Select a folder in an account or Local Folders, not the account itself, and then the import options will be available.

Not sure what you mean by selecting a local folder. I opened a finder window for my imported Windows Live Mail storage folders. I selected one of them, then went back to Thunderbird and clicked through tools > import/export tools. None of the import options are active. Let me back up and state exactly what I am trying to accomplish. I just got a new MacBook Pro. Previously I had been using a PC with Windows 10, using Windows Live Mail as my email client. My goal is to migrate all my WLM folders to Mac Mail. After much research on ways to do this, I decided upon installing Thunderbird, importing the WLM folders into Thunderbird, then letting Mac Mail import them from Thunderbird (apparently there is no way to move Windows Live folders directly into Mac Mail.) As a side note, I tried to set up a local network between the Mac & the PC, but after several frustrating hours of failure I have given up. So I installed Thunderbird on the PC and was able to successfully migrate the WLM storage folders to Thunderbird on the PC. Unfortunately I haven't been able to figure out how to get the folders from Thunderbird on the PC to either Thunderbird on the Mac (I also installed Thunderbird on the Mac) or to Mac Mail. So I plugged a USB external drive into the PC & worked my way through the directory to the WLM storage folders and copied them to the eternal HD. I then plugged the external HD into the Mac & copied the folders onto the MAC. I figured I would be able to use the export/import tool to import these folders into Thunderbird on the MAC (specifically the '"import all messages from a directory" option). So I am now at a brick wall. Am I missing a tiny detail in this process or do I need to try something entirely different ? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Local Folders is the default location for mail storage on the computer, and is displayed in the Folder Pane under your accounts in TB.

Instructions for importing to TB from WLM are given in the 'Windows Mail' section here:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_and_exporting_your_mail

Essentially, you take the eml files from WLM and import them to TB. Besides using ImportExportTools, drag-and-drop is suggested, but apparently this doesn't work as well on a mac as it does in Windows.

If you've already imported some mail to TB, but now want to move it to TB on another computer, use ImportExportTools to export mail folders as mbox files (Tools/IET/Export folder), then use the same add-on on the other computer to import (Tools/IET/Import mbox file).

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_folders

OK. I'm almost there, but not quite. Thunderbird on my Mac now has all mailboxes imported. I exported my profile to a folder on my desktop titled "Temp Tbird Profile". Next I open Mac Mail and choose "Import mailboxes" from the file menu. I get a dialog box that gives me 5 choices of where to import from. I choose Thunderbird. The mailboxes are successfully imported into Mac Mail, but, oddly, there is one - ONLY one - email in each folder. I also tried choosing to import "files in mbox format" then navigating to > TempTbird Profile> s631tdxx.ieTimeport-20180107-1551 > mail > pop.gmail.com > inbox.sbd. Same thing here - mailboxes imported with exactly one email inside. How do I get these folders to import with ALL my emails inside them?

Don't know why you're importing to Mac Mail, but when you import an mbox file, look in pop.gmail.com for the file named Inbox that has no extension, not inbox.sbd. The mbox file will be the largest one; ignore Inbox.msf.

I did as you said and successfully imported email from the inbox. However, they are not sorted into the storage folders as they were in Thunderbird. I really need the folders with emails in them on Mac Mail just as they are in Thunderbird. There are almost a thousand emails, so resorting them into folders again manually is not a viable option.

I'm afraid I have no experience with Mac Mail or how it imports folders and subfolders.

Thanks for all your help, sfhowes. I really appreciate all the time you put into dealing with my problem. hope you will not be offended if I open another discussion with a question that specifies this odd problem. Perhaps someone who has experience with migrating mail folders from Thunderbird to Mac Mail will see the post & respond.

pittsborojim said

Thanks for all your help, sfhowes. I really appreciate all the time you put into dealing with my problem. hope you will not be offended if I open another discussion with a question that specifies this odd problem. Perhaps someone who has experience with migrating mail folders from Thunderbird to Mac Mail will see the post & respond.

I suggest you ask in a apple forum. I have offered the same advice in you other topic. Import to mac mail is a product of apple inc. I assume the high price you pay for your apple experience includes support for when the experience does not work.