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Ways to Transfer POP3 Email to New Computer – Full Guide

Overview: With the help of this blog, you can easily transfer POP3 email to new computer. To make sure that you complete this migration process smoothly, we have provided various methods for it.

It is nice to get a new computer, but then you see that your POP3 emails are missing. POP3 & IMAP accounts are different from each other. As, it stores emails locally rather than on the mail server. Therefore, when you sign in into your email account on a different PC, it will not automatically bring back your old emails, attachments, folders, & contacts. Be it Mozilla Thunderbird, Windows Mail or any other email client, you have to migrate POP3 email data very carefully because there is a chance of data loss.

Read About: Thunderbird Not Receiving Emails After Update

Understand POP3 Email Storage

POP3 is used to download emails on your computer from the mail server itself. Generally it deletes the emails from the server after downloading. Due to this:

• Emails will be on your old system
• Mail folders stays on the old system
• Attachments are stored locally
• Re-installing the mail client will not restore your previous emails

Why Move POP3 Email to New Computer?

In many situations, users have to transfer POP3 email to new computer.

• When someone buys a new computer, they want to have their old emails on the new system
• In case of a system crash, users must quickly transfer or retrieve email files
• Mailbox migration is a common requirement for users when they have to  move to different version of Windows
• POP3 emails remain on the local computer and if users do not migrate then they can miss out on vital emails and contacts
• Users need their old emails/attachments when they want switch to another computer

Manual Methods to Transfer POP3 Email to New Computer

There are two methods by which you can move POP3 email to a new PC. It just varies depending on the email client you are using.

#1. Migrate POP3 Email Via Thunderbird Profile Folder

Follow these below steps to move Thunderbird POP3 emails. This method is useful for those who use the Thunderbird email client.

Step 1. Locate the Thunderbird Profile Folder

• On the old computer, go to the below location:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\

2. It will show you a folder with random characters.

Step 2. Copy the Entire Profile Directory

• Copy the entire profile folder
• Now, paste it over to an external drive or USB device

Step 3. Set up Thunderbird on the new computer

• Download & run Thunderbird on your respective system
• Ensure that you have a latest version to stay updated

Step 4. Update the New Profile Folder

Open Thunderbird profile location on the new computer and replace the newly created one with the copied one.

Step 5. Open Thunderbird

Open Thunderbird and check whether:

• Emails appear properly
• Attachments open correctly
• POP3 folders are accessible

Drawbacks of Using Manual Ones

• Not easy of first time user
• Chances of missing hidden files
• There could be profile corruption
• Takes time in large mailbox
• Improper data can damage data

#2. Move POP3 Email to Outlook

PST is the primary format in which Outlook saves their POP3 emails by default.

Step 1. Search PST File

• Firstly, open Outlook and there go to the below path:

File > Account Settings > Data Files

• Open this file location.

Step 2. Copy your Selected PST

• Copy the PST file to an external device

Step 3. Transfer PST to New Computer

• Move the file to the new PC.

Step 4. Import PST in Outlook

In Outlook:

File > Open & Export > Import/Export

Choose:

Import from another app or file

• Select PST and go through the import process

Limitations of Following Outlook Steps

• File corruption risk
• You may find duplicate emails
• Do not process large PSTs
• Time taking process

General Problems Users Face During POP3 Migration

Users face plenty of issues during the process to transfer POP3 email to new computer

• Folders are not copied properly
• After the process, some attachments become inaccessible
• The hierarchy of your mailbox gets changed
• If the transfer is not done properly, then your mailbox can be corrupted
• Importing the same file twice it can create duplicates
• With the new PC, users can accidentally enter incorrect server settings

Transfer POP3 Email to New Computer Professionally

POP3 emails do not appear frequently when users move to a new computer. As, it saves mailbox data locally on the old system and does not sync it with the cloud or any server. So, when users migrate to a new platform, they tend to lose all the active email, folder and attachments. This is where FreeViewer Thunderbird Import Wizard can be your best solution. It will help you to move your old mailbox data safely to your new PC. You can easily access your emails in offline mode without any additional effort.

Tips to Handle POP3 Emails

• Make backups of your mailbox every time
• Check your moved emails twice
• Try not to interrupt in between the process
• Disable all your extension related to antivirus
• Keep backup copies safe

End Note

Since POP3 downloads the emails from the old computer and saves them to your computer. So, users want to transfer POP3 email to new computer. For that, manual methods are effective but they take time and have the risk of email which may be lost. To simplify the migration process, you can go with our desired solution to move POP3 email to the new system easily.