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Why are read emails not in my inbox following an import of an exported profile

Thunderbird Import and export email
david replied
martynjones
martynjones

I use Thunderbird as a POP server and keep some historic read emails in my inbox as well as archiving others to local folders. I am moving to a new windows 11 computer from an old windows 8 computer. So I exported my Thunderbird profile on the old computer, copied it across to the new computer, installed Thunderbird on it, then imported the profile. All my local folders are there with their historic emails, but there are no read emails in the inbox, only the unread ones ?? Be grateful for any explanation of why this is and how I get them back. thanks Martyn Jones

I use Thunderbird as a POP server and keep some historic read emails in my inbox as well as archiving others to local folders. I am moving to a new windows 11 computer from an old windows 8 computer. So I exported my Thunderbird profile on the old computer, copied it across to the new computer, installed Thunderbird on it, then imported the profile. All my local folders are there with their historic emails, but there are no read emails in the inbox, only the unread ones ?? Be grateful for any explanation of why this is and how I get them back. thanks Martyn Jones

All Replies (3)

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor

Chosen Solution

The answer is somewhere in your transfer. If you use a clean transfer using the OS's file software, a perfect copy is the result. Any other approach is suspect. Here are steps I use:

BACKUP

  1. ensure thunderbird is not running
  2. enter %appdata% in search window on task bar and press Enter key
  3. this should open windows file explorer in Appdata\roaming folder
  4. highlight the Thunderbird folder and copy to external media

RESTORE

  1. ensure thunderbird is installed, run once, and NOT running
  2. enter %appdata% in search window on task bar and press Enter key
  3. delete the thunderbird folder
  4. you should be in Appdata\roaming folder , copy&paste the exported Thunderbird folder there.
  5. start thunderbird and all should be there

So, for assistance, be very exact in what you did. Good luck.

martynjones
martynjones Question owner

Thanks David, carried out your method and it worked fine. Did try first archiving all the read mails out of the inbox into a local folder, and rerunning the export / import, but it didn't seem to work reliably for me - don't know if those tools have issues ? Anyway you sorted me out Cheers Martyn

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor

You are very welcome. I was glad to assist. :)

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