The backup is it a copy of your profile or how did you do that?

bill5000 said

I connected an external HDD to my new Windows 8.1 Laptop that contains an old back-up of my old PC and tried the 'import' method, in Thunderbird, thinking it would extract my address book from the old backup copy. However, the only thing that appears in my Thunderbird contacts is an address book icon (with the same name as the back-up file on my HDD), but there are no addresses in it - should I be doing something differently?

Gnospen said

The backup is it a copy of your profile or how did you do that?

Hi,

Thanks for responding. The backup is a straightforward backup of all the files off my old hard drive. I guess it includes all my old Thunderbird files, so I thought I would probably be able to at least import the Contacts into my Laptop?

Yes if you use an addon MoreFunctionForAddressBook there is a way to directly import from an old TBird abook.mab

If you want ALL of your old setup, accounts, mails, addons etc. Just replace everything INSIDE your new profile with the old stuff. Don't change the name of your profile.

Everything you collected so far in your new profile will be gone and replaced thou.