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Moving my profile from Windows to Ubuntu

  • 10 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 7 views
  • Last reply by christ1

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Hello there,

I am trying to move my thunderbird portable profile I used on Windows 7 to Ubuntu.

I have copied all the contents from Thunderbird Portable/data/profile of my Thunderbird Portable Windows application to ~/.thunderbird/xxxxxxx.default of my Ubuntu installation, but it just did not work - when I opened Thunderbird my profile was not there.


How to properly move the profile in this case please?

Thank you!

Hello there, I am trying to move my thunderbird portable profile I used on Windows 7 to Ubuntu. I have copied all the contents from Thunderbird Portable/data/profile of my Thunderbird Portable Windows application to ~/.thunderbird/xxxxxxx.default of my Ubuntu installation, but it just did not work - when I opened Thunderbird my profile was not there. How to properly move the profile in this case please? Thank you!

Modified by kaoprisehq

Chosen solution

By starting afresh, I mean delete the contents of the current profile folder in Ubuntu then copy them again from the portable copy to the Ubuntu location where you want them to be. One of the files inside the profile folder is named pkcs11.txt. Delete it from the Ubuntu profile folder then point the profile manager to this folder. Tbird will recreate that file when it loads the profile.

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christ1 Top 25 Contributor said

Use the Profile Manager to point Thunderbird to the copied profile. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Changing_Profile_Folder_Location#Using_the_Profile_Manager_to_move_your_profile

Almost helped. The thing is, I create a profile using profile manager and point it to the exising profile foder, and after that it asks me for a password for each account added to the profile. After I enter the password I get this notification that connection to imap.google.com failed, even though everything looks like it should except that it does not connect.

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Exit Tbird and start afresh by replacing the profile folder with a fresh copy. Open the folder and delete the file named pkcs11.txt then start Tbird using that profile folder.

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Stans Top 25 Contributor said

Exit Tbird and start afresh by replacing the profile folder with a fresh copy. Open the folder and delete the file named pkcs11.txt then start Tbird using that profile folder.

Stans Top 25 Contributor said

Exit Tbird and start afresh by replacing the profile folder with a fresh copy. Open the folder and delete the file named pkcs11.txt then start Tbird using that profile folder.

Can you be more specific please? What do you mean by start afresh by replacing the profile folder with a fresh copy?

Am I getting this right:

1. Create a new profile and import my existing profile to that new profile using profile manager

2. Delete file pkcs11.txt from the profile?

Modified by kaoprisehq

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Chosen Solution

By starting afresh, I mean delete the contents of the current profile folder in Ubuntu then copy them again from the portable copy to the Ubuntu location where you want them to be. One of the files inside the profile folder is named pkcs11.txt. Delete it from the Ubuntu profile folder then point the profile manager to this folder. Tbird will recreate that file when it loads the profile.

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After I enter the password I get this notification that connection to imap.google.com failed

Please post your Troubleshooting Information. At the top right of the Thunderbird window, click the menu button , then select Help > Troubleshooting Information. Press the "Copy text to clipboard button" and paste the information into your reply.

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Stans Top 25 Contributor said

By starting afresh, I mean delete the contents of the current profile folder in Ubuntu then copy them again from the portable copy to the Ubuntu location where you want them to be. One of the files inside the profile folder is named pkcs11.txt. Delete it from the Ubuntu profile folder then point the profile manager to this folder. Tbird will recreate that file when it loads the profile.

Seems like this helped. Thank you!


Thank you all for your help, problem solved!

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You are welcome.

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