First, please keep in mind that Thunderbird is NOT a backup for email. Thunderbird is an emal client only. Second, you can export your earthlink messages with these steps:

1. verify that the accounts can be downloaded at 'synchronization&storage' pane and click 'advanced' tab
2. then, check that you have 'sync regardless of age' at same pane
3. next, click file>offline>download to ensure you get all content of all folders
4. next, click help>troubleshootinginformation
5. scroll to 'profile folder and click 'open folder'
6. EXIt thunderbird. you are now in the profile
7. click the imapmail folder and then the earthink folder
8. COPY everything here. to a separate folder or to external media. Yyou can sort out later, but your main interests are the message folders, identified by the combination names such as inbox, inbox.msf, sent, sent.msf, etc.
9. start thunderbird
10. install the 'importexport NG addon
11. highlight Local Folders
12. righclick and select the importexport option to import mbox
13. locate and select one of the exported message folders, such as 'inbox' (IGNORE all msf entries)
14. repeat the prior two steps for each exported message folder
15. you should now see all earthlink folders in Local Folders with their content
16. get this much done. you have now saved all earthlink messages locally and, once you confirm to yourself that you have everthing, you can remove the earthlink account.
17. after setting up a new account, you are ready to COPY the saved messages to the new account. I've typed enough today. Get this far and post back.

One more thing: forwarding to the new account is something to do at the earthlink website, not thunderbird.

Thank you very much, David!

I have my Earthlink account email already "backed up" in my Thunderbird account.

So, I can keep or create a new account at Thunderbird, but I guess I need an ISP to pull my new email from. And, as said, I do not want to stay with Earthlink as my ISP, not worth the money they charge! Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Cliff

All I can share are personal experiences with ISPs. - I use Verizon and have for past 12 years with good performance and support - For a decade prior, I used what is now Spectrum. I would go with whatever is local in your area and well-supported. The IMPORTANT issue is to NOT use the ISP's email offering. My several years' experience on this forum has seen users frequently getting poor or useless support from their ISPs.

REMEMBER: alll your mail is now on your PC. be sure to make a backup:

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