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Is it possible to merge some current Local Folders with those from an old profile backup?

  • 2 replies
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  • Last reply by dudtwo

dudtwo
dudtwo
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Hi,

I have used the desktop install version of Thunderbird as my email client for many years now, and have gathered lots of older emails (going back years) into a number of Local Folders for historical safekeeping, in case I should need to refer back to them for any reason (things like email shopping receipts in a local folder called "Shopping" for instance).

However, in the last few months I decided to remove my desktop version completely, and having created a backup of the profile folder, switch to a "portable" version of Thunderbird, so that it would be easier to keep everything neatly on a USB Flash Drive for when I am travelling etc. or using another computer/laptop.

Upon creating and installing the "portable" version, I completed the "import an existing profile" procedure, and everything seemed to go ok (all my previous folder structure and accounts seemed intact and present), and then proceeded to use the portable version, continuing to operate in exactly the same way as I had with the desktop version and copying new emails etc. as they arrived in my inbox into the Local Folder structure (which obviously now exists on the USB Drive) if I needed to archive them as before for reference in the future.

However, it seems not everything during the import process was rosy, and it seems quite a number of these older emails are possible missing, as I went to look for certain ones today and they are not present in this new portable profile!

I have the complete backup of the old desktop version profile, but I don't want to just copy that (or parts of it) over my existing new portable profile as I now have all the emails I have been receiving over the last few months contained within the folder structure of the new profile and I imagine I will lose them too now!

So my question is, is it possible to MERGE the old "Local Folders" (or just certain ones like "Shopping" for instance) from the old desktop profile backup, into the new "Local Folders" of the new portable profile, without losing any precious data please?

Any help would be most appreciated as I have to find a way to collect all of my old data into this new profile moving forward.

Kind regards.

Hi, I have used the desktop install version of Thunderbird as my email client for many years now, and have gathered lots of older emails (going back years) into a number of Local Folders for historical safekeeping, in case I should need to refer back to them for any reason (things like email shopping receipts in a local folder called "Shopping" for instance). However, in the last few months I decided to remove my desktop version completely, and having created a backup of the profile folder, switch to a "portable" version of Thunderbird, so that it would be easier to keep everything neatly on a USB Flash Drive for when I am travelling etc. or using another computer/laptop. Upon creating and installing the "portable" version, I completed the "import an existing profile" procedure, and everything seemed to go ok (all my previous folder structure and accounts seemed intact and present), and then proceeded to use the portable version, continuing to operate in exactly the same way as I had with the desktop version and copying new emails etc. as they arrived in my inbox into the Local Folder structure (which obviously now exists on the USB Drive) if I needed to archive them as before for reference in the future. However, it seems not everything during the import process was rosy, and it seems quite a number of these older emails are possible missing, as I went to look for certain ones today and they are not present in this new portable profile! I have the complete backup of the old desktop version profile, but I don't want to just copy that (or parts of it) over my existing new portable profile as I now have all the emails I have been receiving over the last few months contained within the folder structure of the new profile and I imagine I will lose them too now! So my question is, is it possible to MERGE the old "Local Folders" (or just certain ones like "Shopping" for instance) from the old desktop profile backup, into the new "Local Folders" of the new portable profile, without losing any precious data please? Any help would be most appreciated as I have to find a way to collect all of my old data into this new profile moving forward. Kind regards.

All Replies (2)

Stans
Stans
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You can import messages from that backup profile folder using Thunderbird's inbuilt Import tool. In the Tools menu, click Import → Import from another Thunderbird installation → Choose a profile folder. Uncheck everything except messages and proceed with the import. When it's done, Thunderbird will restart and you should see a folder called Thunderbird Import under Local Folders, and under this you should see a Local Folders subfolder with your old stuff. You can then move stuff from the Thunderbird Import folder to where you need them. Afterwards, you can clean up duplicates (using an add-on) and the Thunderbird Import folder when you're done with it.

dudtwo
dudtwo Question owner
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Thank you so much Stans for your reply, I will try this over the holidays and see if I can get it working. Very much appreciated and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!