Ok, some purists will scream at me, but here is the absolute simplest way to do it (in my opinion): BUT - If you are uncomfortable editing files, then do NOT DO THIS. - exit thunderbird - in windows file explorer, locate your c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird folder - in that, click open the profiles.ini file. This is a text file and notepad or other text editor will do. - it will show the path to the active profile - exit the text editor - make a copy of profiles.ini for safety - now, in the profiles folder, copy the active profile and store it on the external drive. Give it any name you wish as the name itself is irrelevant to Thunderbird - now open profiles.ini again and type in the correct path, e.g., Path=D:\myprofile and save. - restart thunderbird and verify that all seems ok. You can verify the new location by clicking 'account settings' and clicking the 'server settings' pane and the bottom line should show local directory is the external drive. The profile on drive C may now be deleted, if desired. - Now, when you upgrade to new PC, just install TB on new PC, and copy c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird to the new PC at c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming and then start TB.

Footnote: Thunderbird has a profile manager that can do this, but use of it seems to cause confusion, so I use the more fundamental approach.

On D Drive: Create a folder called 'TBIRD'

Exit Thunderbird

• In bottom Windows search type: %Appdata%
• Select '%Appdata% file folder
• Select 'Roaming'
• Select 'Thunderbird'
• Copy the 'Profiles' folder
• Paste it into 'TBIRD' folder on D Drive. so you now have D://TBIRD/Profiles

Start thunderbird

• Help > Troubleshooting Information
• Under 'Application Basics' near the bottom - Profiles' - click on 'about:profiles'

It opens in a new tab

• Click on 'Create a new Profile'
• click on 'Next'
• Enter a new user name eg: Default User
• Click on 'Choose Folder'
• navigate to the D Drive, locate and select the correct 'profile name' folder which is usually something like this 'abc1234d.default'
• eg: D://TBIRD/Profiles/abc1234d.default
• Click on 'Select Folder'
• Click on 'Finish'

You should see a new Profile called 'Default User' appear in the list. It will say the 'Root directory: info will point to profile name in D drive.' Below it will be some buttons.

• Click on 'Set as default profile'
• Click on 'Launch Profile'

It will open Thunderbird on that new location in a new window.

• Close/Exit the original Thunderbird window.

The above has auto edited the 'profiles.ini' file located in the 'Thunderbird' folder here:

• C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird

Thunderbird is still using some files in that C Drive directory, but it should now be directed to the D Drive when it comes to the actual storage of mail.

Just check the following is ok.

• Access Account Settings
• Select 'Server Settings' for account in left pane
• Look bottom right for 'Local directory'
• Is it pointing to the correct location on 'D Drive' ?

eg: D://TBIRD/Profiles/profile name/Mail/mailaccountname If yes, no worries all is ok.

If no:

• click on 'Browse'
• A new window opens currently showing you the contents of that account name folder.
• navigate to the D Drive, locate the same account name.
• for a pop account eg: D://TBIRD/Profiles/profile name/Mail/mailaccountname
• Select that mailaccount name folder and then click on 'Select Folder'

• Do the same for each account.

• Then do 'Local Folders'
• Select 'Local Folders' in left pane
• It will show 'local directory' - click on browse
• navigate to the D Drive, locate 'Local Folders'
• eg: D://TBIRD/Profiles/profile name/Mail/Local Folders
• Select 'Local Folders' folder and click on 'Select Folder'

When all is working ok, do you want to recover some space on C: Drive? If yes, Exit Thunderbird, Access C Drive I would advise you keep all the main structure intact as there are some files still being used so Thunderbird knows where to look to locate stuff on D Drive, but remove all the folders that are containing a load of emails as they are using the most space.

• C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/profile name folder

• delete this file: global-messages-db.sqlite

It's not actual emails - it's data used for global search you can safely delete

• Then click on 'Mail' folder
• delete all the mail account name folders.
• delete 'smart mailboxes' folder if it exists.

• Select the 'Local Folders' folder and delete all contents.

• Back in 'profile name' folder - select 'ImapMail' folder
• delete all the imap mail account name folders.

NOTE: when you want to copy over to new computer: You will need to copy over the 'Thunderbird' folder from the C: drive and put in same location - in the 'Roaming' folder - on new computer C:Drive because there is still a hook to it.

• C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird

You will also need to copy the 'TBIRD' fodler which contains everything on the D: Drive to the new D: Drive

• D://TBIRD

Hi David and Toad-Hall

Thank you both for your help. The process seems complicated and I will have to read through both methods.

Toad-Hall - Does the folder TBIRD have to be created in any particular section of the D drive?

Thanks Julian

The 'TBIRD' folder is designed to store all profiles in the 'Profiles' folder.

It acts as the top level equivalent of the normal set. eg: C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/profile name folder

But 'TBIRD' is not identical to the 'Roaming'/ 'Thunderbird' folder because only the original 'Thunderbird' folder (in 'Roaming' folder) contains all the 'profile.ini' etc files which instruct where thunderbird has to look for profile. Hence why I suggest you call it 'TBIRD' and not 'Thunderbird' - it means there is no confusion.

