Step by step guide for using Thunderbird to view and manage email records requests.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Gather your MBOX (mailbox) files
    2. In vault, perform, save and export a search:
      1. Craft your search terms
      2. Save the query
      3. Give your search a name
      4. Click Export results
      5. Give your export a name and select the MBOX format
      6. Click Start export
      7. Wait for the export to finish
      8. Download the resulting ZIP file
      9. Open the ZIP file and extract the MBOX file
  2. Open Mozilla Thunderbird
     
    1. If Thunderbird is not installed, have your system administrator install it for you
  3. First time users complete the following:
    1. Setup a fake/dummy email account to get past the welcome screens. You'll need access to the Local Folders account
      1. Uncheck always perform this check
      2. Click Skip Integration
      4. Enter a fake name and email address (not your real one!)
      6. Click Manual config
      7. Select any SSL and authentication method besides auto
      8. Click Advanced config
    2. Open and download the extension on this page:
      https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools-ng/
       
    3. Download and save the file to your hard disk
    4. In Mozilla Thunderbird, open Add-ons from the Tools menu
      1. If the Tools menu is not visible, press ALT on your keyboard
    5. From the options button next to the add-on search field, select "Install Add-on From File..." and locate the downloaded add-on
    6. Restart Thunderbird

  4. Under Local Folders, right click and select ImportExportTools and Import MBOX file

     

  5. In the selection window that appears, select the appropriate option. Most likely a directory containing multiple MBOX files
  6. Select the files/folder containing the MBOX files
  7. Wait for the import to complete, this could take some time depending on the number of messages
     
  8. Browse through the imported mailboxes/folders and delete any messages that shouldn't be disclosed/reported/public
  9. In each mailbox to be exported/disclosed/reported:
    1. Right click on the folder and select ImportExportTools
    2. Select Export all messages in the folder and as HTML format
    3. Accept the warnings about attachments and importing
    4. In the file picker, make a new folder for the resulting PDFs (1 PDF per email, later to be combined to a single PDF for disclosure)
    5. Select the new folder
    6. Wait for the process to complete (could be a long time depending on number of messages being exported)
  10. Combine HTML files into a single PDF
    1. Open Adobe Acrobat Pro
    2. For each mailbox exported:
      1. Click the Create menu and select Combine Files into a Single PDF...
      2. Click the Add Files... menu and select Add Folders...
      3. Find and select the folder created in step 9d
      4. Sort the files as desired using the column headers or manually dragging the files into order
      5. Click Combine Files
      6. Wait for the combination to complete
  11. Remove and Redact text, links and hidden content
    1. Click Remove Hidden Information
    2. Wait for the scan to finish then click Remove
    3. Click Mark for Redaction
    4. Redaction requires two steps:
    5. Select all content that needs to be redacted, it will be outlined in red
    6. Click Apply Redactions
  12. Disclose the resulting PDFs or single PDF if combined.