re : C:/users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird

The 'Thunderbird' folder should remain in that location - in the 'Roaming' folder as it contains the information - 'profile.ini' file which tells Thunderbird program where to look for each 'profile'. Do not move it.

re :I use Thunderbird with multiple profiles for several different email addresses.

One profile name folder can hold all the mail accounts/email address. Most users only ever use one profile unless it gets corrupted. Are you saying you have several 'profile name' folders and each will contain certain mail accounts ? So, you would be using 'Profile Manager' to open on specific 'profiles' in order to see a certain set of mail accounts ?

The correct procedure is: On other drive create a 'TBIRD' folder (so you do not confuse the original 'Thunderbird' folder with 'TBIRD' folder) and in that 'TBIRD' folder create a 'Profiles' folder. So you have same structure which is logical, but not the same 'Thunderbird' folder. You are only relocating profiles.

Access:C:/users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles folder Copy the 'profile name' folders which typically have this structure : 123abc4.default paste the copied 'profile name' folders into the drive:/TBIRD/Profiles folder.

At this point Thunderbird has no knowledge about where you are choosing to relocate your profiles. Start 'Profile Manager' You may already have been using this in order to select which profile to run. But in Windows OS, in search type 'Run' and select 'Run app' Then type: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -p note there is a space before the -p click on OK

Profile Manager opens. click on 'Create Profile' and give suitable name. Click on 'Choose folder' and then locate the appropriate 'profile name' folder in 'TBIRD/Profiles' folder.

You may need to repeat this 'create profile' method for each profile name folder you have copied over to 'TBIRD'/'Profiles' This will update the 'profile.ini' file to point to correct new location on other drive/TBIRD/Profiles/<profile name> Then select which 'profile' you want to open and click on 'Start Thunderbird'.

Once all is working correctly. Exit Thunderbird Access:C:/users/xxx/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles folder Move the 'profile name' folders to another location on external - perhaps use them as a backup. So that 'Profiles' folder is now empty and releases space on the C drive.

I've got several different email addresses, used for various things, business, personal, hobby, social media, etc.

I eventually solved most of the issue. I copied the files to another location, then reset the paths to the Local Directory in each of the account settings. I had to restart TB after each path change. The only one that didn't come up was the Local Folders for locally archived data. I've probably got this on the computer somewhere, I'll just have to find where I put it.

Thanks for the help. I was hoping there was a single setting for the whole program instead of a bunch of little settings for each account.

There was a single setting for the whole program and I already provided that information - it is called the 'profile name' folder which you copy to desired location eg: another drive. The 'profile name' folder contained everything - all your mail accounts, Local Folders, message filters, address books and all preferences - everything. I also advised on a good folder setup to create and use on the other drive. This is because should you ever need to create a new profile because something got corrupted, you would already have the correct folder structure in place. Once profile was moved to new location, I advise to create a new profile and point to it's new location and start Thunderbird. This is the standard method of moving a profile to a different location, so everything is properly updated and 'profiles.ini' does not need manual tweaking. Most people find clicking on a button to create a new profile and pointing it to where they had just repositioned their profile much easier than manually accessing and rewriting/editing a 'profiles.ini' file which must be done correctly - there is no room for error.

The usual reason for moving a profile is it is taking up too much space MB/GB on C: drive, so want to put on eg: D: drive.

The method of altering a 'Local directory' is usually done:

1. if needing to recover a POP account after accidental deletion within same profile.
2. to reset file preferences in the 'prefs.js' file when moving between different OS and after copy/pasting the 'Thunderbird' folder - thus moving an entire storage which also includes all the 'profile.ini' data between default locations on different OS.

re :I use Thunderbird with multiple profiles for several different email addresses. ---- I've got several different email addresses, used for various things, business, personal, hobby, social media, etc.

For clarity - In Thunderbird, each mail account is created for each email address, but usually each mail account is in the same one 'profile' - so you can see all the email address/mail accounts in one view in Folder Pane. Saying you have multiple 'profiles' is not the same as saying you have several different email addresses. It's just a lingo thing, but it is important to understand the difference.

Most people have one profile containing all their mail accounts /email addresses.

Some people create more than one profile. As example: The first profile may contain all personal email addresses/mail accounts A second profile may contain all the business email addresses/mail accounts. 'Profile' manager' is used to choose which 'profile' to open when starting up Thunderbird, otherwise the one set as default will automatically be used.

I have more than one profile because I run different profiles on different versions of Thunderbird.