When importing folders to Thunderbird, they do not exactly match those on Windows Live Mail.
When I first installed Thunderbird, it gave me the option to import mail, contacts, etc. My current email client program is Windows Live Mail, but Thunderbird appeared to assume Outlook Express (OE). From this I assumed it meant Windows Live Mail, since as far as I know OE is not installed on my present PC. The thing that made the problem obvious is that the latest emails shown in the folders are dated in 2011, which is when I set up this present PC. I did use OE, however, on my previous PC. How do I solve this problem?
Semua Balasan (7)
Thunderbird does not offer an option to automatically import mail from Windows Live Mail, so your analysis is right. Thunderbird may have imported some emails from Outlook Express in 2011, and perhaps you reused (copied over) the Thunderbird profile from an XP machine.
For importing Windows Live Mail in a current Thunderbird release, see the Switching to Thunderbird article.
Does that resolve your question?
In the Switching to Thunderbird article, it mentions 'Tools > ImportExportTools > Import all messages from a directory > also from its subdirectories'. I cannot see that possibility in my Thunderbird, V45.5.1. Under Tools, there is 'Import..', but that just takes me back to square one. Am I missing something?
Yes, you need to download and install the ImportExportTools add-on first - the menu item belongs to the add-on’s menu options.
Make sure to download it from the link mentioned at the add-on's page in this case, not using the Download Now button on addons.mozilla.org itself. Download and save it to disk first, then install it in Thunderbird using the Add-on manager (gear icon -> Install Add-on From File…).
Following the instructions, the files seemed to be being imported OK, but the process seemed to stop before it had finished. In trying to restart the process, I now have the 'Import all messages from a directory' option greyed out. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling both TB and the Maintenance Service, and removing and reinstalling the add-on, but the option is still greyed out.
the import only works if you have a folder selected to import to. No folder selected = greyed out.
I've decided to uninstall Thunderbird. There are too many problems with importing from Windows Live Mail. Thanks all the same.
Let us know what you replace Windows live mail with. I have seen lots of folk say that it is all to hard, but I am not aware of anything that does import the proprietary Microsoft file formats.