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Question about profile backup and gmail

Queenmab100
Queenmab100
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In TB (68.10.0), I have my email history going back to 1997. These emails are divided between my "Local Folders" in TB and what I think of as my 'live' gmail folders. The latter can be accessed from any computer or device and when I delete, move, send or create an email, it populates to all my devices. The "Local Folders" live only on my PC (Window 7) and are not accessible through any other device.

I have created a backup of my profile and want to try restoring it onto another computer, as a test to see whether the backup process really works. I assume that when I restore the backup profile to this new computer, the "Local Folders" will populate into TB with no problem. But, it's unclear to me how the 'live' folders will be affected. Will the 'live' backup folder (which is a couple of months old) overwrite what is currently stored in my up-to-date 'live' folders? Or will they be added to whatever is already there? Or something else completely - like a complete meltdown of gmail???  :-)

I have attached two pictures of my folder organization in the hopes that it is helpful.

If what I wrote above is not clear, feel free to ask me for clarification and I will respond promptly. Thanks for your help.

In TB (68.10.0), I have my email history going back to 1997. These emails are divided between my "Local Folders" in TB and what I think of as my 'live' gmail folders. The latter can be accessed from any computer or device and when I delete, move, send or create an email, it populates to all my devices. The "Local Folders" live only on my PC (Window 7) and are not accessible through any other device. I have created a backup of my profile and want to try restoring it onto another computer, as a test to see whether the backup process really works. I assume that when I restore the backup profile to this new computer, the "Local Folders" will populate into TB with no problem. But, it's unclear to me how the 'live' folders will be affected. Will the 'live' backup folder (which is a couple of months old) overwrite what is currently stored in my up-to-date 'live' folders? Or will they be added to whatever is already there? Or something else completely - like a complete meltdown of gmail??? :-) I have attached two pictures of my folder organization in the hopes that it is helpful. If what I wrote above is not clear, feel free to ask me for clarification and I will respond promptly. Thanks for your help.
Attached screenshots

Chosen solution

Your "live" folders will stay as they are, because as far as the Gmail IMAP server is concerned, it does not receive any IMAP commands from Thunderbird, telling it to delete, move, copy or perform any operations on your live folders and messages when you migrate the profile to another computer.

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All Replies (4)

Stans
Stans
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Chosen Solution

Your "live" folders will stay as they are, because as far as the Gmail IMAP server is concerned, it does not receive any IMAP commands from Thunderbird, telling it to delete, move, copy or perform any operations on your live folders and messages when you migrate the profile to another computer.

Queenmab100
Queenmab100 Question owner
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Thanks. I just don't understand one thing: when I'm on my PC and I delete, move or send an email, it populates to all my devices. So, it must receive some type of IMAP command from TB. So, when I copy over the backup profile, won't it 'see' those live folders in my backup?

Stans
Stans
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When you're copying a profile folder, you're not sending any IMAP commands to the server. Remember you're copying the profile folder outside of Thunderbird, you're not doing it within Thunderbird for that action to be replicated on the server. When you launch Tbird using the restored (backup) profile, synchronisation between the server and Tbird will happen, and whatever is present in the server will appear in Tbird, while whatever live folders that were not in the server (but were still in the old backup profile) will disappear. Fetching and displaying what is on the server takes priority when Tbird starts.

Queenmab100
Queenmab100 Question owner
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Okay, will try it and report back. Thanks for your help. (Fingers crossed!)  :-)