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Where does Thunderbird store my mail in Windows 7 and how can I change that to another location?

  • 3 replies
  • 2 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Zenos

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I want to make sure that I am backing up my email messages, so I need to know where the mail messages (not the profile) is being stored. If it is being stored on the C: drive where all my programs are, I will probably want to change it to a data drive that I backup on a regular basis. How can I change that location and move my existing files there? Thank you

I want to make sure that I am backing up my email messages, so I need to know where the mail messages (not the profile) is being stored. If it is being stored on the C: drive where all my programs are, I will probably want to change it to a data drive that I backup on a regular basis. How can I change that location and move my existing files there? Thank you

Chosen solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-tb#w_moving-a-profile

Note that profiles.ini needs to stay where it is and you move everything else. Thunderbird needs to be able to find and open profiles.ini to locate the rest of it.

However, if you're using one drive for programs (maybe an SSD?) and separate hard disks for all your data, then it would be better to find the setting in Windows to relocate all your Users folders to the HDD. Then the magic %appdata% symbolic link used by Windows will point to the relevant location.

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Your messages are in your profile. That will be under Users in any Windows since Vista, Documents And Settings in previous versions.

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Zenos said

Your messages are in your profile. That will be under Users in any Windows since Vista, Documents And Settings in previous versions.

Is there a way I can change the location for my profile to another drive:\path? Thank you.

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Chosen Solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-tb#w_moving-a-profile

Note that profiles.ini needs to stay where it is and you move everything else. Thunderbird needs to be able to find and open profiles.ini to locate the rest of it.

However, if you're using one drive for programs (maybe an SSD?) and separate hard disks for all your data, then it would be better to find the setting in Windows to relocate all your Users folders to the HDD. Then the magic %appdata% symbolic link used by Windows will point to the relevant location.