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Save emails from non working Thunderbird

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  • Last reply by atErik

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I upgraded Mac OS to Big Sur. The old Thunderbird application doesn't work. I installed newer version and got it working. How can I migrate the information from the old, non-working, program to the new? Thanks, Will

I upgraded Mac OS to Big Sur. The old Thunderbird application doesn't work. I installed newer version and got it working. How can I migrate the information from the old, non-working, program to the new? Thanks, Will

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all emails are in mbox file under different folders, which are inside the TB-profile folder.

in your newer TB goto main menu > Help > Troubleshoot Information > about:profiles > "Root" Directory > write down the full PATH of root directory. the last sub-folder in the root dir full path, is the TB-Profile for newer TB. remember/write it. we will call this last sub-folder "new-TB-profile".


in macOS, TB-profile(s) are here: "~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/" that is usually here: mac default volume : "/Users/<MacOsUserName>/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/" other sub-folders under above location, which are not "new-TB-profile", are your older-TB-profile.

exit newer TB.


copy mbox files inside "Local Folders" of ".../new-TB-profile/Mail/Local Folders/" from the older-TB-profile.

start newer TB. inside sub-folder under your "Local Folders", you should find older emails. don't rename that older email's sub-folder , instead first create a correct named (another) sub-folder for those emails. select all older emails & move them into correct named sub-folder.

above way, move other older email sub-folders into correct sub-folders.

IMAP based mail-accounts have all emails in remote mail-server , those do not need to be copied into new TB. once you add IMAP based mail-account in new TB, those emails will re-appear.

POP based mail-accounts have all emails in local computer , those need to be copied into new TB. copy emails of POP mail-account's MBOX file(s) into a sub-folder under your "Local Folders" in new TB, restart new TB. those will appear inside subfolders under "Local Folders" , then you can move those emails into correct POP mail-accounts in new TB.


More/Related Info: • Disable AV/FW/SS software mail-protection OR enable+add+allow EXCEPTIONS in it & add mail-server names/address . Some AV/SS creates insecure proxy/gateway for scanning/checking emails, but there are other secure way to scan/check emails . Please make sure the option "Allow AV to Quarantine email" is selected inside TB, and make sure your AV/SS is set to Scan all files on access. • Regain old data , in Windows : by using downgrade process, or by using a Second-TB, or by using manual file-transfer,etc). • Downgrade TB in macOS: downgrade by using second-TB , upgrade/downgrade TB. • AT&T , ATT-Yahoo related settings for TB. • Yahoo , ATT-Yahoo related settings for TB. • Microsoft Hotmail/Outlook related settings for TB. • Convert MAB/mork or SQLite based Address-Book into other format, mbox email files into other format. • Disabled auto-update or update of TB : inside the linked page , click on the topside 1st link to goto the auto-update disable instruction page into another website.