In this guide, we will refer the computers as source and destination where source is the one you want to copy from and destination is the one where you need to copy to.
Stage 1: Export Thunderbird’s Profile To External Drive
Download MozBackup from here. Install the downloaded setup file, and run it. Follow the prompts to run through the setup. Once the setup has finished installing, you’ll see the option to click Finish and Run Mozbackup. Click Finish, to run it, and make sure Thunderbird is closed. Then choose, Backup a profile and Mozilla Thunderbird and click Next.
If you have more than one profiles setup, select the one you want to backup. By default, it will automatically select the Active/Default Profile. With your external drive connected, click Browse and point to your external drive where the profile should be backed up, click Save and Next, The backed up file will have a .pcv extension in the end, with the date it was backed up and Thunderbird version, like this “Thunderbird 38.5.1 (en-US) – 2016-02-04.pcv”
After you hit Next, a prompt will appear asking you if you wish to setup a password, choose “yes/no” depending on your preference. Then, Select the items you want to back up in the Details section, since you’re moving Thunderbird to a new computer, put a check in all the boxes.
The backup will now start, and finish backing up your complete profile to the external drive/usb. click Finish, when you see it. The next, stage is on the destination computer where the Thunderbird is going to be transferred.
Stage 2: Restore Thunderbird on the Destination Computer
To restore your Thunderbird backup created by MozBackup, first install Thunderbird and MozBackup on the destination computer. Run Thunderbird at least one time after its installation so required registry entries are created in Windows for MozBackup to use. Now close Thunderbird and Run MozBackup. Choose Restore a profile under Operation. Highlight Mozilla Thunderbird below and click Next. Click Browse in the Restore backup from section and locate where you created the backup previously and select it, which should be the external drive. (make sure it is connected to the destination computer). Put a check on all boxes, and proceed with the steps on screen. Once it has finished, thunderbird will be restored.
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