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Export Chat Info. for Contacts

  • 7 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by sfhowes

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Why doesn't TB export Chat info for contacts?

For example Google Talk, AIM etc etc

Why doesn't TB export Chat info for contacts? For example Google Talk, AIM etc etc

Chosen solution

If you export and import an address book in .mab format, the Chat entries are retained. This is most easily done with MoreFunctionsForAddressBook.

How to install

Right-click an address book, MFFAB/Export/in native Thunderbird format (mab).

To import: Tools/MFFAB/Actions for addressbooks/Import addressbook from mab file.

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All Replies (7)

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looks like it is still waiting for someone to implement it. see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=953505

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Thanks Matt,

Let me clarify my post. Unlike the chat logs as the bug mentions, I just want the IM entries included when exporting my address book (like Bob's Skype as bob1234 for a certain contact). Currently, the 'Chat' section is not included in the export.

Modified by phil.wong2011

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Chosen Solution

If you export and import an address book in .mab format, the Chat entries are retained. This is most easily done with MoreFunctionsForAddressBook.

How to install

Right-click an address book, MFFAB/Export/in native Thunderbird format (mab).

To import: Tools/MFFAB/Actions for addressbooks/Import addressbook from mab file.

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This is amazing thanks! Wish this had native support, don't know why we need these as extras!

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phil.wong2011 said

This is amazing thanks! Wish this had native support, don't know why we need these as extras!

Because in five years of being on this forum you the first I have encountered that wanted that particular functionality. So for minority requests folk create add-ons to deliver what they want. Sometime if an add-on is wildly popular it gets incorporated. Other times add-ons come round to test the waters to see if anyone wants a feature.

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Wow am I really the first? I was actually researching privacy recently and TB seems like a good choice to store my contacts locally instead of something like gmail. In a way, I'm using it like a personal CRM (if you know what that is).

Thanks for your help, Phil

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You're not the first to request the ability to import and export address books in native mab format, as this is relevant for non-default address books (Personal Address Book and Collected Addresses), or when the address book contains additional info such as contact photos (and chat data). But I haven't seen many reports of the issue of missing Chat data in the export process, which is a bug.

Note that if you wish to start just Address Book when you launch TB, press Winkey+R and type thunderbird.exe -addressbook (or create a shortcut with that as the target).