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How to Move Thunderbird to New Computer? (Complete Guide)

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Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On October 24th, 2026
Reading Time 7 Min Read

Quick Answer: To move Thunderbird profile to new computer, you can select the manual option of moving your profile folder from its existing place in the application folder from one computer to the designated location on the new computer. Alternatively, you can also opt for the advanced utility, RecoveryTools for an easy profile as well as other data transfer without needing to transfer the folder manually.

Reasons to Move Thunderbird to New Computer

  • Most of the time, users have to migrate from their previous or old system to a new one. So, the need to export the Thunderbird profile becomes necessary.
  • Whenever there is an upgrade from one version of Thunderbird to the latest version on a different computer, users will want to transfer the data keeping it intact without any changes.
  • Users have to transfer data from the old system or old Thunderbird to a new computer or system safely in case they wish to access their email from a new computer.

Prerequisites to Move Thunderbird to New Computer

In order to carry out proper Thunderbird migration to another computer without corruption issues and data loss. Take the actions listed below:

  • Ensure you have the latest Thunderbird installation on the new computer.
  • You are required to have adequate system storage on the new computer else the restoration may fail midway.
  • An intermediary profile transfer medium like – USB, HDD, or Cloud Storage (eg: Google Drive) is required.
  • Before you begin moving Thunderbird to a new computer, backup your current profile.
  • Make sure to unzip the file if you have used ZIP compression to export.

Expert Tip: Disable antivirus temporarily on the new PC.

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 is 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.

Issues During Export Stage of Thunderbird Transfer to New Computer

You are required to have a healthy working Mozilla Thunderbird installation. Although there is no issue with larger exports. You are required to keep the data in a recognizable destination for systematic transfer.

Expert Tips: Always copy & paste the final destination folder and not “Cut Paste”.

In case you do not have an active Mozilla Thunderbird location you can copy it directly from profile.

  • Windows C:\Users\<Your_Username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\
  • macOS /Users/<Your_Username>/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/
  • Linux /home/<Your_Username>/.thunderbird/

Many users have trouble locating the Thunderbird profile folder location on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, and 7 when trying to move Thunderbird email to new computer:

This is because the App Data folder is a hidden folder that cannot be accessed directly.

Alternate Solution to Export Thunderbird to New Computer Without Active Installation

You can use the RecoveryTools Thunderbird Export Tool to move Thunderbird emails to external hard drives with all data fully preserved with or without application directly from the profile folder within minutes.

Problems Caused When Importing Old Thunderbird Data into New Computer

Despite completing the manual steps, many issues (listed as below) pose as major limitations of the manual solution thereby making them immensely time-consuming and inefficient.

  • Not able to locate profile folder
  • New profile not accessible
  • Partial data transfer – especially when dealing with larger profiles
  • Profile folder empty
  • Manual mapping of folders if you do not have default profile location on old PC.
  • The mismatch of architecture structure between Thunderbird versions can cause issues.

Professional Tool to Move Thunderbird to New Computer

RecoveryTools Thunderbird Restore Tool enables users to transfer Thunderbird to a new PC using whether from backup files or active Thunderbird installation from any version. The tool can restore data stored anywhere on the system directly to the active Thunderbird profile folder with all emails, attachments, metadata, and folder hierarchy (identical).

How to Transfer Thunderbird to New Computer?

Note: You have to use the tool on your destination PC. Ensure you have already moved profile data to the new PC via USB or a Cloud drive.

  1. Download & install the tool on your new computer.
    Run tool
  2. Choose “Let Me Select My Mailbox Data” >> “Select Folder”. Or you may even select a Thunderbird profile directly.
    Add folder
  3. Preview data and select the Thunderbird folders that you need to restore or move to new computer.
    Preview and select data
  4. Choose the Destination Path to save the restored Thunderbird data.
    Destination path
  5. Press “Next” to complete the data transfer process.
    Move Thunderbird to new computer
  6. Once the data restoration process gets completed successfully, a notification message shall be displayed on-screen along with the resultant data outputted at the destination location.
    Process completed
    Resultant data
Key Features of Tool to Transfer Thunderbird to Another Computer
  • Smart Profile Detection: You do not need to manually locate the profile folder. The tool auto detects the profile folder on the destination PC.
  • 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 from the default storage location.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I export everything from Thunderbird?

Open your Thunderbird account. Click on the Tools >> Export option. A new window shall appear; select the Export button. After that, select the location to save the resultant file and then click on Save button.

Your complete Thunderbird profile will be saved in ZIP format at the selected location.

Q: Where is Mozilla Thunderbird data stored?

This is the location where Thunderbird stores its data: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles. Mac OS: ~/Library/ Thunderbird

Q: Can I reinstall Thunderbird without losing email?

Yes, because Thunderbird saved emails and other data locally. So you can reinstall your Thunderbird without losing your email.

Q: What is the storage limit for Thunderbird email?

4 GB is the storage limit for Thunderbird emails in older versions (prior to Thunderbird 3.1 / version 51). Modern versions of Thunderbird (after version 51) have removed the old software-enforced mailbox size limit.

Q: Is Thunderbird more secure than Gmail?

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.

Summary – Key Takeaways
  • Users can transfer their Thunderbird profile to a new computer by using either a manual process or a software program, depending on what they are comfortable with.
  • The manual process is done by getting to the Thunderbird profile folder from the Troubleshooting Information option, quitting Thunderbird, copying it to the same location on the new computer with the help of a USB drive, etc.
  • The current Thunderbird profile should always be backed up to prevent data loss when copying it.
  • Depending on the operating system, Thunderbird profile folders are saved in certain places.
  • Professional tools like RecoveryTools can smartly detect the profiles, do mass processing, and restore the emails from the mailboxes without having to deal with folders and the possibility to have an empty profile.

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

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