Where do you think you are importing these filters from? That dialog says clearly. "import local mail from Becky! internet mail". yet you are here talking about a file you have in a thumb drive.

Might I suggest that you located the file on one profile, you put it into the same location on the profile you want to use it on, because Thunderbird can not import filter from another installation.

Thank you for the reply. I have a few issues that obviously need to be addressed and one issue about the tone of the reply to my posting. This reply should not be interpreted as a petulant posting. The reply to my problem seems to indicate that I am oblivious to what the dialog says. I found the tone very abrasive. The reply indicated that I must not have known that the dialog window says: "import local mail from Becky! internet mail" and implied that I am not importing a filter on my own profile. Just how did I get to that dialog? I got to that point exactly by seeking to import a filter.  ???? Please see the dialog attached to this response. When I select filters and click on the Next button, TB opens up another dialog. That second dialog is the dialog that I attached to the first posting. I arrived at the dialog box and what was supposed to happen? Should there be a place to enter a location for the filters? Nothing opened up. That inaction and no way to actually import a filter would seem to indicate a problem with the program. Nothing was said about that. This level of ignoring my question and concern seems to imply to me that again I was trying to do something without any idea of what it means to import a filter or how to use TB. I have been using TB for years and have over 50 filters. Importing normally means that you are bringing in a file for the program to use that the programs does not produce as an output file. That output file does not necessarily mean a file that the original program does not use. Suppose that a program uses a standard technique to do an analysis and a user needs to have the program to use a different analysis technique. There are programs that allow a user to import a file to change the technique used so that the data file that the user has in the program can do a specific analysis not offered as a standard feature. The imported file is not the same format as the final analysis out put file nor the same as the file format nor the data to bring into the program. This should give a better idea of why I was asking for help and why the reply/response was not helpful.

Two more matters need cleared up regarding the reply.

1) The reply to my first posting says that TB cannot import filters.  ???? That statement does not make sense. The dialog box does state that the import is for other mail programs. I did not think that meant that TB could not import filters.

2) Also I am NOT sure where to put the .dat file for TB to use my filters. I lost the location. Does anyone know where? I was lucky to find the .dat file that contains the filters. I am moving filters from one system to another system that has the same user (me!!!!).

3) If the location were offered instead of snide remarks that has a tone insinuating that I am stupid to not notice what a dialog says, I would not be taking a long posting to explain what I thought was obvious. I did say that the import did nothing. I would hope that other users that posts questions here will be driven away from TB support when they are given insinuating responses to a legitimate concern. Could I be the only one? I like TB but I would hope that TB could import a filter from another install as long as the file is found. I would also hope that the filters could be exported as well. I am hoping someone that can have a bit more "bedside manner" when a response is offered.

If I misinterpreted anything please set me straight.

Thank you again, fyzxman1

I wish to draw your attention to the text at the top: "…from other mail programs…".

This import tool is NOT intended to support "importing" of Thunderbird data.

There are add-ons to support import and export of message filters, but those I have looked at simply replace the existing filter data by the data presented in the alternative msgFilterRules.dat file. So you may as well just copy the msgFilterRules.dat file into the profile where you want it to be.

If you're hoping to merge filters:

1. Close Thunderbird.
2. Open the msgFilterRules.dat file to be imported in a text editor e.g. Notepad.exe.
3. Copy the data.
4. Close this file.
5. Open the current msgFilterRules.dat file, and paste in the copied data.
6. Save and close the edited file.
7. Re-start Thunderbird.

If you don't know where to put the msgFilterRules.dat file, just create a dummy filter in Thunderbird and look for the new file. It will be inside the account subfolder for the appropriate account.

Imported filters often fail, or become immediately disabled, if the receiving file system is not an exact match to the one the filter file came from. Filters match folder names, so if they are not identical in both systems…

I generally advise against dissecting a profile as you seem to be doing. Why not copy the whole thing over?

Working with the components of a profile requires a thorough knowledge of the profile and its contents. In telling us you don't know where to put the msgFilterRules.dat file, you're also telling us you don't know enough to do this safely.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird http://kb.mozillazine.org/Files_and_folders_in_the_profile_-_Thunderbird

I did as directed. I created a few filters so that a msgFilterRules.dat file could be created. I then made hidden files and folders visible. AppData folder is not normally visible nor is msgFilterRules.dat. So after doing that as directed I continued with the instruction and copied the contents of the msgFilterRules.dat found on my thumb drive and pasted these contents into the Notepad opened file with the same name but in the C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\zf0k5e9i.default\Mail\Local Folders. When I did that and restarted TB I had a strange behavior happen. See the screen capture image of the message filters dialogs for the local filters and for the bsw account. The local filters was what I replaced with the copied filters from the thumb drive file. The local filters now shows all the filters that I wanted for the wrong account. BSW has what the local account had before the change. Those filters were the ones I created. Why this is a problem is because I cannot run the filters on my email account. I cannot figure out how TB knows the filters that I had before and how it could have applied the filters to the wrong account. I can only run the filters (those that I copied over and wanted applied to bsw account) on outbox and trash. Obviously not what I wanted. How do I fix this? Help.

re : '...... and copied the contents of the msgFilterRules.dat found on my thumb drive' What mail account did it belong to?