So you can put it as a top level folder in the D: Drive. Nothing else will use it and it's easy to locate.

The Thunderbird profile data is not an application, so it should NOT be put into this type of structure.

• D://Program Files/TBIRD

You have to keep things uncomplicated because in the future you may need to access stuff or perform a backup and this is as simple as anything gets: eg: D://TBIRD/Profiles/<profile name>

Thanks Toad-Hall.

One last question before I try this. I am moving applications and data to the new computer with Laplink PC Mover. Should I move Thunderbird in its current form with PC Mover and then move the profiles folder when Thunderbird has been installed on the new computer?

Thanks

Not sure how good the Laplink PC Mover is when it comes to getting data out the Appdata set of folders. I've not used it, so cannot offer any real useful advise in that sense.

I've always freshly installed programs so I've got a nice clean install and manually copied any relevant sets of data via an external harddrive. You can just as easy copy this Thunderbird folder - exit Thunderbird first C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird

Then paste it into the same directly on new computer - into the 'Roaming' folder Then sort out moving everything to D: Drive afterwards.

Remember after putting Thunderbird program onto new computer make sure the Firewall on new computer is set up to allow Thunderbird otherwise it may get blocked.

I will do as you suggest and install Thunderbird manually.

Thanks again for all your help.

Hi Toad-Hall

I have moved Thunderbird to the new computer and I am now trying to move the profile folder to the D:Drive.

I have got as far as "Default User" which I have chosen.

I have then gone to the D:Drive to locate the correct profile name but I don't know where to look. The D:Drive looks like this:-

Main Folders Delivery Optimization Julian Profiles Program Files TBIRD WindowsApps

The Profiles main folder has the following sub-folders j23npo72.default-release mjy02sb5.default v3nvoy9f.default xb382q8g.default-release-1

Which should I choose? Also, when the process is complete and the profile is stored in the D:Drive, how do I remove the profile from the C:Drive as it takes up over 100GB?

Thanks Julian

Just to let you know, my current default Profiles are:-

Root - C:\ users\ \Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\v3nvoy9f.default

Local - C:\ users\ \Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\v3nvoy9f.default

Julian

You said: Main Folders

• Delivery Optimization
• Julian
• Profiles
• Program Files
• TBIRD
• WindowsApps

As instructed, on the D drive you have created a folder called 'TBIRD' ready to contain all your profile data. BUT you have not put the 'Profiles' folder into the 'TBIRD' folder, it's a top level folder on the D Drive. The 'Profiles' folder needs to be in the 'TBIRD' folder. Please move the 'Profiles' folder and put it in the 'TBIRD' folder.

Then you will have this: Main Folders

• Delivery Optimization
• Julian
• Program Files
• TBIRD folder which now contains 'Profiles' folder
• WindowsApps

D:// TBIRD/Profiles

The 'Profiles' main folder has the following sub-folders

• j23npo72.default-release
• mjy02sb5.default
• v3nvoy9f.default
• xb382q8g.default-release-1

You say: my current default Profiles are:- Root - C:\ users\ \Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\v3nvoy9f.default

Now in Thunderbird you are creating a new profile to point to the one you moved.

You say - I have got as far as "Default User" which I have chosen. Then you clicked on the 'Choose folder' option You say : I have then gone to the D:Drive to locate the correct profile name but I don't know where to look.

So if you have done as advised and the 'Profiles' folder is now in the 'TBIRD fodler you will see this:

• D:// TBIRD/Profiles/v3nvoy9f.default

• Select the 'TBIRD' folder
• Then select the 'Profiles' folder
• Then select the v3nvoy9f.default folder
• Click on 'Select Folder'
• Click on 'Finish'

Hi Toad-Hall

Thanks for this. I had copied the Profile folder but for some reason I didn't put it in the TBIRD folder. I have now done this and everything is working great!

I am now going to try and remove the data in the C: Drive as you previously explained.

Thanks again. I would never have been able to do this without your detailed help!

Julian

Hi Toad-Hall

You are probably bored with my questions by now, but I'm nearly done.

To remove the data from the C: Drive, I have accessed C://Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/profile name folder from the original default Root Directory of Thunderbird. Is this correct?

Should I now close Thunderbird before proceeding?

In the "Mail" folder there are pop. folders. Should these also be deleted?

In the "ImapMail" folder there are two files imap.........com.msf and mail...........net.msf. Should these be deleted?

Thanks Julian

Ok, some purists will scream at me, but here is the absolute simplest way to do it (in my opinion):

Yep I will be one of them. 10 years ago, yes certainly. Now, not a chance. The number of folk that can actually copy a folder tree in file manger is diminishing rapidly. Those that can navigate the hidden files and folders and manager to copy stuff where it needs to go without a point and click or drag and drop interface is limited. Add to that this damnable profile per install and more manual copies go wrong than go right.

Thanks for your help Toad-Hall.

It is working fine now.