Do not uninstall or move the actual Thunderbird Program.

You can move your 'profile name' folder to another Drive.

For example: On Windows OS, your profile is usually located here: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ The 'profile name' folder is usually called 'xxxxxxxx.default' where the x's are letters and numbers. You can also locate exact location by doing this: In thunderbird Help > Troubleshooting Information Application Basics section Scroll down to last entry : Profiles. click on 'about:profiles' link. It open in a new tab. The 'Root Directory' is the one you need.

There is now a way of generating the 'Profile Manager' via thunderbird - yehar this really makes life more simple. click on 'Create new Profile' to open the 'Create Profile Wizard' window.

Exit Thunderbird now - this is important.

On Drive 'D:' Create a folder called 'TB Profiles' Copy the 'profile name' folder and put it in the 'TB Profiles' folder. Put another copy on an external hard drive as alterative backup. Then delete the original in the 'Thunderbird\Profiles' folder.

In the 'Create Profile Wizard' window click on 'next' Create new profile name and click on 'Choose folder....' button and choose the moved 'profile name' folder on D: drive and click on OK check path is correct and click on 'Finish'.

Alternative ways of accessing 'Profile Manager' if Thunderbird is not running. To Start Profile Manager via Run

• Press Windows Key +R on the keyboard. A Run dialog will open.
• In the Run dialog box, type: thunderbird.exe -P

Alternative: I found it easy to create a new 'Mozilla Thunderbird' shortcut on desktop so I can use it at any time. Renamed shortcut to 'TB profile Manager' then accessed the 'Properties' and changed the 'Target' information by appending a space followed by -P See image below. It just made it easier to use the 'Profile Manager'.

Additional helpful hints: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

Although this link seems to discuss 'Firefox' browser, the info is basically the same, you would just substitute the relevant part. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-remove-switch-firefox-profiles

Thank you. I can do all this, though it will be a day or two before I can block out the time. I don't think this will be a problem with my automated offsite backup service and program (Carbonite), am I correct?

I also perform a clone once a week. I am sure there will be no issue there, except now my TB emails will not be included. I'm prett sure I can figure this out, once I've done the other stuff. cf

Toad-Hall: I've finally been able to work on this.Thank you for help, past and in prospect.

In displaying my profiles, I see that I have several, three of which are of substantial, and similar sizes. One of them is the one that's identified when I go through the Help/Troubleshooting steps; I presume that's my active profile.

The two others are identical, though not in size, except for the presence of two open parentheses: xxxxx and (xxxxx( . I think these are from when earlier I moved to a new machine and reinstalled TB, though I don't recall for certain. That is, I think they, or at least the one without the parentheses, was the profile from my (twice earlier) PC. Certainly, some of the Mail files within the two profiles seem identical to ones in what I think is my active profile.

It seems to me that I can safely move these two bulky profiles to another drive, thus clearing up the space I need, and if ever I need to access these other two, I can direct TB to go to and use those profiles. I'm not sure how to do this, though. I recall that at one time when I had multiple profiles TB opened up and asked me which I wanted to use, but I haven't seen that splash screen in a while.

So I haven't taken any action yet, and have these questions:

Can I safely presume the two profiles are not active and simply move them elsewhere?

How, if needs be, do I then get TB to look for and access either of those files?

Do you have a clue as to why a duplicate enclosed by open parentheses might exist? (I freely admit that I might have done this at an earlier time, thinking myself clever for some reason, and simply don't remember).

Thanks again.

CF

Have you opened the profile manager as toad-hall suggested. it may be your other two profiles are already listed. If they are not use the profile manager to create new profiles that point to the two profile folders

Having said that they are probably just taking up space, so check in the sub folders of the imap mail and mail folders of both profiles for MSF files, have a look at the dates on them. Also have a look at the prefs.js file in both folders. you will probably find the dates are years in the past, so are not used by Thunderbird at all. Often these are the result of failed copy attempts when transferring mail. Yet others are the empty profiles created when Thunderbird first starts.

Based on your concern about space. Do you search your mail using windows/ cortana search? if not most people have a duplicate copy of their mail in the mail folders. Turning off windows search support and cleaning that up can free lots of space. In my case a deleted over 100,000 files created for the sole purpose of supporting windows search.

disabling window search has no effect on Thunderbird's internal search.

Matt, thank you.

Actually, following toad-hall's advice is how I found the other profiles in the first place.

I did look at the msf files, but not at the js, which I will do now. I think you're right, they're just taking up space and I can safely move them elsewhere.

cf

I moved all the profiles except the one I am using to another location, without any apparent ill effects and with the freeing up of plenty of space.

I would have to access one of those profiles in order to search for email more than then years old, but I rarely have to do that (and maybe I'd use Window search, otherwise ignored, for that purpose).

Thanks for your help.

cf

The next logical step is to "move" you active profile off the system disk. it is as easy as what you have already done, bit you need to use the profile manager to create a new profile in the location you moved the profile to.

I would also suggest you import all the mail in your other two profiles into the active one, then you can muddle around checking it out at your leisure without needing to load the profiles.

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools-ng/?src=ss

The addon can import all mail in a profile into the "Local folders" part of Thunderbird. A great way to consolidate profiles without having to resort to the profile manager on a regular basis.