How to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer Quickly?
Summary: There are 3 ways to move Thunderbird profile to new computer. You can do it by manually replacing the profile folder on the new computer with the profile data from the source. Or you can also export and import files in ZIP format via the built-in option. However, the easiest way is to use the BitRecover tool to export and restore the Thunderbird profile to a new PC.
Mozilla Thunderbird, as an email client, stores its entire user data – emails, account configuration, contacts, calendar, and even settings in the Thunderbird profile folder, separate from Thunderbird program files.
Reassurance: Moving your Thunderbird profile doesn’t mean you will lose any data. Everything remains identical.
Reasons to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer
There can be many case scenarios where a user may need to transfer Thunderbird mail to a new computer:
- When upgrading to a new device for better performance.
- Thunderbird application or system crashed.
- Access Thunderbird data identically on a personal & professional computer.
This guide provides you with step-by-step instructions for Thunderbird Migration to a new PC using all 3 methods.
Prerequisites: Migrate Thunderbird to New Computer
Ensure you complete the following requirements before initiating either manual or automated:
- Both versions of Thunderbird must be identical or the latest. As it helps avoid a mismatch of file structure.
- Ensure the destination PC has enough disk space to hold the Thunderbird profile folder.
- A reliable temporary storage for transfer eg: USB drive, Google Drive, external HDD.
- Install the latest version of Mozilla Thunderbird on the new PC from (https://www.thunderbird.net/)
Standard Way to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer
It is the official way to copy a Thunderbird profile to a new computer. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Steps to Follow on the Old Computer
- Creates a new folder (eg, thunderbird-profile-data) on your source PC.
- Open Mozilla Thunderbird on the source computer.
- Click on Menu (three-lines) on top-right >> Help >> Troubleshooting Information.
- Scroll to the Profile Folder & press the Open Folder button.
- Mandatory: Close the Mozilla Thunderbird application.
- Press Ctrl+A or Cmd+A to select all the data inside the Thunderbird profile folder.
- Copy and paste them to the new folder created.
Note: Transfer it to your new computer using any temporary storage method to move Thunderbird Profile to the new computer.
Steps to Follow on the New Computer
Note: In case the Thunderbird profile is not at the default location and has been modified by Profile Manager (Run >>thunderbird.exe -P). You will have to create a new profile on your destination computer and use the same location as your profile.
- Open Thunderbird to move Mozilla Thunderbird to new computer.
- Now click on the “Menu” icon and then choose “Help” >> “More troubleshooting information” options from the appearing list.
- After that, select the option “Open Folder” from the screen.
- Mandatory: Close the Mozilla Thunderbird application.
- Replace all the content inside the profile folder on the new computer with the data from the old profile folder.
- Start Thunderbird.
Tip: You can also manually navigate to the Thunderbird profile folder. In case you need to transfer Thunderbird to new computer after an application crash. Here are the profile locations.
- Windows: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Windows
- Mac: /Users/[Username]/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/
- Linux: /home/[Username]/.thunderbird/
Important: You are supposed to copy and move data from the default release folder.
Pros & Cons to Move Thunderbird to New Computer Using Profile Replacement
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| No Data Left Behind | Risk of Data Loss Due to Accidental Deletion or Missing Folders |
| Free Method | Manually Intensive Process |
| Official Thunderbird Method | Prone to Errors, Warnings, or Transfer Failures |
| Works with the crashed Thunderbird application | Inefficient if the profile is corrupted |
User-Friendly Native Alternative to Migrate Thunderbird to New Computer
Use Thunderbird’s native import & export tool as a way to move Thunderbird Profile to a new computer. You no longer have to deal with complex, unknown files. The process is completely GUI-based.
Note: Use this method only in case you find the profile replacement approbation technical. As you may lose some important metadata. It is not recommended for bulk-sensitive data.
Steps to Follow in the Source Computer
- Open Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Click on Menu >> Tools >> Export.
- Click on Start Export.
You will get a resultant ZIP file. Transfer the ZIP file to the destination computer via any temporary storage like HDD, USB, or Google Drive.
Steps to Follow in the Destination Computer to Restore Thunderbird Profile to New Computer
- Open Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Click on Menu >> Tools >>Import.
- Choose Import from a File >> Import Backed-Up Profile.
- Select the Zipped profile from the source computer.
- Finally, start importing.
Advanced Solution to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer
The Thunderbird Converter is one of the best and most advanced solutions to migrate Thunderbird to new computer. The software has multiple advances and sophisticated features and capabilities, such as users can transfer unlimited and selected data from previous Thunderbird profiles.
The software has the power to move complete data of the Thunderbird profile. Also, the software provides 15+ destinations to copy Thunderbird profiles to another computer. Complete information and details are mentioned below, and understand why professional tools are better than manual methods:
Steps to Move Thunderbird Profile to New Computer
- Download and run the software on your machine.
- And then, select the required data and upload the Thunderbird profile data using the given options.
- Now all the folders and subfolders will appear on the screen and choose the needed folder from here.
- After that, hit the select saving option and choose “Thunderbird” from the list.
- And then, browse the saving location where you want to save the exported data like the location of the USB drive.
- Lastly, hit the “Next” icon to transfer Thunderbird email to new computer.
- When the process will complete, you will get the confirmation message.
Now you will get the data at the selected location, and you can copy and paste the data into the USB drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. And then paste the data into the new computer and easily import MBOX to Thunderbird.
Features of Professional Way
- The software maintains all the attributes and components of the email header and body, like Bcc, Cc, To, Date, From, Subject, Formatting, Inline, Image, Attachments, Font size, and colors.
- Also, the tool provides 15+ saving formats, including PST, PDF, EML, MSG, MBOX, CSV, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, etc., to move Thunderbird profile to new computer.
- The software allows users to move complete Thunderbird profile data, including emails, contacts, calendars, notes, journals, attachments, and other data, while preserving the original hierarchy.
- The utility is created with highly advanced algorithms, which makes the software powerful and different from other brands’ tools.
- It provides a dual option to upload Thunderbird profile data, like the tool automatically loads Thunderbird profile data from the default storage location, and users can also upload the data manually.
FAQ: Move Thunderbird to New Computer
Q1: Why is the Thunderbird profile not loading or recognised after copying to a new computer?
This happens because Thunderbird is opening a new profile instead of the one where you moved your data from the old computer. The Thunderbird profile storage path must be identical in both the source & destination computer.
Q2: Why are add-ons & extensions uninstalled after I import the Thunderbird profile to a new computer?
As the add-ons & extensions data is stored in Thunderbird program files and nor profile folder.
Q3: Do I need to reconfigure the accounts after I move Thunderbird to a new computer?
No, if you have copied key4.db or logins.json files accurately, you do not need to reconfigure accounts. With the use of BitRecover software, you will need to reconfigure the account afterwards.
Conclusion
Above are some manual tricks to move Thunderbird profile to new computer, but sometimes these manual solutions do not work, which will result in data loss or become a time-consuming task. So, avoid this situation and use a third-party utility available to migrate Thunderbird to new computer. These utilities are handy and reliable as well, which will efficiently transfer Thunderbird emails to new computer without any loss and quickly.
Read Next: Ultimate Guide to Import Thunderbird Email to Thunderbird
