How to Copy Thunderbird Emails to Local Folders? Simple Techniques

Thunderbird is a popular desktop email client, and it allows users to configure multiple email account configurations using both POP or IMAP Server.. One of its useful features is the ability to copy Thunderbird emails to new computers, including manual and automated approaches.

Purpose to Copy Thunderbird files to New Computer

• Many users have reported losing important emails due to sudden crashes, accidental deletion or server failures. Keeping a local copy ensures data recovery.
• Users frequently run out of space in their email accounts, leading to issues in receiving new emails, moving emails to local folders to free up storage.
• While upgrading or replacing a system, a user needs to transfer Thunderbird emails without data loss. Local folders make this process seamless.
• Users with large inboxes often experience slow Thunderbird performance. Moving emails to local storage improves performance and efficiency.
• Many users, especially professionals and travelers, need offline access to emails. Local folders allow email retrieval without having connectivity.

Method 1. How to Copy Thunderbird Emails to Local Folders Manually?

If you want to copy your Thunderbird folders to local folders manually then you can follow the steps as we have mentioned below:

1. First, open “Thunderbird” and right-click on local folders.
2. Select “New folder” and name it as per your preference.
3. Click on “Create Folder” and open the folder as you want to copy.
4. Open the “Mailbox” as you want to copy emails.
5. Select the emails by using “CTRL+A or CMD+A” to select all emails.
6. Right-click on “Selected emails” and choose move to or copy to as needed.
7. Select the “Local folder” as you have created to transfer the emails.
8. Navigate to the local folder and open the “Newly Created Folder”.
9. Check all “Emails” have been successfully transferred.

Drawbacks of Manual Methods

• This manual approach requires copy and saving emails it required lots of time.
• If the process is interrupted or emails are not copied correctly are always risk of data loss.
• Users must manually repeat the process for different folders making it inefficient for large mailboxes.
• Some attachments may not be copied, requiring additional steps to ensure they are saved.
• If emails are copied to a local folder without sufficient disk space, Thunderbird may slow down or become corrupted.

Method 2. How to Copy Thunderbird Profile to Another Computer?

If you want to transfer Thunderbird profile to another computer then you can copy whole Thunderbird folder to another computer by following the instructions as we have explained below:

1. First, open “Thunderbird” and click on the “Menu”.
2. Go to Help > More Troubleshooting Information.
3. Click “Open Folder” to access the Thunderbird data location.
4. Copy the “Thunderbird profile folder” and use a USB flash drive, external drive, or cloud storage to transfer the folder.
5. Paste the “Profile folder” onto the new computer.
6. Open Thunderbird, but do not “Set up an account”.
7. Locate the “Profile folder” and replace it with the copied Thunderbird profile.
8. Launch Thunderbird, and all your emails, settings, and accounts should appear as they were on the old computer.

Challenges of Copying Thunderbird Profile Folder

• If Thunderbird versions is different on both machine, then the risk of file corruption is too higher.
• Any mistake while copying or replacing the profile folder may result in missing emails, contacts or settings.
• To locate and replace Thunderbird file is not easier as for all types of users.
• This approach allows transfer of entire folder rather than allowing users to migrate specific emails or folders.
• The copied data remains in Thunderbird default format, which may not be accessible without Thunderbird on another computer.

Method 3. How to Copy Thunderbird Emails to New Computer Using Import/Export NG Tools?

If you want to transfer your Thunderbird mailbox folders then you can use add-ons Import/Export NG Tools by performing the instructions as we have explained below:

1. First, open “Thunderbird” and navigate to Tools.
2. Click on “Add-ons and Themes”, then search for “Import/Export NG Tools”.
3. Click “Add to Thunderbird” and press Add on the popup.
4. Navigate to the “Mailbox folder” you want to transfer.
5. Click on “Import/Export NG Tools” and choose “Export Folder (MBOX)”.
6. Select As MBOX file or “Single Zipped MBOX file”.
7. Connect an “External Storage Device” such as an external hard drive, flash drive, or any other storage device.
8. Transfer the exported folder to the “External Storage Device”.
9. Connect the “External storage device” to the new computer and transfer the exported folder to your preferred location.

Restrictions of Import/Export NG Tools

• To manual export and import MBOX file can be time consuming or also major possibility of data loss.
• Users need to manually export and import mailbox size and it will takes lots of
• It only exports emails in MBOX format, which may not be compatible with the email client unless converted.
• If the export or transfer process is interrupted, there is a possibility of file corruption or data leakage making it difficult to restore emails.
• The manual import process may not always preserve the original folder hierarchy, requiring users to recognize emails after transferring.

1. First, open Suggested software on your system.
2. Click on “Convert Configure Thunderbird profile”.
3. Select “Mailbox folders” as needed to convert.
4. Choose export options in the list of “Saving Options”.
5. Browse “Destination path” and press Next to start.

Now, start copying Thunderbird emails to local folders. When the process is completed, the software will show a completion message. Press OK, and you will be redirected to the resultant location. Then, you can transfer the emails to any local folder or move them to another computer. Let’s explore the benefits of using the software and why it’s better than the manual approach.

Why Choose Automated Software Over Manual Methods?

• You can also migrate Thunderbird emails to Outlook, Microsoft 365, Gmail, and all IMAP Supported email platforms.
• This software can auto-configure or also offer let me select Thunderbird profile as required to convert.
• It can also convert Thunderbird emails to PDF, PST, TXT, HTML and many more with maintained attributes.
• With this software, you can also use advanced filters such as date range, sender blank addresses, blank addresses, root folder, and many more.
• This software specially created with easy-to-perform interface to easily operate by any professional or individual users.
• This wizard can also extract phone numbers, email addresses and extract attachments from Thunderbird.

Help Questions

Why are Thunderbird Local Folders not Showing?

If Thunderbird local folders are not appearing, they may be hidden or disabled. Go to Menu > Account Settings > Local Folders and check if they have configured correctly. Also, Ensure that the local folder is enabled under View Folders. Restart Thunderbird to reflect changes.

Where do Thunderbird Store Emails?

Thunderbird stores emails in the profile folder on your computer. The default location is:
Windows: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderibird\Profiles
Mac: ~Library/Thunderbird/Profiles
Linux ~/.thunderbird/
Emails are saved in MBOX format with profile folders

How to Open Thunderbird Local Folder with Account?

To open the Thunderbird Local folder with Account, go to Menu and click on Account Settings and check if the local folder option is available. You can manually add emails by dragging them into local folders. If missing, restart Thunderbird or recreate profile folder to restore the local folder.

How do I Make Emails go to a Specific Folder in Thunderbird?

To automatically move emails to a specific folder open Thunderbird> Tools and select Message filters. Select the account and click on New. Set conditions and choose Move Message to and select a folder and hit on Ok to apply the filter to organize emails.

Let’s Finish It

In this tutorial, we have shared the top 4 methods to copy Thunderbird emails to local folder or another computer by manually and using an automated approach. The manual approach is a bit complex and high risk with mailbox data. So, we suggest you opt for automated software to complete the process without losing any single attributes. Recommended wizard has been completely tried and tested and also offers fully maintained attributes without losing any information.