Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Need to append data from Thunderbird on one PC to another without overwritine

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by sfhowes

more options

I am using Thunderbird on my WIN10 PC now, but I have close to 20 years worth of data on Eudora on an old PC (XP); I have converted data from Eudora to Thunderbird on the old PC, but I need to be able to append it into the current version on the new PC, without overwriting the current files and erasing the newer emails.

Can it be done?

I am using Thunderbird on my WIN10 PC now, but I have close to 20 years worth of data on Eudora on an old PC (XP); I have converted data from Eudora to Thunderbird on the old PC, but I need to be able to append it into the current version on the new PC, without overwriting the current files and erasing the newer emails. Can it be done?

Chosen solution

If the mail on the old PC is in mbox files, copy them into the Mail/Local Folders subfolder of the profile folder on the W10 computer, making sure none of the mbox files have the same name as current Local Folders subfolders. The profile folder is opened in File Explorer when you click Open Folder in Help/Troubleshooting Information. Close TB before making any additions to the profile.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (3)

more options

Chosen Solution

If the mail on the old PC is in mbox files, copy them into the Mail/Local Folders subfolder of the profile folder on the W10 computer, making sure none of the mbox files have the same name as current Local Folders subfolders. The profile folder is opened in File Explorer when you click Open Folder in Help/Troubleshooting Information. Close TB before making any additions to the profile.

more options

The mail in the original Eudora software was in MBX files, but Thunderbird on the XP machine shows MSF files.

It's been awhile since I've had to migrate email (what I have in Eudora goes back to 1996, having started in Netscape), and I'm wary of wiping out the old as well as the new emails. I use Outlook at work (no choice), and I'm only passingly familiar with Thunderbird.

more options

If you actually converted the Eudora mail to TB, the mail in TB would be stored as mbox files. Each mbox file (a large file that has no extension) is accompanied with an index .msf file with the same name. The mbox files would be in the Mail, Mail/Local Folders and ImapMail subfolders. Ignore the msf files and just copy the mbox files.