Transferring mail from Outlook Express on old computer to existing Thunderbird account on current computer
Hi folks.
I need to transfer emails in Outlook Express on an old computer to Thunderbird on my current computer. I want to be able to access the old OE mail in my current Thunderbird account. I do NOT want to REPLACE the mail currently in my Thunderbird account with the old Outlook Express mail.
Would be appreciative of instructions on how to complete this mail migration task without risking losing (ie, replacing) my current mail in the process. Can anyone help, please?
Cheers! Ross
Solution choisie
The OE mail imported to TB on the XP computer is stored in mbox files in the profile folder. Help/Troubleshooting, click Open Folder to open the profile folder in Explorer. Close TB, open the Mail, ImapMail or Mail/Local Folders locations, and then the subfolders that contain the OE mail. The mbox files have the same name as the mail folder seen in TB and have no extension. Copy them to the Mail/Local Folders location of the W10 computer, while TB is closed, renaming the mbox files if necessary. When TB is restarted, the folders should appear under Local Folders in the Folder Pane.
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Do you have the OE mail in eml format or dbx fiiles? Both can be imported to TB's Local Folders, so as not to affect existing mail.
Thanks for your reply, sfhowes.
I should have been clearer. I have actually imported the OE mail into a new installation of Thunderbird on the old computer (running XP) on which OE is installed.
On my current computer (running Win 10) I have Thunderbird as my email client, and have been using it for quite a few years. So, I have lots of mail in my Inbox and a lot more filed as local folders.
I want to import the OE mail from Thunderbird on the old XP computer to Thunderbird on my current Win 10 computer. I thought by already importing the OE mail to Thunderbird on the old computer, it would be easier to get the OE mail across to Thunderbird on my current computer. Thing is, I don't know how to do it. Can you help, please?
PS: I'm no longer worried about affecting my existing mail in the process of importing, because I'm going to change the names of the old folders I import to ensure they don't copy over any of my current mail folders on my Win 10 computer.
Solution choisie
The OE mail imported to TB on the XP computer is stored in mbox files in the profile folder. Help/Troubleshooting, click Open Folder to open the profile folder in Explorer. Close TB, open the Mail, ImapMail or Mail/Local Folders locations, and then the subfolders that contain the OE mail. The mbox files have the same name as the mail folder seen in TB and have no extension. Copy them to the Mail/Local Folders location of the W10 computer, while TB is closed, renaming the mbox files if necessary. When TB is restarted, the folders should appear under Local Folders in the Folder Pane.
Thanks a lot, sfhowes! Very clear directions. I followed them, and they worked! All old mail now safely across to TB in my current computer, and without messing up my existing mail. Phew!
Really appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge. I did a lot of googling in vain, and was about to give up until your responses here. Thanks again.
Cheers!