Backing up and restoring email in the Thunderbird client

Thunderbird is a free email client that’s easy to install and configure — and offers many great features!

Thunderbird can import email messages, address book contents, news feed subscriptions, settings, and/or filters from other email clients and popular address book formats.

Log in to the email client using the settings provided in this guide.

Secure SSL/TLS Settings

• Username: the created email account
• Password: Use the email account password
• Incoming mail server: mail.example.com
• IMAP Port: 993
• POP3 Port: 995
• Outgoing mail server: mail.example.com
• SMTP Port: 465

Non-SSL Settings

• Username: the created email account
• Password: Use the email account password
• Incoming mail server: mail.example.com
• IMAP Port: 143
• POP3 Port: 110
• Outgoing mail server: mail.example.com
• SMTP Port: 587

When Thunderbird is installed, it creates a user profile that stores all mail-related data (credentials, server settings, message archives). So it’s enough to copy the profile folder and replace it on the new installation.

To find the Thunderbird profile location, launch the program and right-click on the working email account name. Find the Settings option.

In the dialog box under the mailbox name, click Server Settings. On the right, scroll down to Message Storage, and you will see the Local Directory field.

Copy the local path to use it later. Then close the settings window and Thunderbird. The path looks like this:

/Users/username/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/u0s5e1xn.default-release/ImapMail/mail.mecmep.site

Go to the path and copy the profile folder. To restore the mailbox in another Thunderbird, replace the existing profile folder or update the Local Directory path in settings.

After changing the path, Thunderbird will prompt you to restart the client.

That completes the mailbox restoration.

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Importing Mail Using the ImportExportTool Extension

To install the extension, go to Add-ons and Themes.

Use the search to find and install the required extension.

After installation, restart Thunderbird. Various formats for importing messages will now be available.

For Windows Live Mail, follow these steps:

First, open Windows Explorer from the start menu or search. Go to the View tab in Explorer and check the Hidden items box.

Windows Live Mail stores messages at:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\<account name>

In Thunderbird, select the folder where you want to import the messages. Right-click the folder and go to ImportExportTools NG → Import messages → Individual eml files.

Select the folder with the emails and click Open.

Thunderbird will import the selected messages.

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Exporting Mail Using the ImportExportTool Extension

Locate the email account, then find the Inbox folder under that account for export. Right-click the Inbox folder.

Click ImportExportTools NG — a menu will appear. Select Export all messages in the folder from the top of the menu.

A list of export formats will appear.

Choose the file format you want to use:

• To import the backup into Thunderbird on another machine, select EML.
• To read the messages with original formatting and attachments, choose HTML (with attachments).

Select the folder to save the backup. Click on the desired folder.

The backup will be created and saved to the selected location.

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Importing Messages from Apple Mail

In the main menu, find the Import category.

Then select Apple Mail → Continue.

Next, choose Import from profile → Continue.

Then choose Mail messages → Continue.

Then click Start Import.

You will see a log of the imported folders. Click Finish Import to close the wizard.

Your imported messages will appear under Local Folders in a folder named Import from Apple Mail.

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