Transfer of Thunderbird data to a new PC

[Coolmeadow Kid]

Where I find the profile name in Windows 7 follows that path and it is the same profile name (eight letters and numbers followed by .default W) that is in the XP location. But I do not see a profiles.ini . When I open "Thunderbird" in the path I get Crash Reports, a folder for Profiles, another line that says profiles that takes me to the notepad page where I can change the profile name, andthe fourth line is registry. But no profiles.ini Am I not looking at the right thing? I appreciate you hanging with me on this!! Jim.

[Guest]

Sorry, no "W" after .default in the parentheses.

[DanRaisch]

Sorry, I seem to have pointed you to too low a level in the directory tree. Look in the Thunderbird directory itself -- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ You should find the file there.

[Coolmeadow Kid]

I think mine is that way, let me type the path I have in my computer:
Coolmeadow\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird (here it shows: Crash Reports folder, Profiles folder, profiles, and registry. If I click on Profiles folder, it shows XXXXXXXX.default (where the Xs are the name of the file. No where in any of these sections is there a profiles.ini listing. (I made sure I had hidden folders showing.) Hovering on the profiles line shows it is configuration settings but again, no profiles.ini listed. This is the notepad screen and it says:
[General]
StartwithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/XXXXXXXX.default

So, is the computer really goofed up? Am I not getting the right stuff transferred over? When I go to the XP computer, it is still up and running, I show the same profile name that I have here in the 7 Pro version. If I go further down the tree, I get to Mail/mail.charter.net and it shows , 10033 KB of info on the Inbox line, so I know there is information there, it's just not displaying it, which in my mind says the computer is not pointed to the right area to use the info.
I wait for your insight. Jim.

[DanRaisch]

Do you have Windows set to "Hide extensions for known file types"? I ask because that text you posted above is the contents of the file profiles.ini.

See if this article helps to access the data from the transferred profile -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_folders

[Coolmeadow Kid]

The files are not hidden, you might have missed it though with the way I worded it toward the end of the first paragraph.
The link you posted is one I haven't tried. It will have to wait until tomorrow night to try. Do I need to do this on the old machine then bring the information over to the new machine? I admit I just ran through the instruction quickly, but it didn't hit me that it said which one to start on. Thanks again for your continued help! Jim.

[DanRaisch]

Yes, you need to copy the message files from the old system so they will be accessible for import on the new machine. Note that you will want to rename each file before copying them onto the new machine so that nothing will be overwritten in the new profile.

[Tasilee]

I have spent two full days now trying to move Thunderbird to a new Windows 8 PC from a Windows 7 PC and failed. I am 99% the way of giving up on Thunderbird and just dealing with Google! If anyone can REALLY help, I'd appreciate it. Here is the saga

I have ONE mail account on Gmail. Easy.
I also imported old Outlook folders into a local Archive folder. This also worked fine on my old system.
I've run Thunderbird on a Windows 7 PC for a few months and it has all been fine.
I use the add-ons display contact photo, Lightning, Provider for Google, Zindus, duplicate contact manager

I tried MozBackup and while it setup the account and the folders, etc there is a consistent problem: When I first open Thunderbird on the new system, all the add-ons, structure and data are there BUT no mail can be received or sent. If I then close Thunderbird and re-open it, there are NO folders under my Gmail inbox (the Archive ones are fine) and the inbox emails have dissapeared! This remains after more close/opens of Thunderbird. No fun.

I also tried to manually copy the Profile folder to a NEWLY installed version of Thunderbird (without setting up and account) profile location. That is, I let Thunderbird create the default account on my new system and then I essentially copied the OLD profile into this folder. The same thing happens - I see everything as it should be but no send or receive and once I close Thunderbird, all emails under the gmail inbox dissapear again.

This is stressing me out no end. Can anyone help?! I'd really like to be a Thunderbird fan, but at this stage, it is as nasty as Outlook was when something goes wrong.

[DanRaisch]

How is that Gmail account set up in Thunderbird? As a POP or IMAP type account? Find out using menu path Tools->Account Settings->Server Settings->Server Type at the top right of the dialogue. Was it set up as the same type of account on the Win 7 machine?

[Tasilee]

The Gmail account was setup under Thunderbird with IMAP on both old and new systems. MozBackup recreates the account details fine and when I check the specifications of the account on the old and new systems side by side, they are identical (including password). I can't figure what is happening on the new system. It is driving me crazy.

[DanRaisch]

What security software are you using on this newer system? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls

[Tasilee]

I am using Avast on both systems with identical settings.

[DanRaisch]

Is that the Avast security suite or just the anti-virus program?