Importing mail into thunderbird

October 11, 2007 8:58 AM

How can I import mail from 1 thunderbird to another?

So my monitor or graphics card went splat this afternoon, I ordered a new computer nearly 2 months ago (not arrived yet but thats another story) so I don't want to waste any more money on my old one. So, I've taken the hard drive out and hooked it up to my laptop, so I have all my files and folders and apart from the lack of ability to game, all is fine and well - except, I need my emails.
I have emails on both my PC and my laptop, I want to import the emails from thunderbird on my PC's hard drive to thunderbird on my laptop, however, when I go to 'import', it lists a bunch of other mail clients but not thunderbird. So how is it done? On windows fwiw.

posted by missmagenta to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Since you are accessing the file directly, you will need to directly copy the MBOX files from the PC's hard drive.

You will need to locate the Thunderbird profile on the PC's hard drive, which should be in C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\ (but replace C:\ with the drive letter assigned to the PC's hard drive when connected to your laptop.

There should be a directory within your profile directory called Mail and in there a directory called Local Folders. This is where the actual files that contain your e-mails reside.

Copy these files to the corresponding profile folder on your laptop's working installation of Thunderbird to access them.
posted by doomtop at 9:17 AM on October 11, 2007

Surely that will overwrite my laptop's emails?
posted by missmagenta at 9:29 AM on October 11, 2007

That is true, I didn't quite catch that you needed to keep e-mail on the laptop also.

In that case, you will need to rename the MBOX files. i.e rename "Inbox" to "InboxPC", etc.

Additionally, I think the ImportExportTools extension will allow you to import the MBOX files without the need for renaming them.
posted by doomtop at 9:41 AM on October 11, 2007

Also, if you do need the e-mail currently on your laptop, please back it all up before attempting any of these things.
posted by doomtop at 9:42 AM on October 11, 2007

ImportExportTools did the trick, thanks
posted by missmagenta at 10:13 AM on October 11, 2007