You would need to copy the settings as well as the Mail folder. Prefs.js contains the settings for the core of the application as well as settings for the accounts. In addition the passwords are stored in either signons.sqlite or logins.json depending on what version of Thunderbird you are using. You need also to copy key3.db to make use of the passwords. Any settings using pathnames will need to be reset, since the pathnames in Mac OS have a completely different format from Windows.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Move_to_a_new_PC

Thanks for all the advice. I'm afraid I'm not enough of a computer guy to take proper advantage of much of it. One suggestion seemed quite straightforward: move all the files from within the new Mac profile, and replace them with the files from the old Profile folder. I started this process by wiping out every trace of Thunderbird on the Mac, including the Profile folder. I then reinstalled Thunderbird, giving me a new Profile folder. I brought up that folder and the Profile folder from the old Windows machine in the same window. I removed all the files from the newly created Mac profile and replaced them by dragging over the files from within the old Windows Profile. I did this without Thunderbird running. I then restarted, and tried to open Thunderbird. I got a message that 'Thunderbird could not be opened because the Profile could not be found'. My guess is that I need to do something with the .ini folder. I really want to solve this problem so I can 'move in' to the new Mac, and not leave all that material behind. Thanks in advance for any further help you can provide! Dick W.

What is the contents of profiles.ini?

What is the full path to your profile folder?

Thanks for the instantaneous response. The path is: MacHD>Users>RKW (me)>Library>Thunderbird>Profiles.

I can't answer the second question because I can't find a profiles.ini file on that machine. Spotlight turned up lots of .ini files, but not the one needed.

I hope that absence might be a clue to my problem! DickW

ok the ini file will be in

MacHD>Users>RKW (me)>Library>Thunderbird

The profile folder will be in MacHD>Users>RKW (me)>Library>Thunderbird>Profiles with a name like d1234pg.Default. When copying contents. It is this lower level folder that is refered to. Not MacHD>Users>RKW (me)>Library>Thunderbird>Profiles.

So to simplify a little ( I hope.

Install Thunderbird. go to the help menu in Thunderbird and select troubleshooting information. In that tab click the show frlder button for the Profile. Finder will open with the current profile folder opened. Close Thunderbird.

Now locate the old profile folder it will contains pref.js as a file among many others. Copy the files and folder in that folder and place them in the new folder that Thunderbird opened in Finder for you. Allow it to replace files.

Open Thunderbird and you should have it all.

Spotlight is crippled. It will not search the libraries. If you want to find a file in a library, use EasyFind. It can search anywhere, including hidden files.

steamer102 said

I'm moving from PC to iMac. I think I've successfully brought my Profile over. My Address Book id working, but no received mail files are evident. The Mail subfolder in the 'new' Profile - 'Mail"- is about the same size - 1.6 Gb- as it was on the PC so I assume the mail got moved, However, there's no sign of it that I can find on the 'new' Thunderbird page. I made the move by copying the PC's Profile folder onto the Mac desktop, bringing up the Mac Profile folder next to it, and dragging the PC Mail subfolder on to the Mail folder in the Mac Profile. I think I'm way over my head here; I really want to solve the issue, so I can mothball the PC. Thanks is advance for your help.

THANKS, MATT. I leanrd something from every reply, and I really appreciate all the help. However, you had a good calibration on my level of understanding of the Mac, and your simplified approach worked fine, I did make one change in your instructions, however. The new Profile folder had only one item: the (long alpha numeric).default subfolder. The old Profile folder had two such subfolders. No pref.js in sight. So I opened the subfolder in the old Profile, found pref.js, and transferred each of the 60+ items into the open alpha numeric.default folder of the Mac. That did it. Without the clue of the pref.js file, I would have messed it up. So I'm very grateful. I'm sure I'll be back for more help as I get into this wondrous machine! Dick

You still did not quite get it. That long alphanumeric folder IS the profile folder. Having two means you have two profiles. Did you once upon a time start Thunderbird and it had lost everything. If so you have just found it. A second profile can also be created during the transfer process using certain instructions.

If you interested in what it might contain (it could be nothing) install the profile switcher add-on. You can do it without, but it is much simpler with it as changing profiles in a menu click on the file menu. Without it is command line switches ala DOS. If you copy the whole folder one machine to the other and use the newly added profile manager entry on the file menu to open Thunderbird profile manager (it will restart Thunderbird) tell it to create a new profile, but select the second folder you copied instead of a new one. That will register the profile in the profiles.ini file. (it is here MacHD>Users>RKW (me)>Library>Thunderbird) and make it a selectable entry on the file menu.

Don't know how to install an add-on? See http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/3_How_to_install_Add-ons_in_Thunderbird.html

Thanks again, Maatt. I wondered about that second file in the Profile folder, but it was virtually empty, so I ignored it. But I'll certainly look into you suggestions. Dick