DO not use the export. Try these steps that work: Here is the link for moving a profile in Windows when installed in default location:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

here is the info in brief steps:

1. ensure thunderbird is NOT running on old machine
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
5. ensure thunderbird is installed on second computer and NOT running
6. enter %appdata% in search window on task bar and press Enter key
7. you should be in Appdata\roaming folder , copy&paste the exported Thunderbird folder there. This may prompt to overwrite an existing folder of same name. allow it
8. start thunderbird and all should be there

Hi David, thanks for responding. This sounds easy enough, I'll give it a try. Finger crossed tho, I seem to attract problems. Those images below? One of them happened during my attempt to export. The other I don't know where it came from, and I couldn't get rid of either of them. Ignore them.

That yellow message usually appears when replying to a non-email address or when rightclicking and edit as new to a received message. My suggested steps are safest.

Darn it, I'm confused already. If TBird is not running (shut) where is the search bar for #2, what window?

I am referring to the Windows desktop and the search box in the task bar there.

Okay I got to the Profile folder, but there are 2 Profile files in it One dated today, and one dated 2 years ago. Which one do I want?

Okay, Columbus took a chance, so did I. <g> I vaguely remember doing this before when I was MUCH younger<g> It's copying. I'll let you know the outcome, thanks.

I copied from the old machine to the flash and watched it. It did not appear to encounter any problems. I tried to copy it to the new machine and of course Win 11 is a bit different but I got there except it said it could not open the file. I don't know why. 't seem And I keep losing what I'm typing here, getting frustrated.

Yes now I see the search box on the desktop of the new laptop (Win11), nothing like that on my Win 10 desktop. I was having such trouble trying to type a response to you on the lap top. Never seen anything like it, the cursor jumped around or something, kept losing words, ending up someplace other than where I was - I just don't know what's going on. Anyway I watched the old machine copy that file, no hesitations no problems, went right thru just fine. The new one didn't tell me I was trying to put it in the wrong place, it just didn't like the file that was on the flash. Do you guys ever log into our machines? Would that help? Is there some way I can check the data on the flash? Tx, Stacy

If you follow instructions, thunderbird will automatically pick the right one. that's why you were to copy the thunderbird folder and not the profile folder. The old profile can be deleted, if desired. I don't know what you mean by a problem on the flash. Did you install the new thunderbird from https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/ there should have been a prompt for overwrite when copying the profile. Is thunderbird running okay now?

What is the final result here?

What is the final result here?

copied from Stacy's https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1534662 David: You were right, I'd taken the file instead of the folder. This morning I erased the flash and started again. Copied the folder. Moved to Laptop, pasted the folder. No questions of overwriting or anything. However when I went into Tbird, it was screwed up. It runs, but there are messages missing, none of my mailboxes were there, so I assume none of my addresses as well. There were 4 messages in the IN box. There was 1 new msg that came in when I opened the program, and it properly brought over 3 from the old folder. There were 0 drafts, and I have a slew of them on my old app. It brought over a lot of sent msgs which might be okay, hard to sort them all out. Several of the messages were dated no more recently than 8-30. I use my computer every day, there are posts in here up until this morning. It brought over 0 archived, should be some. And in Junk it brought 213 over, but in the old app I have 1. In Trash it brought over 571 msgs, some of which may be correct it's hard to figure it all out. If I did something wrong, why didn't it affect Everything? I'm so dispirited and exhausted by now I'm thinking it might be easier to re-enter the contacts and mailboxes by hand! If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. I'm writing to you on my old machine because yesterday I had problems using this site with the laptop. Thanks, Stacy

David replied: If you look in the appdata\roaming folder, there should already be a thunderbird folder. Are you possibly pasting to appdata\roaming\thunderbird instead of to appdata\roaming? if you're doing that, you will see ...appdata\roaming\thunderbird\thunderbird which will never be seen by thunderbird.

I'm sorry Wayne, sometimes I feel it helpful to provide the background. As of yet I don't feel a final result has happened. You may have left out some very good suggestions from Michael, Rick, and Googlethunderbird. I'm on overload now and have to retreat without having improved my system at all. Rick has offered to help further, one step at a time. Will I post to him at this location when I'm ready? Stacy

> I tried to copy it to the new machine and of course Win 11 is a bit different but I got there except it said it could not open the file.

I'm no aware of any difference in folder structures between win10 and win11.

Please post screen shots instead of just describing what you are seeing.

I'm sorry Wayne, sometimes I feel it helpful to provide the background. As of yet I don't feel a final result has happened. You may have left out some very good suggestions from Michael, Rick, and Googlethunderbird. I'm on overload now and have to retreat without having improved my system at all. Rick has offered to help further, one step at a time. Will I post to him at this location when I'm ready? Stacy

Yes, this can be stressful. And so I agree with Rick - it would help to focus on one thing at a time, not attempt to solve multiple issues at once.

I suggest sorting out your issues on the Windows 10 machine first noted in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1535186, then tackle moving to Windows 11, unless there is some approaching deadline for you.

There are also some unanswered questions which I will comment about in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1535186