To take backup and restore Mozilla Thunderbird mail client (Windows/Ubuntu/Mac)
This walk through explains a very easy way of taking Mozilla Thunderbird backup and restoring it in different platform of your need.
Windows Platform
Backup :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird is not running. Quit it from the taskbar.
- Press Windows key + r to open run dialog box, type %appdata% and press enter in the run dialog box.
- It will open user profile folder… it will be like “C:\Users\xyz\AppData\Roaming” (xyz is the user name here, replace with your user name of your machine)
- Find the Thunderbird folder from this location and enter inside like
“Thunderbird\Profiles\s9y460t7.default” or s9y460t7.default-release n.b.- this folder name differs from machine to machine. - If you find another folder inside profile like s9y460t7.default-release, Please get into both folders to check if Mail folder reside in it.
- Accordingly, you need to copy all the contents from the folder which is having mail folder “s9y460t7.default” or “s9y460t7.default-release” and keep it as backup.
- Now Mozilla Thunderbird mail client backup is ready from Windows machine.
Restore :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird is not running. Quit it from the taskbar.
- Press Windows key + r to open run dialog box, there type %appdata% and press enter.
- It will open user profile folder… it will be like “C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Roaming”
- Find the Thunderbird folder from this location and enter inside like
“Thunderbird\Profiles\s9y460t7.default” or s9y460t7.default-release n.b.- this folder name differs from machine to machine. - Paste all the contents (backup copied from the other machine) inside this folder
“s9y460t7.default-release”. - Replace and merge all the files/folders in this location.
- Now open Mozilla Thunderbird mail client. You will find all your mails as it is.
Ubuntu Platform
Backup :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird is not running. Quit it from dock.
- Go to Home folder, Press Ctrl + h to show hidden files
- Find .thunderbird folder and enter inside it and copy the contents of /.thunderbird/tf8j9hd3.default/ or tf8j9hd3.default-release
- Please get into both folders to check if Mail folder reside in it. then copy the contents of that folder n.b.- this folder name differs from machine to machine.
- Now Mozilla Thundebird mail client backup is ready from Ubuntu system.
Restore :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird is not running. Quit it from dock.
- Go to Home folder, Press Ctrl + h to show hidden files
- Find .thunderbird folder and enter inside it and paste the contents (backup copied from the other machine) /.thunderbird/tf8j9hd3.default/ or tf8j9hd3.default-release
- Replace and merge all the files/folders in this location
- Now open Mozilla Thunderbird mail client. You will find all your mails as it is.
Mac Platform
Backup :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird mail client is not running.
- Click on Go -> Go to Folder -> type /Users/xxxx/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles
n.b. xxxx here is the user folder so put your machine user folder name then press enter - It will open Profiles folder in finder and a folder named “tt4h06z.default” or “tt4h06z.default-release” Please get into both folders to check if Mail folder reside in it (n.b. it differs from machine to machine)
- Copy all the contents of that folder and keep it as backup
- Now Mozilla Thunderbird mail client backup is ready from Mac machine
Restore :
- Make sure Mozilla Thunderbird mail client is not running.
- Click on Go -> Go to Folder -> type /Users/xxxx/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles
n.b. xxxx here is the user folder so put your machine user folder name then press enter - It will open Profiles folder in finder and a folder named “tt4h06z.default” or “tt4h06z.default-release” n.b. it differs
from machine to machine) - Enter into that folder (here the folder name is tt4h06z.default-release)
- Paste copied backup files contents inside that folder “tt4h06z.default-release”
- Replace and merge all the files/folders in this location
- Now open Mozilla Thunderbird mail client. You have successfully restored Thunderbird mail in Mac system.
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Will it be possible to backup in platform and restore in other. Like if I made a backup in windows and restore in ubuntu?
Hi Cruz,
Yes that is possible and you will find all the steps in this post.
Regards,
Durga
Great article, works like a charm. 🙂
Hi Harsh, Glad to know … 🙂
Great Article. Didn’t know it was this easy.
This is very helpful like all your posts.
Glad to know … Thanks Manas
great article.