How do I move a Thunderbird email account & all its emails from one PC to another that already has Thunderbird with multiple email accounts?
I use Thunderbird on Windows 7 with several email accounts. A family member's PC (with Thunderbird) has failed and can' be repaired. I've recovered the disk contents and now want to merge the Thunderbird account from the dead PC with the others onto mine. Obviously I don't want to lose my existing profile & it's accounts.
Chosen solution
I would suggest you create a new User Account on the computer, so that family member can logon to their own 'User Account' to see their own desktop rather than use your User Account. Create a new User here: 'Control Panel' > 'User Account'
Logon to new 'User Account' Then run Thunderbird once to get a new default profile in that new User account.
Do not make any mail accounts.
Exit Thunderbird.
On old hardrive/backup Access:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\
Copy the 'Thunderbird' folder as it contains everything.
In new UserAccount: Access this location:
- C:\Users\<Windows new User Account name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\
Delete the default 'Thunderbird' folder. Paste the backup 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder, so it replaces the the one you deleted.
Start Thunderbird.
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Chosen Solution
I would suggest you create a new User Account on the computer, so that family member can logon to their own 'User Account' to see their own desktop rather than use your User Account. Create a new User here: 'Control Panel' > 'User Account'
Logon to new 'User Account' Then run Thunderbird once to get a new default profile in that new User account.
Do not make any mail accounts.
Exit Thunderbird.
On old hardrive/backup Access:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\
Copy the 'Thunderbird' folder as it contains everything.
In new UserAccount: Access this location:
- C:\Users\<Windows new User Account name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\
Delete the default 'Thunderbird' folder. Paste the backup 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder, so it replaces the the one you deleted.
Start Thunderbird.
If you really do not mind this family member having total access to your desktop, folders, emails etc.
Then you could do the following:
In your User Account
- Make sure Thunderbird is not running.
- Use 'Profile Manager' to create a new Profile.
- uncheck the "Don't ask at startup" option
- click on 'Exit'
- Info : http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager
On old hardrive/backup Access relative account:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ Profiles\'profile name' folder
'profile name' folder will be 'xxxxxxxx.default' where x's are letters and numbers.
- Copy all the contents - all files and folders in the 'profile name' folder .
Access your User Account here:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ Profiles folder
In the 'Profiles' folder you will see the new 'profile name' folder you just created using 'Profile Manager'.
- Open the new profile name folder which you have just created.
- Delete all the files and folders in that new 'profile' name folder.
- Paste the copied 'contents of backup profile name' folder into the new 'Profile name' folder.
So the new Profile you created now has all the old copied files and folders from the backup 'profile name' folder.
Start Thunderbird It should ask what profile you want to open.
This will keep the two profiles as separate profiles, each containing their own mail accounts and emails.
But I would recommend my first posted solution as a preferable option.
Modified by Toad-Hall
I followed Tod-Hall's suggestion to the letter (no pun intended), and Thunderbird says "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible" I uninstalled the program, cleaned the cache and reinstalled - same error message. Any suggestions