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Thunderbird saves personal information such as messages, passwords and user preferences in a set of files called a "profile".

Thunderbird saves personal information such as messages, passwords and user preferences in a set of files called a "profile", which is stored in a separate location from the Thunderbird program files. While it is possible to have multiple profiles, most users just use the single default (see [[Using Multiple Profiles]] for more information). __TOC__ = What is a profile? = In Thunderbird, the profile stores two main sets of items. First, it stores your local mail, and possibly copies of messages that reside on the mail server (depending on your account configuration). Second, it stores any changes you make while using Thunderbird (for example, changes to account settings and changes to the toolbar). When you install Thunderbird it creates a profile called "default". This profile will be used automatically unless you invoke the Profile Manager and create a new profile. = Where is my profile stored? = Profile files are stored separately from the Thunderbird program files. The program files are static and do not change (except when you upgrade the Thunderbird application version). Because we store profile and program files separately, you can uninstall Thunderbird without losing your messages and settings, and if something goes wrong with a Thunderbird update your information will still be available. It also means that you don't have to reinstall Thunderbird in order to delete your information or troubleshoot a problem. Each profile is stored on your hard drive in a profile folder. The folder is named using the following convention: <code><random_string>.<profile_name></code> ...where "<random_string>" is eight digits randomly generated by Thunderbird and "<profile_name>" is the name you assigned to the profile. The location of the folder will vary according to the operating system (and whether or not you specified a non-default location when you created the profile): == Profile Location Summary == {for win} {filepath <nowiki>%</nowiki>APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default\} * {filepath <nowiki>%</nowiki>APPDATA%} is shorthand for the {for win7,win8,win10}{filepath C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\}{/for}{for winxp}{filepath C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\}{/for} folder, which depends on your Windows user account name. {/for} {for mac} {filepath ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/} * The tilde character (~) refers to the current user's Home folder, so ~/Library is the /Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/Library folder. {/for} {for linux} {filepath ~/.thunderbird/xxxxxxxx.default/} {/for} = How to find your profile = #Click on the menu button or menu bar. #From the {menu Help} menu, click {menu Troubleshooting Information}. #In the Application Basics section, {for mac,win}Profile Folder{/for}{for linux}Profile Directory{/for}, click on {for win}{button {for not tb52}Show Folder{/for}{for tb52}Open Folder{/for}}{/for}{for mac}{button Show in Finder}{/for}{for linux}{button Open Directory}{/for}. #The {for win}Windows Explorer{/for} {for mac}Mac Finder{/for}{for linux}Files{/for} window will show the name of the profile as well as the path to it. == Finding your profile without opening Thunderbird == {for win} {for not winxp} Thunderbird stores your profile folder in this location on your computer, by default:<br> {filepath C:\Users\<your Windows login username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\}<br> Windows hides the {filepath AppData} folder by default, but you can find your profile folder as follows: {for win10} # Press {key [[Image:Windows Key]]}+{key R} on the keyboard. A Run dialog will open. # Type in:<br>'''%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\''' # Click {button OK}. A window will open containing profile folders. # Double-click the profile folder you wish to open. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} {for win8} # From the Start Screen, click the '''Desktop''' tile. The Desktop view will open. # From the Desktop, hover in the lower right-hand corner to access the Charms. # Select the {menu Search} charm. The Search sidebar will open. # In the search box, type in:<br>'''%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\''' <br>without pressing Enter. A list of profile folders will appear. # Click on the profile folder you wish to open (it will open in a window). If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} {for win7} # Click the Windows {button Start} button. The Start menu will open. # In the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu, type:<br>'''%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\''' <br>without pressing Enter. A list of profiles will appear at the top of the Start menu. # Click on the profile folder you wish to open (it will open in a window). If you only have a single profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} *Alternatively, you can find your profile by pressing the {key [[Image:Windows Key]]} key and then start typing: '''%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\''' {note}'''Note:''' To set Windows to show the {filepath AppData} folder and other hidden files and folders, see [https://support.microsoft.com/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files Show hidden files - Windows Help].