[ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Discussion of general topics about Mozilla Thunderbird
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Gene45
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[ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by Gene45 »

I had to replace my computer. Where do I find the files for the emails and the addresses that are stored? I can still get into the old machine.............
TIA
Last edited by Gene45 on August 15th, 2009, 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Where are the files?

Post by DanRaisch »

Gene45
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Re: Where are the files?

Post by Gene45 »

I'm sorry, but the Knowledge base article does nothing at all for me. If I could read it I probably would not need it. I tried one sequence of steps, but by the second step the menu was not what it claimed, so I gave up. These articles may be interesting to developers, and people who live and breathe this stuff, but for people like me, they are more or less completely useless.

The correct answers to this question for ordinary people is as follows: (I did this on XP)

1. To get the Address book out of one machine into another:

-open Thunderbird Click Address Book > Select which address book you want if there is more than one.

> Edit > Select All > Tools > Export and pick a suitable storage location. This could be a memory stick or a sharable network file. click Save.

Carry the file to the other computer, Open Thunderbird, >Tools >Import > Address book >Text file (LDIF) and Select the address where you stored the file.
Open Thunderbird and prove that you have the address book(s) you wanted.
Voila! You are Done!

2. To transfer the mail folders. (Note: There is an "Import" function for mail but no "Export so that route is not useful)

-Open Thunderbird Right Click on Local folders (or any other named folder at the top of the list) .
-Click on 'Properties'. The Account setting window opens which gives you the Local directory. I recommend you record this, perhaps by copying to notepad. If you click on 'Browse' you can see the directory structure.
-Open My Computer, follow the directory structure to find the specific mail folders you want. There are apparently two files for each folder. For example 'Sent' and 'Sent.msf' . (I took them both. I'm not sure if you need to).
-select the files you want to transfer,
>Edit> Copy to Folder and select the transfer medium you chose, (Memory stick or network file) , >Copy

Carry that set of files to the second machine, Follow the same process to find the storage place that Thunderbird is using and copy the files into that directory.

Open Thunderbird and prove that you have the mail folders.
Voila! You are done!

I think this is the type of instructions that should be in the knowledge base, because I can follow them . Pages of prose with many side branches and references do not help me, as I can't tell what is important and what is just interesting to the developers.

There may be a bettter set of instructions somewhere but I have not seen them.
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Freee!!
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Re: Where are the files?

Post by Freee!! »

Gene45 wrote:There may be a bettter set of instructions somewhere but I have not seen them.

Very nice set of very clear and simple instructions, my compliments.

FYI: You don't need the .msf files.
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DanRaisch
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by DanRaisch »

Agreed. A nice, concise version of the process.
obiwan1
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by obiwan1 »

Thankyou. This was great. A real life saver. I was starting to get jumpy when I couldn't work out how to do it!!

Do you happen to know how I can retrieve my old account settings? As in, my incoming and outgoing server details?
Helpful hint #24: you will find homefriday just as useful on Thursday.
Gene45
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by Gene45 »

Not off the top of my head, but you can phone your ISP. They DO know how to do that........
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tanstaafl
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by tanstaafl »

The transferring data to a new profile article is complex because its solving a different and more difficult problem. All you need to do is move the profile per http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder or just backup the profile using Mozbackup, move the .pcv file it created to the new PC and then use Mozbackup to restore that profile.

Another advantage of doing it this way is that it restores everything, not just your mail and address books.
nugesan
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by nugesan »

tanstaafl wrote:The transferring data to a new profile article is complex because its solving a different and more difficult problem. All you need to do is move the profile per http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder or just backup the profile using Mozbackup, move the .pcv file it created to the new PC and then use Mozbackup to restore that profile.

Another advantage of doing it this way is that it restores everything, not just your mail and address books.


Yea, that sounds good...but every time I have tried to download Mozbackup the download fails...even though my PC shows it as downloading (I save Downloads to my Desktop) but when the download is "completed" I cannot find Mozbackup anywhere on my computer. Smoke & Mirrors?? :roll:
nugesan
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by nugesan »

Opps! forgot to click "Notify me when a reply is posted"
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tanstaafl
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Re: [ SOLVED] Where are the files?

Post by tanstaafl »

I created a "Copy and paste just a few files instead" section based on your steps in Move to a new PC .
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