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I want to open Thunderbird emails from a work PC on my home Mac, where I use Thunderbird; I have my profile on a thumb drive; what do I do?

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  • Last reply by woofrr

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Emails I saved from my Thunderbird client I used at my, now former, job I'd like to open on my Mac, where I also use Thunderbird. I have the profile file from my PC copied on a thumb drive and I copied that on my Mac desktop and renamed it. Can I use my Thunderbird client on my Mac to open and access my email from my PC?

Emails I saved from my Thunderbird client I used at my, now former, job I'd like to open on my Mac, where I also use Thunderbird. I have the profile file from my PC copied on a thumb drive and I copied that on my Mac desktop and renamed it. Can I use my Thunderbird client on my Mac to open and access my email from my PC?

Chosen solution

Use the addon 'ImportExportTools' to import the mbox files into your 'Local Folders' mail account.

ImportExportTools: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

Download the file. In Thunderbird Menu icon > Addons click on gear wheel icon and select 'Install addon from file' locate the file you downloaded and click on Open

You may be prompted to restart Thunderbird. Right click on 'Local Folders' mail account in Folder Pane Select 'ImportExportTools' > 'import mbox file'

If importing one file at a time: Top of list...Select: 'Import directly one or more mbox file' If you have folders with subfolders you could use the second option listed. click on ok

Locate the stored backup profile, 'Mail' folder stores Pop mail accounts and 'Local Folders' 'ImapMail' stores imap mail account

mbox file contain emails. mbox files do not have any extension. .msf files do not contain emails. .sbd folders contain subfolders - so will also contain mbox files.

Importing them into your 'Local Folders' mail account will allow you to see emails.

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Use the addon 'ImportExportTools' to import the mbox files into your 'Local Folders' mail account.

ImportExportTools: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

Download the file. In Thunderbird Menu icon > Addons click on gear wheel icon and select 'Install addon from file' locate the file you downloaded and click on Open

You may be prompted to restart Thunderbird. Right click on 'Local Folders' mail account in Folder Pane Select 'ImportExportTools' > 'import mbox file'

If importing one file at a time: Top of list...Select: 'Import directly one or more mbox file' If you have folders with subfolders you could use the second option listed. click on ok

Locate the stored backup profile, 'Mail' folder stores Pop mail accounts and 'Local Folders' 'ImapMail' stores imap mail account

mbox file contain emails. mbox files do not have any extension. .msf files do not contain emails. .sbd folders contain subfolders - so will also contain mbox files.

Importing them into your 'Local Folders' mail account will allow you to see emails.

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This was very helpful and following the steps outlined (especially once I learned to delete the msf files) allowed me to import the emails from my Thunderbird PC client into my Mac Thunderbird. Thank you very much!