Thunderbird

How to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer? Step-by-Step Guide

Overview: With the help of this article, users can easily move Thunderbird profile to new computer using effective methods. Further, easy steps to locate Thunderbird profile, backup the stored information, and troubleshoot the common issues that arise after the transfer process.

When you transfer to a new system, then it doesn’t indicate that you must configure your Thunderbird from the start. You can still move your existing data from your current Thunderbird profile to the new device and access your emails, folders, settings, contacts, etc.

The simple way around is to move the complete Thunderbird profile directory from the old PC to the new one. This works well if you want to keep existing email configuration along with the saved emails locally.

Also Read: How to Transfer POP3 Email to New Computer?

What Kind of Data is Stored Inside Thunderbird Profile?

A Thunderbird profile is referred to as a folder that stores your email data and your personalized settings separately from the program files. The profile typically contains:

• Emails and folders: Messages that are stored on your computer along with their folders
• Account settings: Information to set up your email accounts
• Address books: This is where your contacts and email addresses are saved
• Saved passwords: It is your log in credentials of your Thunderbird account
• Extensions and preferences: This option provides add-ins and customized settings
• Other user data: Data that Thunderbird records and supports through its built-in add-ons

Technical Note: Some account data such as messages that are saved on IMAP servers will synchronize only when you log in. While some other local messages and folders may disappear, until the profile transfer option is visible.

Reasons to Transfer Thunderbird Profile to New PC

This is the section where you will see why users move Thunderbird profile to new computer.

• Users can easily access the emails, settings, and other data on your new computer
• To save your old emails locally into your system during the transfer
• Avoid recreating your email accounts from start every time you upgrade your system
• In order to transfer your saved contacts, preferences, and all the profile data along with other files
• You should take a backup of your Thunderbird profile to ensure that your data remains protected during installation

Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer – 2 Methods explained

There are multiple ways to transfer Thunderbird profile to new computer. But before starting with this the user needs to back up the Mozilla profile and then the user can start to follow these methods.

#1. Export Thunderbird Profile to Another Computer Using Gmail

In this method, the user moves his/her emails to the Gmail account and synchronizes it while Mozilla is installed again.

1. Open your Gmail account
2. Create a new Mozilla Thunderbird ID on your new machine
3. User make sure that Gmail account properties have been configured for using IMAP only
4. Create sub-folders in Mozilla email client that are as same as the Gmail account for each message folder that the user wants to move
5. The corresponding folder will automatically be created in your Gmail account by Thunderbird
6. To transfer the folder, the user has to go to the original folder in the Mozilla email client and Select all emails using Ctrl+A
7. Then, right-click on the selected emails and then select Copy-To option and Select the folder that is present in Gmail account
8. Mozilla makes a copy of your messages to the new folder and also copied it to your Gmail storage space
9. And now, install Mozilla Thunderbird on your new computer and create an account of Gmail on it.

Now your Gmail account gets synchronized on user’s new machine. Finally user export Thunderbird account settings from old Machine.

#2. Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer Manually

Follow these five sets of steps which are useful to save your messages, folders, and account information. By copying the Thunderbird data folder, you can easily transfer your profile data.

Step 1. Locate the Thunderbird Profile on the old Computer

• Start Mozilla Thunderbird
• Hit the menu button and select Help > Troubleshooting Information
• Search for the Profile Folder option
• Next, click on Open Folder to access the profile in use
• Remember the folder location to determine the right profile
• The default location of profile folder depends on the operating system you are using

Windows: %APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\

macOS: ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/

Linux: ~/.thunderbird/

Step 2. Close Thunderbird & Copy the Profile

Follow these steps in order to move Thunderbird profile to new computer.

• First, exit your Thunderbird entirely
• Go back to the parent directories until you come across the main Thunderbird data folder
• Copy the entire Thunderbird folder to a USB flash drive or to a secured location
• Now, wait until the copying process is completed and ensure that all the files are present

It is better to copy the entire Thunderbird folder, rather than choosing only one mailbox file. As, it stores your profile information too.

Step 3. Set Up Thunderbird on the New Device

• Install Thunderbird application that is compatible with your new device
• If it already created a profile, then close your Thunderbird
• Launch the file explorer, and type %APPDATA% in the address bar
• Now, check for a folder related to Thunderbird in the roaming directory
• If Thunderbird already exists in the new location, take necessary backup of that data first before making the changes.

Step 4. Copy the old Profile to New PC

• Start by connecting the USB which holds the backup
• Next, copy the backup Thunderbird folder
• Paste it in the required Thunderbird data location on the new computer
• Only continue, if prompted to replace existing data after confirming that you have backed up the destination profile and chosen the right folder.

Step 5. Open Thunderbird & Verify Transferred Data

• Open Thunderbird in the new computer
• Check, if your email folders and accounts are visible
• Open some previous email messages and check the attached files
• Now, look for your email addresses, settings, and saved preferences
• See all your emails are present before you delete the backup data

If Thunderbird starts with an empty profile or does not show the previous emails, please do not delete the copied files.

Important: It is essential to know that in case the profile was saved in a custom destination or the newly installed version, then it fails to recognize it. You may have to establish the profile through Thunderbird’s Profile Manager and connect the copied files to the profile. Use the profile restoration method given below instead of copying folders over and over again.

Limitations of Manual Solutions

• There is a risk of data loss while copying the folder
• There is no security of data
• The user must take the backup Mozilla Thunderbird profile before starting the process
• There are chances for corruption of any file
• It is so time-consuming

Professional Solution to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer

As we all see there are many limitations to migrating the Thunderbird profile to a new computer manually. Here we get you the professional tool that is FreeViewer Thunderbird Import Wizard. It helps a user to move Thunderbird profile to another drive easily. As well as it also saves your time & there is no data loss or corruption.

This software supports to bulk migration of EML, EMLX, Maildir & MBOX files to Mozilla Thunderbird. By using this software users can import single or multiple files with add files and add folder options.

In the upcoming section, we will describe a few prominent features of the application.

1. Import Multiple User Profiles into Thunderbird
2. Maintain the Thunderbird Mailbox Data Integrity
3. Offer Advanced Data Filter Option for Selective Migration
4. This software is compatible with Mac and Windows OS.
5. Users can apply a date filter to import selective emails from MBOX files.

Conclusion

The article is all about how to move Thunderbird profile to new computer easily on all major operating system. Here we have discussed the solutions for transferring Mozilla profile settings to new machine. We get the results that the automated tool is the best way to transfer Thunderbird profile to new computer securely.

Some Questions Asked by Users – FAQs

Q. How can I reinstall Thunderbird without losing any email?

Ans. Users can reinstall Thunderbird without losing any email because Thunderbird saved emails and other data locally.

Q. What is the capacity of Thunderbird email data storage?

Ans. The capacity of Thunderbird email data storage is 4 GB.

Q. Is it possible to export everything from Thunderbird?

Ans. Follow the below-mentioned steps.

1. Open your Thunderbird account.
2. Hit on the Tools >> Export option.
3. A new Windows displays, choose the export button.
4. Pick the destination to save the resultant data file.
5. Hit the save button.