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Can't effectively transfer profile to new pc. Spent hours and various suggested solutions.

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  • Last reply by Bob Craig

Bob Craig
Bob Craig
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I saved my Thunderbird profile to an external hard drive, then I reset my pc. I installed Thunderbird and tried to move the profile to the new pc without success. I read various articles on how to do this but none worked for me. I found how to create a new profile and tried that and then moved the mail files into it, but still no success. I must be missing an important step. I can set up new mail but that doesn't transfer years of old saved mail some of which has important keys etc. After multiple hours at this I am very frustrated. Please help.

I saved my Thunderbird profile to an external hard drive, then I reset my pc. I installed Thunderbird and tried to move the profile to the new pc without success. I read various articles on how to do this but none worked for me. I found how to create a new profile and tried that and then moved the mail files into it, but still no success. I must be missing an important step. I can set up new mail but that doesn't transfer years of old saved mail some of which has important keys etc. After multiple hours at this I am very frustrated. Please help.

Chosen solution

Did you follow these instructions?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder_-_Thunderbird#Use_the_Profile_Manager_to_move_your_profile

To start Profile Manager, close TB, Windows key+R, type

thunderbird.exe -p

Next time, save the Thunderbird folder, which contains the profile folder and the important profiles.ini file:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

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sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

Did you follow these instructions?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder_-_Thunderbird#Use_the_Profile_Manager_to_move_your_profile

To start Profile Manager, close TB, Windows key+R, type

thunderbird.exe -p

Next time, save the Thunderbird folder, which contains the profile folder and the important profiles.ini file:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

Bob Craig
Bob Craig Question owner
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I had already tried some of those with no success. I then tried "Nothing you do works" and lo and behold that worked!! Thanks much for your help. Now I just have to figure out all the other problems caused by reinstalling Windows.