# Moving Mozilla Thunderbird **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548 "2008-02-14T03:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/1 "2008-02-14T03:08:32Z")
Having saved the drive from Mrs. Plant’s laptop, and made it readable from her desktop, I am asked to perform other miracles. How can I move her email and address book from the laptop drive to the new install in her desktop? I see no import for Thunderbird. I’ve copied the Mozilla folder from the laptop drive to the desktop, and local settings\application data hunderbird. No cigar. Thanks, CP ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/2 "2008-02-14T09:21:01Z")
This is the complicated way. It assumes you’re using Windows XP and your email account settings have not changed. I’m sure there’s an easier way but I have no idea what it is. Install Mozilla Thunderbird on the new machine. The first time you run it, set up the email account in Thunderbird. You should have an inbox with the same settings as your old one, only blank. Send a test email back and forth to make sure your SMTP and POP3 settings are correct. Once that’s working, find the account folder on the old computer. It should be something like C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\random\_name. The random name will be a bunch of numbers and letters and may have an extension. In this folder will be a file named abook.mab. That’s the address book. There will also be a subfolder called Mail, which will have a subfolder with the name of your mail server. Copy the file and the \Mail folder (DON’T cut… it’s easy to lose your email here), and then locate the account folder on the new computer. It should be in the same place except the aforementioned random\_name folder will have a different name on the new machine. Paste abook.mab and the \Mail folder into \random\_name, overwriting the inbox you just made that just had the test emails. Open your mail client. There’s your mail. I’ll keep this thread bookmarked in case you have any problems, or you can PM me. In any event, please update so I know how it goes. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/3 "2008-02-14T18:35:49Z")
[QUOTE=Wheeljack] In any event, please update so I know how it goes. Good luck! [/QUOTE] Thanks, I’ll check in tonight. CP ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/4 "2008-02-15T00:53:43Z")
She has three accounts, Maila, Mailb, Mailc. I copy the files and had email from Mailc in the inbox of Maila; nothing in the other two. I deleted the accounts, added them in a different order and had nothing when I copied again. Gonna give it a rest, uninstall Thunderbird and reinstall. Thanks again, CP ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/5 "2008-02-15T01:06:24Z")
Save yourself some hassle and use [Mozbackup](http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/) to transfer emails, addons, profiles, etc… You could do it manually but, as you’ve found out, it can be a royal pain. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-mozilla-thunderbird/437548/6 "2008-02-15T02:54:04Z")
Mozbackup apparently finds Thunderbird from the registry, and, alas, not the files on the laptop drive installed in the desktop. I can’t back the laptop Thunderbird up.