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Trouble Transitioning Thunderbird to New Computer

  • 2 replies
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  • Last reply by ben_guzman

ben_guzman
ben_guzman
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Unable to transition Thunderbird from y old Windows 7 computer to new Windows 11 Home computer. Have tried suggested copy of Profile folder methods (found in Youtube & support site), but stored Emails and folders do not come across to the new computer. In most cases duplicate account names are created in the new computer. In one of those accounts would contain the last downloaded Emails in the old computer's InBox.

Hopefully there is a way to transfer all old Emails. Let me know what information is needed to diagnose this problem.

Ben Guzman [edited] @earthlink.net

Unable to transition Thunderbird from y old Windows 7 computer to new Windows 11 Home computer. Have tried suggested copy of Profile folder methods (found in Youtube & support site), but stored Emails and folders do not come across to the new computer. In most cases duplicate account names are created in the new computer. In one of those accounts would contain the last downloaded Emails in the old computer's InBox. Hopefully there is a way to transfer all old Emails. Let me know what information is needed to diagnose this problem. Ben Guzman [edited] @earthlink.net

Modified by James

Chosen solution

Hello David,

Thanks for providing a solution, but ran into two problems not quite covered in the solution. 

1) The copied Thunderbird file folder from old PC but it would again create two accounts, no folders or past Emails on the new PC.  So I tried coping, 1 by 1, each folder and each file until the offending was found (the perfs file)

\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Win7_profile>\Mail\pop.earthlink.net\Inbox.sbd\prefs

Omitting this file allowed many folders and Emails in the new PC, but not all(???).

2) Found that I had actually been using a different location on the disk drive for Thunderbird since 2013. Once I found that location, was able to copy over the contents and all my folders and past Emails appeared.

Problem solved.

Thanks, Benjamin Guzman

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All Replies (2)

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor
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These steps normally work: - exit TB in old computer - copy c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird to USB stick - install TB on new PC and exit - copy the USB thunderbird folder to c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming on new computer. This overwrites the default profile created by TB so you will be prompted for overwrites. Allow. - start TB and folders and messages should be there.

ben_guzman
ben_guzman Question owner
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Chosen Solution

Hello David,

Thanks for providing a solution, but ran into two problems not quite covered in the solution. 

1) The copied Thunderbird file folder from old PC but it would again create two accounts, no folders or past Emails on the new PC.  So I tried coping, 1 by 1, each folder and each file until the offending was found (the perfs file)

\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Win7_profile>\Mail\pop.earthlink.net\Inbox.sbd\prefs

Omitting this file allowed many folders and Emails in the new PC, but not all(???).

2) Found that I had actually been using a different location on the disk drive for Thunderbird since 2013. Once I found that location, was able to copy over the contents and all my folders and past Emails appeared.

Problem solved.

Thanks, Benjamin Guzman