Did you try importing to an older version of TB, such as TB 17?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_from_Eudora_(Thunderbird)

The OSX version is available here.

That helped with part of the problem: TB17 downloaded and installed with no hassle, and the "Import... Address Books" command brought in the Eudora address book apparently intact ("Import Everything" was grayed out).

But "Import... Mail" only got about 1/4 inch of the progress bar filled, and then went blank, leaving "Cancel" as the only functional button (and, sfaict, no mail folders imported at all).

Will try letting it run again for a while (the Eudora Folder on the source volume weighs in at about 8.5 GB).

Thanks for help so far!

I've no direct experience with importing from Eudora, but it might make a difference doing this operation in safe mode, to avoid interference from any security programs, which often degrade TB performance.

Good idea, but no difference in results (of using "Import... Mail" command in TB17), though I gave it over 6 hours the first time and less than 1 hour just now.

It's late here on the US east coast, but tomorrow morning I plan an experiment of moving all but the built-in Eudora mail folders (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc) elsewhere and seeing if TB17 can import a much smaller load.

Meanwhile, other suggestions welcome!

Nope, shuffling the other folders out didn't help.

Anybody have any other clues I might pursue?

PierceR.Butler said

Nope, shuffling the other folders out didn't help. Anybody have any other clues I might pursue?

Given that no Eudora mail store was really "clean" for import. Most recommend using Eudora rescue before an import. I doubt you will find a version for your IThing though. It is an ancient and unmaintained dos utility IIRC that has not been updated for about a decade.

There will never be an import all on your operating system. It does not have a registry, or the registry key inserted by running Eudora to allow the automatic detection of an old Eudora install.

I suggest you look here http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_from_Eudora_(Thunderbird) and beg borrow or steal the use of a windows machine for the import., then migrate your data to OSX.

Eudora Rescue http://qwerky.50webs.com/eudorarescue/

Thanks - I hadn't heard of Eudora Rescue!

And I don't have any "IThing" at all, never mind in this process. Will look into the Windows option, though (it looks a whole lot easier than the set-up-a-macro-to-copy/paste-each-message idea I had been contemplating).

I'd like to point out another possible approach: use the Eudora Mailbox Cleaner tool on Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier to convert Eudora mailboxes to Thunderbird format.

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_from_Eudora_(Thunderbird)#Importing_Eudora_Mail_with_Eudora_Mailbox_Cleaner for more information.

I have not tried this yet, but I plan to. It looks like the best option for me.

Matt - Sorry for the long lag in replying. Short version: Eudora Rescue doesn't seem to work on any Windows 10 system; after much delay, a friend who thought he had a Windows 8 laptop discovered he has a dead laptop.

JDLH - Your suggestion comes at a very good time (at least so long as my OSX 10.6 laptop continues to function - I'll give that a try next!