This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Cuireadh an snáithe seo sa chartlann. Cuir ceist nua má tá cabhair uait.

Rebuilding Thunderbird without my old profile

  • 4 fhreagra
  • 0 leis an bhfadhb seo
  • 22 views
  • Freagra is déanaí ó gregoryspatz

more options

My computer of the last few years crashed and will not reboot. I did not manage to copy over my old Thunderbird profile info, so that is now lost.

However, I do have my old pop3 email folders saved in a folder with my other document files.

I'd like to rebuild my Thunderbird email account so I can access all the emails saved in my email folders but am not sure how to go about doing that without my other profile info.

Is this possible? How would I do it?

Huge thanks for any help you can provide.

Greg

My computer of the last few years crashed and will not reboot. I did not manage to copy over my old Thunderbird profile info, so that is now lost. However, I do have my old pop3 email folders saved in a folder with my other document files. I'd like to rebuild my Thunderbird email account so I can access all the emails saved in my email folders but am not sure how to go about doing that without my other profile info. Is this possible? How would I do it? Huge thanks for any help you can provide. Greg

Réiteach roghnaithe

The files with no extension, named after folders, and accompanied by like-named .msf files, are mbox files, and contain the message content. Copy the mbox files (ignore the .msf files), renaming if necessary, to Mail/Local Folders in the active profile, with TB closed. Restart TB, and find the folders under Local Folders in the Folder Pane.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (4)

more options

Do the pop3 folders contain eml files or mbox files? Both can be imported to TB.

more options

Thanks for the response!

Some of the files are msf file type, some are just "files". They are all pop3 emails from my old account, but beyond that I don't know what kind of files they are. The largest folders, inbox and sent, are just "files".

The folders with .sbd file type are all empty.

more options

Réiteach Roghnaithe

The files with no extension, named after folders, and accompanied by like-named .msf files, are mbox files, and contain the message content. Copy the mbox files (ignore the .msf files), renaming if necessary, to Mail/Local Folders in the active profile, with TB closed. Restart TB, and find the folders under Local Folders in the Folder Pane.

more options

Excellent. That worked. Thank you for the help!!