How to Move Thunderbird to New Computer? – Complete Guide

Published By Jamie Kaler

Approved By Rollins Duke

Published On February 11th, 2026

Reading Time 6 Min Read

Do you want to move Thunderbird to new computer? Then you are on the right page, here we are going to explain one of the best and safest methods to transfer Thunderbird to another computer including emails, contacts/address book, calendar, local folders and other data.

As we all know Thunderbird is an open source and desktop-based email client for free to send and receive emails. As well as, it maintains your other data also including contacts, calendars, notes, journals, etc.

However, multiple time situations come when users want to move Thunderbird to new computer or PC for several reasons. But they don’t know the right methods with complete information, so here we will show you all the possible and safest methods.

Reasons to Transfer Thunderbird to New Computer

Most of the time, users need to switch from an old system to a new one. and hence, they need to export Thunderbird profile to another computer for better accessibility.
When upgrading from an older version of Thunderbird to a new one on a different computer, users need to transfer data while making sure all the data is the same and not changed even a bit.
If users need to access their email data on a new computer or system, it is essential for them to transfer their data from Old Thunderbird to new computer with safety.

How to Transfer Thunderbird to Another Computer Manually?

We will copy and paste the actual location of your Thunderbird profile. Also, we will show how you can transfer address book/contacts and calendar data to another computer. All methods are given below to move Thunderbird to another computer, step-by-step guide are given below in detail:

Move Thunderbird to New Computer with Emails

1. First of all, open Thunderbird on your desktop.
2. Now, click the ‘Menu’ tab from the right corner.
3. Next, Click on Help >> Troubleshooting Information.
4. Click on Open Folder next to Profile Folder.
5. Now, close Thunderbird completely.
6. Go to one level up and copy your entire Thunderbird folder.
7. Paste it to the same location on the new computer.

Drawbacks of Manual Method

An external media is required to move your exported data like emails, contacts and calendar to another computer.
Users have to follow different methods and steps for moving data.
Thunderbird must be installed and configured on your system. Also, it should be in working condition to extract data.
These methods have high risk of data loss and missing files situations, while transferring data.

So, if you want to perform this task for professional work, then you should go for the alternate method. I know you wonder why expert tool; we have mentioned all the details below:

Why Alternate Solution to Move Thunderbird to New Computer?

Many tools are available in the market, but RecoveryTools Thunderbird Migrator software is an all-in-one software that directly imports Thunderbird profile data including emails, contacts, calendar etc with single tool. This software is designed in such a way, that users only need to choose the source Thunderbird profile Repository then the software will instantly import these items into the Thunderbird email client on a new PC.

Also, this tool works with corrupted, damaged, and inaccessible Thunderbird profile’s data without losing any single information.

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How to Transfer Thunderbird to New Computer?

Download the software on your system and install it.
Select the options Convert Emails or Contacts & Calendar which data you want to transfer Thunderbird to new computer.
Secondly, dual options to load Thunderbird data, the first one is manually and automatically.
Load either the whole Thunderbird Profile Directory or selectively choose Mailbox files.
Now, select the Thunderbird option from the list of saving options. It will automatically save the mailbox items at the default Thunderbird profile location.
Click on the Filter Options tab to move Thunderbird to new computer selectively.
Next, select the location to save the result using the Browse button.
Lastly, click on the Convert button to move Thunderbird to new computer.

Entices Features to Transfer Thunderbird to Another Computer

Convert Thunderbird Complete Data – this software has two separate options to convert emails Contacts & calendars separately. Users can select the required options as per their needs
Fast Process – Thunderbird profile converter allows moving to batch multiple Thunderbird profiles into a new computer. In this process, the software takes only a few minutes to import your data.
Preserve Folder Hierarchy – During the conversion of emails, all details and related information of the Thunderbird mailbox are saved in the original form.
No Thunderbird Installation Required – With this tool, users do not need to install Thunderbird or any third-party plug-in or application. Users can move Thunderbird to new computer email client.
Load Thunderbird Profile: If your profile relates to the same machine in good condition, then this tool provides you an option, which loads the Thunderbird profile data automatically from the default storage location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1: How do I export everything from Thunderbird?
1. Open your Thunderbird account.
2. Click on the Tools >> Export option.
3. A new window appears, select the Export button.
4. Select the location to save the resultant file.
5. Click on the Save button.
Your complete Thunderbird profile will be saved in ZIP format at the selected location.
Q 2: Where is Mozilla Thunderbird data stored?
Ans:- This is the location where Thunderbird stores its data: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles. Mac OS: ~/Library/ Thunderbird
Q 3: Can I reinstall Thunderbird without losing email?
Ans:- Yes, because Thunderbird saved emails and other data locally. So you can reinstall your Thunderbird without losing your email.
Q 4: What is the storage limit for Thunderbird email?
Ans:- 4 GB is the storage limit for Thunderbird emails.
Q 5: Is Thunderbird more secure than Gmail?
Ans:- Yes, Thunderbird is a desktop-based email client that saves your complete profile data locally so there is no chance to loss data, viruses, or cyber-attacks. On the other hand, Gmail is a web-based client, which requires an internet connection. And, there is a high risk of data loss.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed how to move Thunderbird to new computer. Furthermore, we discussed the two methods in the above section. But there are some drawbacks to the manual method as well. Hence, there is a need for some professional Thunderbird backup software that proves to be very powerful. And we recommend you the best tools that transfer Thunderbird to new computer with ease.

Read Next: Tips & Tricks to Export Thunderbird Emails to TXT File