it may help to know the explicit details of what you did.

Here is the link for moving a profile in Windows when installed in default location:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

here is the info in brief steps:

1. ensure thunderbird is NOT running on old machine
2. enter %appdata% in search window on task bar and press Enter key
3. this should open windows file explorer in Appdata\roaming folder
4. highlight the Thunderbird folder and copy to external media
5. ensure thunderbird is installed on second computer and NOT running
6. enter %appdata% in search window on task bar and press Enter key
7. you should be in Appdata\roaming folder , copy&paste the exported Thunderbird folder there. This may prompt to overwrite an existing folder of same name. allow it
8. start thunderbird and all should be there

When I go to locate the thunderbird profile account I receive an error message and am unable to copy the old devices folder over to override

Is your thunderbird from Microsoft?

Try this: - click help>troubleshootinginformation - scroll down to 'profile folder' and click 'open folder' - exit thunderbird - you are now in the profile, click the back arrow twice and you should be at the thunderbird folder - if so, you could copy the thunderbird folder

Let me know.

no it is a yahoo account, those are the steps that I am following and when I click open profile it gives me that error message

We have followed the steps and are not able to paste or get the local folders from the old computer into thunderbird on the new computer

Which "steps" did you follow? If it's only the Local Folders you want to transfer from the old to the new computer it is quite simple: on the old PC open the profile folder https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#thunderbird:win10:tb128 In the profile folder go to the "Mail" subfolder, copy Local Folders and transfer it to the new PC via an USB device. On the new PC go the profile folder and quit Thunderbird. In the profile folder open the Mail subfolder, delete Local Folders and paste the Local Folders copy from old PC