I think I have created a back up of the profiles,

Presumably you only have one profile with multiple accounts. Please use correct terminology, that will make it easier for everyone. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data

think I have created a back up of the profiles,

I don't think I can follow what exactly you did. Again, terminology matters. In general, you want to backup your entire Thunderbird profile, which includes all accounts set up in that profile. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile

... and once created I dragged it across to dropbox

I'm not sure why anyone would want to upload sensitive data like your entire email archive to Dropbox. I'd do that only when the data has been encrypted on your computer before uploading to Dropbox.

I used the rsh84gay.default as the profile and copied that folder, in the following string: Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/rsh84gay.default/Mail/Local Folders

It is not clear for me what exactly you did. For backing up the profile see above.

once I have changed from hostgator to godaddy hosting - replace the IMAP emails with all of it folders and messages in to TB again,

I don't understand what you're planning to replace. Do you still have access to your 'hostgator' account? The way it works with IMAP accounts: Prior to changing your provider you'd need to download all messages you want to preserve from the old server to your 'Local Folders' account.

After the change you can create a new account (IMAP?) for the new provider. By then you'll have lost access to the old account. You can now upload the existing messages from 'Local Folders' to the new server.

I presume I have to create new emails in TB as teh server settings will be different?

I presume 'new emails' means new account? Here we go again, terminology matters.

As stated above, you'll have to create a new account for the new server.

Or is there a more simple way to do this, by maybe just going in and edit the server names?

Not recommended.

But if I do that, what happens with the IMAP email messages I have on my TB on my Macbook?

They will be erased by the new server.

HI christ1, I am sure you are a very techie person hence to you all the terminology is like 2nd nature to you. However it is not to me.

I will try to explain the situation again. I wish to close my hostgator account and keep all of my hostings, domains etc in one place = godaddy. Hence I wish to be able to keep my IMAP emails which I have on my laptop in my Thunderbird - currently I have 10 email accounts in my Thunderbird account. I was told to find the profile which I did which ended in Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/rsh84gay.default/Mail/Local Folders and I was also told to only use the rsh84gay.default part of that link when I did my backup. My logic to duplicate that folder on my Macbook was that I could then taken that copy of that folder and drag it to my laptop "dropbox" folder - it is not in the cloud but on my computer, hence I thought it be ok. Naturally I need to know if that copy is ok to then drag back to the place it came from under the local folder area of my computer - not my local folder area in Thunderbird.

I hope that makes more sense in regards to more technical terms?

Kind regards Mrs Vips Kirrage

IMAP mail is not really stored in the profile. To get a real copy, you need to follow the advice to move your precious material to Local Folders; this prompts Thunderbird to request copies of all those messages from the server.

In unhappy situations where a user become divorced from the IMAP server, it may be possible to recover messages from the IMAP account's folders in Thunderbird, but we do this by pasting those folders into Local Folders, in the file manager. And we can't guarantee that you get a full copy of all the messages.

Thank you, can you possibly provide a step by step instruction on how to move my material to local folders - would it be the local folders in Thunderbird or the local folders on my macbook? Likewise, "we do this by pasting those folders into Local Folders, in the file manager" The file manager would be on my macbook or in Thunderbird? As you can tell I am not techie, hence I am not sure how to get this done. Grateful for any advice thanks, Vips

Zenos said

IMAP mail is not really stored in the profile. To get a real copy, you need to follow the advice to move your precious material to Local Folders; this prompts Thunderbird to request copies of all those messages from the server. In unhappy situations where a user become divorced from the IMAP server, it may be possible to recover messages from the IMAP account's folders in Thunderbird, but we do this by pasting those folders into Local Folders, in the file manager. And we can't guarantee that you get a full copy of all the messages.

I was told to find the profile which I did which ended in Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/rsh84gay.default/Mail/Local Folders

Can you provide a reference?

I was told to find the profile which I did which ended in Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/rsh84gay.default/Mail/Local Folders and I was also told to only use the rsh84gay.default part of that link when I did my backup.

I've provided a link for creating a backup of your Thunderbird profile above. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1169566#answer-991697

My logic to duplicate that folder on my Macbook was that I could then taken that copy of that folder and drag it to my laptop "dropbox" folder - it is not in the cloud but on my computer,

I'm still struggling with this. What is the point to drag something into the Dropbox folder and not having it uploaded to the cloud?

Naturally I need to know if that copy is ok to then drag back to the place it came from under the local folder area of my computer - not my local folder area in Thunderbird.

If you followed the instructions to backup your Thunderbird profile, follow the instructions below to restore your backup. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_restoring-a-profile-backup