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Thread: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

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    Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    Before I go and do a clean install of 7 tomorrow after work, how do I backup my saved e-mails in ThunderBird ??

    It doesn't seem as obvious as it does in Outlook/Windows mail.

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    ɯʎɔɐɹsɐʌʍ mycarsavw's Avatar
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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    I use MozBackup across my network once a week - no problems whatsoever
    |Kata: "Read title as 'fisting'. Not sure why I clicked. Relieved, really."|
    |TAKTAK: "It was so small that mine wouldn't fit into it"|

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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    MozBackup is the easiest way but the other option (if you're not using Windows for example) is to look at the properties of the account in Thunderbird, go to server settings then you'll see the directory that the store files are stored in at the bottom of the window.

    Copy that directory to your new install, create the account in TB then point it to that store directory.

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    Behemoth (23-10-2009)

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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    Another solution for future reference might be to use IMAP instead of POP3 if your mail provider gives you the option, so the mail stays on the server and you wouldn't have to worry about backing it up. It's generally a better way of doing things in any case, particularly these days when people might need to access their mail from a number of different locations/PCs/devices, but prefer not to use webmail for whatever reason.

    Thunderbird handles IMAP very well (better than Outlook IMHO), and also integrates nicely with IMAP-enabled Googlemail accounts for those who use them

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    Behemoth (23-10-2009)

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    Senior Member burble's Avatar
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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    Quote Originally Posted by CaptainCrash View Post
    Thunderbird handles IMAP very well (better than Outlook IMHO), and also integrates nicely with IMAP-enabled Googlemail accounts for those who use them
    Personally I think that Thunderbird (pre 3.x anyway) has one of the worst IMAP implementations I've seen. Folder syncing is unnecessarily bandwidth hungry, partly because the Thunderbird implementation of the IDLE command is at best, iffy.

    It also hammers the IMAP server with unnecessary connections which on a busy IMAP server has the potential to bring a server to its knees. It then doesn't close these connections but just leaves them to time out.

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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    Thanks very much gentlemen

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    Senior Member watercooled's Avatar
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    Re: Backing up e-mails in ThunderBird

    The way I do it is just go to C:\Users\Name\AppData\Roaming and copy Thunderbird (and Firefox works the same way but the folder for Firefox is called Mozilla) over to the new Windows installation - settings/add ons etc stay intact that way too.

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