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How to copy/import/whatever data and e-mails from another Thunderbird instance ?
Hi,
This is somehow "after effect" question. I've reinstalled Windows 10 on my SSD, but from what I remember, I've got emails store on my additional harddrive. So I've reinstalled Thunderbird (78) and I'd like to... simply.. have everything like before:
- accounts (with settings)
- emails (with folder/subfolder structure)
- filters
The issue is, I don't know, how to do it now. I've done it multiple times before (including account migration between OSes like Windows and Linux), because I had few OS reinstalls. But it was in times, when Thunderbird was ... well... usable and configurable good way. I've ignored many changes in TB that occured in the long meanwhile, and I was using TB so long last time, that I forgot the logic, which apparently changed during few latest updates.
First - I can't find any TB old profile. Really. I've got a partition backup (Macrium Reflect) which I can mount any time, so I've tried to find it both in:
- %AppData\Roaming - but there's no Thunderbird directory (!), even searching whole partition lacks "Profiles" directory which is assigned to Thunderbird
- local store directory (H:\_mail) doesn't contain any "Profiles" directory as well
- program installation directory (G:\ProgramFiles\Thunderbird) doesn't contain it, too
- I've checked old "MyDocuments", and it was no "Mozilla" or "Thunderbird" directories neither.
Second - I can't import/migrate/copy my emails to newly installed TB. I've added one account, but when tried to change emails store location in account settings, it turned it it is wrong way, because mail location that holds all emails doesn't have a structure with separated account names. I can't remember if I used some add-ons (on the very beginning I was using some profile manager to log into desired profile), but I didn't change MBOX to MAILDIR for sure - otherwise I'd have plenty of files instead of massive inbox file.
From what I remember, last time I was doing import emails to Thunderbird - it was few years ago. Maybe it was not an import, but pointing to old directory that held all emails, I can't remember now, it was years ago. But it's quite possible, so maybe it's a reason why it's so messy now.
I don't know why Moziila doesn't keep standards for all the time (or maybe why it didn't create ones). If all stuff were standarized, and Mozilla programmers sticked to these rules, it wouldn't be such misunderstandings now. But I've got impression everything changes, not only with how it looks and how it works, but also how it stores different stuff. It doesn't attract users, but rather makes them frustrated. And TB stopped to be "fresh" and "light" mail client, I'd rather compared it to the tank in the mud.
Coming back to the subject - I am able to restore old system image to some hard drive and boot it again to see some options/config. But - frankly - I keep that solution to the end, if nothing else helps.
Any thoughts, please ?
Cheers
Isisombululo esikhethiwe
OK, problem solved. Somehow I've used a different partition image for searching TB profile (profile copy made a 80% of job). Deeper investigation revealed this, and profile appeared in required location. On that occassion I've made some cleaning, however I still have Local folder among few "normal" account folders, including POP3 and IMAP. Some day - hopefully - I'll merge it definately if only Mozilla devs will allow this without heavy workload :)
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Isisombululo Esikhethiwe
OK, problem solved. Somehow I've used a different partition image for searching TB profile (profile copy made a 80% of job). Deeper investigation revealed this, and profile appeared in required location. On that occassion I've made some cleaning, however I still have Local folder among few "normal" account folders, including POP3 and IMAP. Some day - hopefully - I'll merge it definately if only Mozilla devs will allow this without heavy workload :)
Okulungisiwe