Migration from an old machine to a new one
I have made many attempts to move Thunderbird from my old Windows machine to my new one. The old machine was running Windows 8.1, the new one is Windows 11. I've exported, then imported using all the different ways listed but can't get all the data. I've had some success doing it one account at a time including my address book and accounts setup information and they are working properly but can't get the folder data for my accounts or any Local Folders for some reason. I don't want to mess up what I've been able to successfully migrate so I'm reluctant to doing a mass migration again. Is there a way I can migrate doing it one folder at a time without messing up the other ones?
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Your post indicates you didn't migrate your email messages or your local folders. You can get the local folders via WIndows File Explorer by copying the folders from one PC to the other when THunderbird isn't running, but I encourage you to attempt a full profile copy again. The tools>import>import from another installation should do everything. If you consider doing that, first do a backup of what you have, as I wouldn't want another attempt to destroy what you have. And before doing another import, I suggest looking at the profile from old PC in File Explorer to confirm that the folders are there.
Thank you, David. I did migrate everything using the export/import tools provided. The accounts migrated beautifully but the folders for the accounts, although some were created, the contents for those folders did not migrate. The hard part of setting up the accounts was done for me during the migration. None of the contents of the folders associated with my email accounts were moved. None of my old emails were migrated. My Local Folders were not migrated at all - not the folders or the contents. All of the folders and contents are on my old computer. Thunderbird still runs perfectly on my old computer even though the computer itself is very old, extremely slow and cannot be upgraded beyond Windows 8.1. If I can copy the files from my old computer straight to my new one I will do that, but the first part of the name is different, i.e. combination of numbers and letters before the actual name of the file is different. If that doesn't matter, or if I need to alter that to make the migration work, it will be easy. Please let me know. I don't want to break what worked if I can help it. Thanks!
The name doesn't matter. With thunderbird not running, try copy in wit windows file explorer. there are two components for each file, e.g., INBOX and INBOX.msf. The local folders are in Mail\Local Folders. This is a 'copy and paste' operation. When thunderbird is restarted, it should recognize them.
my life is now RUINED, thanks DEVs. i used the export tool to save all my details, they stored as a zip file. i did this as i cant see my pass words and pop server settings why? its my machine thats passworded.
so i reinstall a new system, then tried to import settings. FILE TOO LARGE?? why tf does it make a file too large for itself to read? thats INSANE. i didnt want 5 gigs of emails, just my login details.
now they are lost forever.
probably the same psychopath that made the thunderbird email forum use an email verification to get in? well done hitler for that.
stick your badly coded crap up ur arse, i will just use outlook.
There is a warning during the Thunderbird export about file size. However, since it's a zip file, you can easily unzip it and then use tools>import>import from another machine, and select the unzipped profile.