This is how I've always done it (Windows). It preserves your whole existing setup.

Copy TB files from the old PC

- launch TB on the old PC

- go to TB menu > Help > Troubleshooting Information

- click the Application Basics > Profile Folder 'Open Folder' button

- the profile folder will open

- navigate three levels up to the AppData\Roaming folder

- close TB

- copy the AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird folder to a flash drive

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Install and launch TB on the new PC, then start setting up the new profile. Skip this section if you've already installed TB and created a profile.

- on the 'Set Up Your Existing Email Address' screen, enter name and email address only

- click the 'Configure manually' link

- scroll down and click 'Cancel'

- exit setup

- close TB

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Paste the copied TB files to the new PC

- open the AppData\Roaming folder like you did above

- delete the Thunderbird folder

- replace it with the Thunderbird folder from the flash drive

- launch TB

The steps look reasonable, even though you could skip the step to 'Set Up Your Existing Email Address' on the new computer. The profile you created on the new PC will be erased anyway, when you delete the AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird directory there, and copy over the AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird directory from the old computer.

The steps look reasonable, even though you could skip the step to 'Set Up Your Existing Email Address' on the new computer. The profile you created on the new PC will be erased anyway, when you delete the AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird directory there, and copy over the AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird directory from the old computer.

Thanks, I added 'Skip this section if you've already installed TB and created a profile.'