{/note} {/for} {for winxp} # Click the Windows {button Start} button, and select {menu Run…}.<br/> <br/>[[Image:win-run.png]]<br/> # Type in:<br>'''%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\''' <br>then click {button OK}. <br/>A window will open containing profile folders.<br/>[[Image:win-rundialog.png]] # Double-click the profile folder you wish to open. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} {/for} {for mac} # Click the '''Finder''' icon in the dock. On the menu bar, click the {menu Go} menu, hold down the {key option} or {key alt} key and select {menu Library}. # Open the {filepath Thunderbird} folder, and then the {filepath Profiles} folder. # Your profile folder is within this folder. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} {for linux} # '''(Ubuntu)''' Click the {menu Places} menu on the top right of the screen and select {menu Home Folder}. A File Browser window will appear. # Click the {menu View} menu and select {menu Show Hidden Files} if it isn't already checked. # Double click the folder marked {filepath thunderbird}. Your profile folder is within this folder. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name. {/for} = Backing up a profile = To back up your profile, first close Thunderbird if it is open and then copy the profile folder to another location. # Locate your profile folder, as explained above. # Shut down Thunderbird. # Go to one level above your profile's folder, i.e. to {filepath {for win}<nowiki>%</nowiki>APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\{/for}{for mac}~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/{/for}{for linux}~/.mozilla/Thunderbird/{/for}} # {for win,linux}Right-click{/for}{for mac}Hold down the {key Ctrl} key while you click{/for} on your profile folder (e.g. {filepath xxxxxxxx.default}), and select {menu Copy}. # {for win,linux}Right-click{/for}{for mac}Hold down the {key Ctrl} key while you click{/for} the backup location (e.g. a USB-stick or a blank CD-RW disc), and select {menu Paste{for mac} item{/for}}. <!-- XXX Add info about important files --> <!-- XXX Add Info on managing profiles --> = Restoring a profile backup = # Shut down Thunderbird. # If your existing profile folder and profile backup folder have the same name, simply replace the existing profile folder with the profile backup, then start Thunderbird. {note}'''Important:''' The profile folder names must match exactly for this to work, including the random string of 8 characters. If the names do not match or if you are restoring a backup to a different location, follow the steps below.{/note} == Restoring to a different location == If the profile folder names do not match or if you want to move or restore a profile to a different location, do the following: # Completely close Thunderbird, as explained above. #[[Using Multiple Profiles|Use the Thunderbird Profile Manager to create a new profile]] in your desired location, then exit the Profile Manager. {note}'''Note:''' If you just installed Thunderbird on a new computer, you can use the default profile that is automatically created when you first run Thunderbird, instead of creating a new profile.{/note} #Locate the backed up profile folder on your hard drive or backup medium (e.g., your USB-stick). #Open the profile folder backup (e.g., the {filepath xxxxxxxx.default} backup). #Copy the entire ''contents'' of the profile folder backup, such as the {filepath mimeTypes.rdf} file, {filepath prefs.js} file, etc. #Locate and open the new profile folder as explained above and then close Thunderbird (if open). #Paste the contents of the backed up profile folder into the new profile folder, overwriting existing files of the same name. #Start Thunderbird. = Moving a profile = Occasionally, you might want to move a profile or tell Thunderbird to use a profile stored in another location. #Shut down Thunderbird. #Move the profile folder to the desired location.{for winxp} For example, on Windows XP, move the profile from {filepath C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default} to {filepath D:\Stuff\MyMailProfile}{/for}. (If you are reverting to a backed up profile, this step isn't necessary. Just note the current location of the profile you want to restore.) #Open up the profiles.ini file in a text editor. The file is located in the application data folder for Thunderbird: #* The path is {for win}{filepath %AppData%\Thunderbird\}&nbsp;for Windows{/for}{for linux}{filepath ~/.thunderbird/}&nbsp;for Linux{/for}{for mac}{filepath ~/Library/Thunderbird/}&nbsp;for Mac OS X{/for}. #In the {filepath profiles.ini} file, locate the entry for the profile you've just moved. Change the Path= line to the new location. #If you switch from a relative path to a non-relative path, the direction of the slashes may need to change. For example, in Windows, non-relative paths use backslashes, whereas relative ones use forward slashes. Change IsRelative=1 to IsRelative=0. #Save {filepath profiles.ini} and restart Thunderbird. = See Also = *[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager Profile Manager Article] on MozillaZine *[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup Profile Backup Article] on MozillaZine