Migrating Thunderbird Profile folder to new computer
Hi, Can someone please tell me why my new computer cannot see the Thunderbird Profile folder which I've migrated from my laptop into the correct folder of the new i7 computer. If I take out the default Profile folder and replace with the migrated one, Thunderbird will not open because it says it can't see the Profile folder. However if I put back the default Profile folder then Thunderbird works again. There must be a secret here somewhere! Any help will be much appreciated. BW Clifford
Chosen solution
Well, there can be just one profile. Not seeing the details, my suggestion is to activate the profile that has the messages as that also will have the accounts. Were you using TB with the new profile initially? If so, you may have messages in both profiles. From the panel of 'about:profiles' there is a button to 'open folders' for each shown profile. You can make a decision by clicking the folder for each and then clicking the Mail folder (if you use POP mail) to see if your account is shown, or ImapMail folder (if you use IMAP). I am assuming your account will be in one of those profiles. If it is in both, then you must have used both for email.
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PS forgot to mention that both computers operate Windows 10 and I'm using the the latest version of Thunderbird 91.10.0 x86
Leave both profiles there, as I assume they have different names. The reason for what you are seeing is that the profiles.ini file is pointing to the default and when you remove it, TB gets an error and quits. Let TB start, then click help>moretroubleshootinginformation, scroll down to 'profiles', click 'about:profiles' and yours should appear. Click the button to select it.
Hi Dave, Thanks so much for your helpful reply. I've successfully got the migrated Profile folder into the new computer's TB and I can see through the troubleshooting panel that it is active. I have deactivated the default profile but all that shows up are the emails from that deactivated profile and NOT from the migrated profile. Any ideas as where I'm making a mistake here. Perhaps both profiles should remain active? If so, which one should I make the "default" one. Best wishes and thanks again. Cliff
Chosen Solution
Well, there can be just one profile. Not seeing the details, my suggestion is to activate the profile that has the messages as that also will have the accounts. Were you using TB with the new profile initially? If so, you may have messages in both profiles. From the panel of 'about:profiles' there is a button to 'open folders' for each shown profile. You can make a decision by clicking the folder for each and then clicking the Mail folder (if you use POP mail) to see if your account is shown, or ImapMail folder (if you use IMAP). I am assuming your account will be in one of those profiles. If it is in both, then you must have used both for email.
Hi. I found your 2 posts most helpful and this link pointed towards my mistakes, which were... I wasn't uninstalling Thunderbird in the destination computer completely and found that when you uninstall TB, it doesn't delete the Thunderbird folder from the Roaming folder. I didn't even realise that you had to go back to that Roaming TB folder. With your help and this link, I finally got it right after days of suffering and the whole job only took me 5 minutes! Again many thanks. https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/how-to-move-your-thunderbird-profile-email-to-a-new-windows-computer/
It was a pleasure to assist you. I'm glad all is well now. Thanks for your kind words.