Help with Thunderbird, please?

[DennisN]

On my main desktop PC I run Mozilla Thunderbird. I have several other gadgets email capable, but not comprehensively. I can on them all use webmail, but it's not too easy.

My new laptop is Win 7 and has wi-fi, so I can use that for webmail out and about, but for four different webmail addresses handling some 18 different email addresses it's a real pain.

What I'd like to do is have Thunderbird on it, running the same way as my desktop.

I have found that T'bird has a profile folder which (I think) contains all my settings and mail folders and messages. If that would transfer over, maybe I'd get what I want.

Information I've found is the profile folder lives somewhere (I have found it) and is called xxxxxxxx.default, where the Xs are an eight character random name generated by T'bird.

My thinking is.....

A) Copy that default folder (1.8GB)
B) Download and install T'bird to laptop.
C) Find the default folder on the laptop and note the random name.
D) Rename the copy of my PC default folder to the same as the folder on the laptop and simply copy and replace.

Hey presto, when I fire up T'bird on the laptop it'll have all my folders, filters, messages and settings from the PC, so I can do mail from the laptop in future instead of the PC.

How does that sound? Smartypants or Numpty?
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[MaFt]

copy the profile folder and paste into your new laptop.

feel free to rename it something sensible, it's not important. put it in an obvious location, eg in the root of C:\ or in My Documents - so if you need to move it again then it's far easier to find!

now, install thunderbird on the new laptop BUT don't run it yet.

click on the start icon (circlular windows logo, bottom left of task bar) and type the following:

[MaFt]

PS - one thing to watch out for, depending if you are using POP3 or IMAP.

if using POP3 then any email you download on your PC will NOT be available on the laptop. and vice versa - any email downloaded on the laptop WILL NOT be on the PC.

if you are using POP3 and you download the emails (i.e. when you go on webmail any emails that have been downloaded to PC are not available in webmail) then you should do the following (assuming you want the emails downloaded to the laptop as the main device:

1) disconnect PC and Laptop from the internet.
2) in thunderbird on the PC go to the account settings and for each account, under server (i think) change the setting to keep the mail on the server (i.e. you can 'download' the emails on the PC but they will still be available for the laptop to download)
3) set the laptop to download the emails, i.e. NOT keep them on the server.

if you plan on using both the PC and the Laptop for sending/receiving emails then i would recommend using an IMAP server as this would mean sent items and drafts etc would be shared between computers - however, as all the mail is stored on the server you would need to check how much storage space you get and, if your internet is down, you can't view the emails...

MaFt

[DennisN]

Thanks MaFt. I have three POP3 servers and one IMAP. The POP3 servers are all already set to keep emails on server for 30 days.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[MaFt]

in which case just carry out my first reply and all existing settings, plugins/addons and emails, filters etc etc will be transferred to the new laptop.

you can also do this to move your mail to a mac too. so much simpler than trying to import into mac mail etc...!

MaFt

[DennisN]

Thanks a zillion MaFt, it worked a treat and after only about six attempts - I even read your posts, sort of RTFM donchaknow.

I think I'll try this on the BigMacBook too (but what's the equivalent of Start Thunderbird.exe -p?).

I don't suppose it'll work on my iPhone 3GS, so I'm stuck there with Mobile Me and Safari for webmail.

And for your next trick - I need to get my PC and all my laptops to talk to each other!!
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[aj2052]

had a job following that not being familiar with thunderbird or mozzila or perhaps just too long in the tooth, anyway I use Mailwasher pro to sort out the wheat from the chaff and then Mail downlaods all my email address,s, Mailwasher is pretty good at learning.
I have 3 laptops and 1 desktop around the house and se Good sync with a 320gb usb Hdd to syncronise each one by plugging into each one, using each folder as a different job and also gives me an external backup, I have just found Toysync from microsoft which i understand can sync over a wireless network but havent got round to trying yet so maybe an answer to get yours talking to each other, my setup may not suit everybody but it fulfills my needs.
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Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8

[MaFt]

@ Dennis:

from here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager#Mac_OS_X

[Harry06]

you could always try International Rescue.

[DennisN]

aj2052, MaFt & Harry06, I haven't the faintest idea what any of you are talking about - I won't bother trying to do it with the MacBook.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[aj2052]

No Problem Dennis, we wouldnt expect any less from a mod
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Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8

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