Moving Thunderbird Data to a New Computer

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  • Revision id: 216788
  • Created:
  • Creator: Marcelo Ghelman
  • Comment: better explanation
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: firefox877
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: Yes
  • Readied for localization:
  • Readied for localization by: firefox877
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Thunderbird stores your data in a separate location, away from the program filesapplication, called your profile folder. To move your data, you can copy your profile folder to the equivalent location on your destination computer.

Note: If you have used the Profile Manager on your source computer to store your Thunderbird profile folder in a custom location into a remote storage drive, create a new profile on your destination computer and set that profile to use the same location. Thunderbird's new installation will use the already existing data.
  • On your source computer
    1. Connect a device for data transfer, either a local one such as a USB flash drive, or a remote storage drive.
    2. Click the menu button Fx57Menu, then click Help and select Troubleshooting Information.Open the Help menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
    3. Locate the "Profile Folder" entry, then click Open FolderOpen DirectoryShow in Finder.
      Your Thunderbird profile folder will open in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder.
    4. CloseQuit Thunderbird.
    5. From your Thunderbird profile folder in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder, go up three levelsgo up two levelsopen the Go menu and select Enclosing Folder two times.
    6. Right-clickHold down the control key while you click on the Thunderbird.thunderbird folder and select CopyCopy "Thunderbird".
      (.thunderbird is a hidden folder. Make sure you have File Browser set to show hidden files.)
    7. Right-clickHold down the control key while you click the device you are using to transfer your data, then select PastePaste Item.
    8. If you are using a local transfer device, remove it safely from the source computer.
Note: This steps can also be used to create a backup of your Thunderbird profile folder.
  • On your destination computer
    1. Connect the same transfer device you have used before to copy your Thunderbird profile folder from the source computer.
    2. Right-clickHold down the control key while you click on the copy of the Thunderbird profile folder that you created on the transfer device, then select CopyCopy "Thunderbird".
    3. Open Thunderbird (Close the account setup window if it appears.)
    4. Click the menu button Fx57Menu, then click Help and select Troubleshooting Information.Open the Help menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
    5. Locate the "Profile Folder" entry, then click Open FolderOpen DirectoryShow in Finder.
      Your Thunderbird profile folder will open in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder.
    6. CloseQuit Thunderbird.
    7. From your Thunderbird profile folder in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder, go up three levelsgo up two levelsopen the Go menu and select Enclosing Folder two times.
    8. Right-clickHold down the control key while you click inside the folder, then select PastePaste Item.
    9. When prompted, choose to replace your current data.