Thunderbird: Export and move account settings

Have you already desperately searched for the "Export settings" option in the Thunderbird email client? Thunderbird does not come with this backup option in-house - but we have selected two solutions for you.

The "Profiles" folder from Mozilla Thunderbird

If you have already reinstalled Thunderbird, you will have noticed that you will find all the email accounts and settings that you previously created.

• This is because Thunderbird creates the "Profiles" folder and stores the relevant data in it.
• For Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8 you will probably find the folder under this path: "C: \ Users \\ AppData \ Roaming \ Thunderbird \ Profiles \ xxxxxxxx.default"
• If you do not discover the "AppData" folder, deactivate the "Hidden files and folders" option in Windows 7 or Windows 8.
• If you have made the "AppData" folder visible, copy the "Profiles" folder. This will save your settings. You can also copy the folder to a USB stick and use it to export your settings to another computer or a new hard drive.
• Note: There are different procedures for transferring the data, depending on the order in which you proceed; whether you install Thunderbird first - or already have it on the other computer - or whether you want to transfer your copied data first.
• If you first want to transfer your "old" data to the new hard disk or the new computer, first set up the appropriate path (see above) and attach the copied folder to it. If you then install Thunderbird, the email client automatically accesses the data.
• If you install Thunderbird first, the email client itself creates a corresponding path. After closing Thunderbird, copy the contents of the "old" folder into the newly created folder.
• Attention: In this case, do not re-insert the entire folder, just copy the data from the "old" folder into the folder newly created by Thunderbird.

Create a Thunderbird backup with "MozBackup"

If the solution shown above is too cumbersome for you, we have another alternative for you: the MozBackup program. You can use it not only to create backups of Thunderbird, but also of the Mozilla browser "Firefox".

1. Download the backup program here - if you prefer the program in German, you can also download the German language file.
2. After downloading, install the program as usual. You simply exchange the German language file in the "MozBackup" directory for the "Default.ing" file already there.
3. Start "MozBackup" and indicate whether you want to backup or restore a profile. You also select the Mozilla program for which the respective action is to be started.
4. Decide on a location. For security, you can secure the backup with a password.
5. Finally, you can change the details to be saved, by default MozBackup has activated everything.
6. Tip: Save the backups occasionally on an external data medium - this way you won't lose all data in the event of a system crash.

You have a little less work if you only want to export your Thunderbird contacts.