You state that you copied the msgFilterRules.dat info which you had on thumb drive and pasted it into 'Local folders'. So it should be in Local folders and the image says it is in Local Folders. I presume this part is exactly what you wanted.

the 'bswiam' account has only 3 filters - is this the account with a problem? Should you have exactly the same in the 'bswiam' account as you currently have in the 'local folders' account? If yes, that is what you want:

• Exit Thunderbird.
• Access 'Profile name' folder
• click on 'Mail' folder
• click on 'Local Folders' folder
• right click on 'msgFilterRules.dat and select 'Copy'

Go up directory so you can see all other pop mail account folder names. If the bswiam account is a pop mail account:

• click on the bswiam account name folder to see it's contents.
• Delete the 'msgFilterRules.dati file which you said was wrong.
• Right click in window and select 'Paste'

This will put a copy of the msgFilterRules.dat file into the bswiam account. So now you should have identical filters in both the bswiam account and the Local Folders account.

Thank you for the reply. The filters info in msgFilterRules.dat file found on my thumbdrive was from another laptop hat had a BSW account. So the filters I some how took fro TB on another laptop was to be applied to the BSW account in my new laptop. I think I exported the filter file and that is ow I obtained the msgFilterRules.dat file that was put on a thumb drive. But now after re-editing this posting my conclusions about the mail type appears to be more connected to the issues that I am dealing with.

   There are no other accounts in C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\zf0k5e9i.default\Mail.  

I think the mail accounts are not POP but imap. The account with three filters is the BSW account that was supposed to have the 49 filters. The three filters were created to have a msgFilterRules.dat file to replace (as directed in a rely). But it appears that some how the Local folders is POP and my BSW account is imap.

A very odd thing for me to think that by replacing the contents of the msgFilterRules.dat in Local account has the copied contents while the BSW account where the three filters were created to make a msgFilterRules.dat file in the first place still shows the three filters. I thought those would go away. Now after thinking about that, and your reply I am lead to wonder if the way that there is only one msgFilterRules.dat file could mean that TB handles LOcal and BSW accounts differently. It appears that this filter issue has more to do with how TB handles filters for imap verses POP. I never thought the mail account type was going to be a problem. What you suggested seems to say that each POP email account would have a separate msgFilterRules.dat file. I thought just replacing the contents of the msgFilterRules.dat file with the filters from the previous BSW msgFilterRules.dat file that I had on a thumb drive would produce the results required. Obviously not. Some how I have three filters applied to the BSW account when I want the 49 applied to the BSW account not the Local account. I don't know if I need to switch the mail account types from imap to POP (not sure that I can because it is a gmail account ???) then copy the msgFilterRules.dat file into the changed BSW POP account folder like you are saying in your reply. I would think that I could delete the local account filters afterwards then switch BSW back to imap. If that would work, could I switch te BSW account back to imap and keep the filters? Or should I change the LOcal account to imap and that would fix the issue? I am not sure what the local account means because it does not have an email address attached to it --that is probably why the 49 filters can only be run on outbox and trash instead of any inbox. Have I missed anything? What would you suggest now that imap is involved? If there were a need for importing filters for imap accounts this appears to be one reason for it to exist. Do you have any suggestions for fixing this messed up matter?

Local Folders doesn't (cannot) connect to a server so it's neither POP nor IMAP. That's a bit like asking if your bicycle uses petrol or diesel. But yes Local Folders is closer in structure to a POP account since both of these accounts store folder hierarchies locally.

Each account, regardless of its type has its oen msgFilterRules.dat file.

Since filter rules refer to folders by name, it's likely that a filter imported into one account from another will fail because the exact folder names don't exist.

I appreciate the explanation but i am unable to put the msgfilterrules.dat in another folder. What if there isn't another folder that is associated with another account (ie only one folder that has the msgfilterrules.dat file)?? That is why i cannot put the 49 filter msgfilterrules.dat anywhere else. So what is happening here? I know looking at the local account properties will show a hard drive location. Trying to do the same for any of my other accounts doesn't show the location of a folder for that profile. So i am at a loss just how i do what you are saying. It is as if someone said refuel your Tesla vehicle. I would attempt but gasoline or diesel fuel wouldn't go in a tank. So how can i solve my dilemma?

re :There are no other accounts in C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\zf0k5e9i.default\Mail.

OK

• Exit Thunderbird.
• Access 'Profile name' folder
• click on 'Mail' folder
• click on 'Local Folders' folder
• right click on 'msgFilterRules.dat and select 'Copy'

You mention the BSW account is imap. Check here:

• C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\zf0k5e9i.default\ImapMail folder.

• Click on the 'ImapMail' folder to see imap mail accounts.
• Click on the BSW imap mail account folder to see contents
• Delete the 'msgFilterRules.dati file which you said was wrong.
• Right click in window and select 'Paste' to insert the copied 'msgFilterRules.dat' file.