I can't figure out where it stores messages!

All mail is stored in the profile. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

Can someone tell me IF it stores and WHERE or can I export messages somewhere else?

What are you trying to achieve in the first place?

Thanks for the info, but I am totally confused. I followed the directions to get to my profile folder but there was no folder that I could see that saves messages! Could you please send me exact directions, do I go to Mozilla.com first? Do I have to create a profile there? I've only downloaded the Thunderbird program and don't know about Mozilla? Thanks!

Messages in your Inbox are stored in a file called Inbox, sent messages in Sent and so forth. But what will you do with these when you find them?

Have you added an account yet?

I appreciate your response but I know the basics of where messages go in the Thunderbird program, just like any other email program. I'm talking about where the messages are stored in my so-called "Profile". Although I've found the Profile, there are no stored messages there, only "Favorites" from Firefox.

But it's unusual for a user to need to work with the files at that level. Please explain what you would do with the files when you have found them. My feeling is that you're not really asking the right question.

I have already told you what folders to look for. They are hidden by default. So you need to enable viewing of hidden files. But they are hidden for good reason.

If you have found Firefox's favourites then you have found the wrong profile.

TBH, you are asking about matters that you haven't yet shown you have competence to work with. This feels like "if you need to ask you won't understand the answer" territory. I'm sorry, I know this sounds haughty and arrogant, but you've been given enough info to find the data and you haven't managed to do it yet.

Please explain what you're trying to do.

Help|Troubleshooting Information|Local Directory will take you directly to your Thunderbird profile. Then what?

That you are found the favorites from Firefox makes it clear you are in the wrong place.

Firefox profiles are stored in %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox. Thunderbird profiles are stored in %appdata%\Thunderbird

To locate your profile folder the clearest way is click the show profile button in the troubleshooting information. You will find this entry on the help menu.

But as Zeno has asked you repeatedly. What is it you hope to gain from this quest?

The "messages" are not stored in some easily opened and read system. They are all in a single file per folder. There storage system is called MBOX and is well documented on the web. Thunderbird uses the RD or Berkley flavour.

If it is for backup. Just backing up the messages is perhaps almost as bad as not backing up at all. You need to backup the whole profile.

If it is just so you know. Fine. You know.