Thunderbird stores your data in a separate location, away from the program filesapplication, called your profile folder. To move your data, you can copy your profile folder to the equivalent location on your destination computer.
Note: If you have used the Profile Manager on your source computer to store your Thunderbird profile folder in a custom location into a remote storage drive, create a new profile on your destination computer and set that profile to use the same location. Thunderbird's new installation will use the already existing data.
- On your source computer
- Connect a device for data transfer, either a local one such as a USB flash drive, or a remote storage drive.
- Click the menu button
, then click and select .Open the menu and select .
- Locate the "Profile Folder" entry, then click .
Your Thunderbird profile folder will open in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder. - CloseQuit Thunderbird.
- From your Thunderbird profile folder in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder, go up three levelsgo up two levelsopen the . menu and select two times
- Right-clickHold down the control key while you click
on the Thunderbird.thunderbird folder and select .
(.thunderbird is a hidden folder. Make sure you have File Browser set to show hidden files.) - Right-clickHold down the control key while you click the device you are using to transfer your data, then select .
- If you are using a local transfer device, remove it safely from the source computer.
Note: This steps can also be used to create a backup of your Thunderbird profile folder.
- On your destination computer
- Connect the same transfer device you have used before to copy your Thunderbird profile folder from the source computer.
- Right-clickHold down the control key while you click on the copy of the Thunderbird profile folder that you created on the transfer device, then select .
- Open Thunderbird (Close the account setup window if it appears.)
- Click the menu button
, then click and select .Open the menu and select .
- Locate the "Profile Folder" entry, then click .
Your Thunderbird profile folder will open in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder. - CloseQuit Thunderbird.
- From your Thunderbird profile folder in Windows ExplorerFile BrowserFinder, go up three levelsgo up two levelsopen the . menu and select two times
- Right-clickHold down the control key while you click inside the folder, then select .
- When prompted, choose to replace your current data.