Viewer is one of the most commonly used application in order to read email messages of MBOX file. MBOX file viewer is a user friendly tool which doesn’t required any .mbox supportive email client to access email messages. User can view MBOX file messages easily on their local system. This tool found very useful among the forensic investigators to investigate evidences from mbox mailbox files.