Thunderbird: Back up and archive mails - how it works

If you want to save your emails in Thunderbird, you can use the function to archive the messages. We'll show you how to set up a backup and archive your messages.

Prepare to save emails in Thunderbird by archiving

Note: In this guide we show you how to archive multiple emails. If you want to save all emails without exception and use them on another computer if necessary, follow the instructions for exporting mail in Thunderbird.

Step 1:

Click on "Tools" at the top of the menu bar and select the "Account Settings" item. If the menu bar is not displayed, press the [Alt] key.

Step 2:

Go to the category "Copies & Folders" under the desired mail account on the left side and activate the option "Save archive as".

Step 3:

Now select the desired storage location for the archive. You can use the "Archive options" button to adjust the structure of the archive if you wish. Then close the window with the "OK" button to save your settings.

Instructions: Archive mails in Thunderbird

If you have activated the archive in Thunderbird, you can now start archiving the emails. There are a few things to consider.

Step 1:

Select all the emails you want and drag them to the "Archive" folder on the left. Alternatively, you can right-click on the desired mail and select the "Archive" option.

Step 2:

Alternatively, you can move each individual open email to the archive using the "Archive" button. For reasons of stability, however, you should not archive more than 2, 000 emails at the same time.

Step 3:

If you would like to use your archived mail later on another computer, simply copy the data from the local folder or use our instructions. You can find more information in the video there.

Contacts extension for Thunderbird

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to create a vacation note in Thunderbird.