TB

[rgh43]

I finally decided to install Win 10 (complete install). So I have many folders in TB that I want to save, I have from time to time backed up individual e mails to my backup Drive H. The H Drive is where I save all my Word & Excel docs and any file or whatever I want to keep. I now have to many e mails in my TB folders to sit and do each e mail individually. I don’t see the need to back up my profiles (2) but if it is a better idea maybe I should do that
On my 'C ' I have only the OSP & programs needed to operate the pc.

I just want to insure the e mails I have saved in each of these folder will be saved so I can move them back to TB. So what is the easiest way for me to do this?

[DanRaisch]

It's better to backup the entire Thunderbird profile if you want to keep your folder structure intact.
How did you backup those individual emails, in what format?

[rgh43]

I back the e mails up to my internal "H" drive which is a where I store all "My Docs", I store everything there rather than my "C" drive so when & if I have to redo the "C" I have all the Files, Downloads etc available to start over again. Once Win 10 is installed I'm back in business.

To save the E mails I open a folder, click on an e mail & use the shift key & arrow key to hi-lite one or several, then I right click & select "save as" then open my H Drive to my e mail back up file that I have already duplicated all my folders in then I hit select in the box below & they are added to the folder I selected. They are exact copies of the email format with the TB Logo on the left. Without TB installed I guess I couldn’t read them. Now I'm assuming when I reload windows 10 & TB I will be able to open the emails in the H drive files or recopy them back to TB. Really doesn’t matter just so I can read them off the "H" drive right where they are now is fine. I can read them now so I see no reason I cant read them after Win 10 & TB are installed, at least I hope so. I will post a follow up on that.

[DanRaisch]

The files you've copied out of Thunderbird ("then I right click & select "save as" then open my H Drive to my e mail back up file") are now generic email files but would have to be loaded back into Thunderbird before TB could be used to search for data in those messages or to reply to or forward such messages.
There's no need to save those messages to individual files if you backup the Thunderbird message files as part of a full profile backup.