- exit thunderbird, if running. - copy the full folder in Windows file explorer - most folders are two names, e.g. INBOX, inbox.msf - In the other computer, copy them to the Mail/Local Folders folder with thunderbird not running and restart thunderbird

How do I find out the name, if Inbox precedes it or maybe Local? I copied the path, but that doesn't really help me. Thank you David. Sorry to be dense, my 84th b'day is in a week.

Hi, Annette, Let me fully understand what you want to do. Are you wanting to move a Thunderbird account from one computer to another? Or just move messages from an account to another computer so you can read them, but not with the associated account? Knowing your intended end result will help me give the right info.

David, I have Tbird on another computer which has no internet access. I use it for storage and lookup, so a zip file won't help. Initially I wanted to move 1 Local folder to that machine so I could still read the mssgs there. But now I'm wondering if I just shouldn't copy All the mail to the other machine (like a backup), and still keep this machine as it is.. I'm just getting totally mixed up. Perhaps it's starting with copying in Win 10 (I never got on well with 10) From my mixed up head, does that make it clearer? Thank you.

Okay, it seems just the Messages are needed. - on old computer,

 -thunderbird not running
 - get to profile area:  c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird\profile\<profilename>\Mail 
    In this folder are your POP accounts, and you should see one folder for each mail account. 
    Copy all of this, including account name to the USB stick. You will then have all folders for one account. 

- on other computer,

 - thundebird not running
    get to profile area: c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird\profile\<yourprofile>\Mail|Local Folders
    copy the USB stick contents there. That places them in local folders by account name
 - start thunderbird and they should appear in Local Folders

Okay, I'll give it a try, but I'm going to try to collect myself and have a cup of tea first. Thank you. I'll let you know how I make out.

It seems Windows can't find what I typed :( I'm assuming in you address <yourid> = my name but <profilename> = what

Your Thunderbird\profile folder may show more than one profile. That's why I left it out. They're usually long names, often ending in the word 'default.' If more than one and you're not sure which is which, you can find out by - starting thunderbird - click help>moretroubleshootinginformation - scroll down to 'Profile Folder' in left side and click 'open folder' - you will not be inside the profile and the name will appear along top row.

Select all the messages in the folder of the source computer with Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+S to save them as eml files to a directory. Copy the eml files to the target computer. Open TB on the target computer and create a new subfolder of Local Folders. Size the windows to show TB and File Explorer side by side. Drag the eml files from File Explorer and drop them on the new subfolder in TB.

David I got it!! It's copying now.

I was too jubilant too quickly. The old computer, to where the messages are going, is Win 7. I easily found the last profile I put on there, it was in October of 2020, and Tbird's system has changed since then. It, along with an old update, resides on C: under Program Data, under Mozilla. I easily see it on there, but I don't remember where the command line is to tell the computer to copy the data from the USB drive to that location. And I've forgotten, do I start from the USB drive, or from C:  ? My brain is too old for all this :(

OH! and some of the messages that I am now putting on Win 7 are old and probably included in the profile from October 2020. Problem?

Annette, I think it best now to follow @sfhowes suggestion. Since they're just for reading, that seems the simpler approach, and he is far more knowledgeable on this than I.

I got it all copied, no problem. The problem now is Thunderbird. It's an old version and that machine has no access to internet so I can't update it. The messages I want are on the 7 machine, I put them in the same place where the previous messages went, but the program doesn't see them. I have to go back and clean up a couple of things I tried, unsuccessfully, and then I'll try to figure it out tomorrow. I had forgotten how 7 works, that caused much frustration as well. Thank you all for you help. I may need more tomorrow, I hope not.

Annette, If you copied them as eml files, you can open each with File>Open>Saved message and then a FIle Explorer window opens and you can select the message there.

Thank you! I'll try that. I had thought to turn them into text files, but your suggestion might be easier. Many thanks to both of you for helping my little (old) grey cells thru this.