How to Export Thunderbird Mail: A Comprehensive Guide

Mozilla Thunderbird is a popular and reliable open-source email client, but there might come a time when you need to export your emails. Whether you’re switching to a new email client, backing up your data, or migrating to a different computer, exporting your Thunderbird mail is essential. This comprehensive guide provides detailed steps and instructions on how to effectively export your Thunderbird emails, address books, calendars, and account settings.

Why Export Your Thunderbird Mail?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s understand why you might want to export your Thunderbird data:

* **Backup and Disaster Recovery:** Regularly backing up your Thunderbird data ensures that you can restore your emails, contacts, and settings in case of hardware failure, data corruption, or accidental deletion.
* **Migration to a New Email Client:** If you decide to switch from Thunderbird to another email client like Outlook, Gmail, or Apple Mail, exporting your data allows you to seamlessly transition without losing your important information.
* **Moving to a New Computer:** When upgrading or replacing your computer, exporting your Thunderbird data makes it easy to transfer your emails and settings to the new machine.
* **Archiving Old Emails:** You might want to archive older emails to free up space in your Thunderbird profile or to comply with data retention policies.
* **Troubleshooting:** Exporting and then importing your data into a fresh Thunderbird profile can sometimes resolve issues caused by corrupted profile settings.

Methods for Exporting Thunderbird Mail

There are several methods to export your Thunderbird mail, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We’ll cover the most common and effective methods:

1. **Exporting as MBOX Files (Recommended for Email Backup and Migration)**
2. **Exporting as EML Files (Suitable for Individual Emails)**
3. **Using Add-ons (For Enhanced Functionality and Features)**
4. **Exporting Address Book Contacts**
5. **Exporting Calendar Data**

Let’s delve into each of these methods.

1. Exporting as MBOX Files

The MBOX format is a widely supported format for storing email messages. It combines multiple emails into a single text file, making it convenient for backup and migration. Thunderbird stores its mailboxes in MBOX format internally, so exporting to MBOX is a natural and efficient choice.

**Steps to Export Thunderbird Mail as MBOX Files:**

* **Identify Your Thunderbird Profile Folder:** The first step is to locate your Thunderbird profile folder. This folder contains all your emails, settings, and add-ons.
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Menu** button (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner.
* Go to **Help > Troubleshooting Information**.
* In the **Application Basics** section, find the **Profile Folder** row and click the **Open Folder** button. This will open your profile folder in your file manager (e.g., Windows Explorer or Finder).
* **Close Thunderbird:** Ensure that Thunderbird is completely closed before proceeding. This prevents any conflicts during the export process.
* **Copy the Mail Folder:** In your profile folder, you’ll find a folder named “Mail” (or “ImapMail” for IMAP accounts). This folder contains all your email accounts and their corresponding mailboxes.
* Right-click on the “Mail” (or “ImapMail”) folder.
* Select **Copy**.
* Navigate to a safe location on your computer (e.g., an external hard drive, a USB drive, or a different folder on your hard drive).
* Right-click in the destination folder and select **Paste**. This will copy all your mailboxes to the destination folder.
* **Explanation of MBOX Files:** Inside the “Mail” (or “ImapMail”) folder, you’ll find folders named after your email accounts (e.g., “Local Folders,” “imap.gmail.com”). Each of these folders contains MBOX files, which are plain text files that store your emails.
* For example, the “Inbox” folder contains an MBOX file named “Inbox” (without any extension) that contains all your inbox emails.
* Similarly, the “Sent” folder contains an MBOX file named “Sent” that contains all your sent emails.

**Importing MBOX Files into Another Email Client:**

Most email clients, including Thunderbird, Outlook, and Apple Mail, support importing MBOX files. The import process varies depending on the email client. Here are general steps for importing MBOX files into Thunderbird:

* **Install the ImportExportTools NG Add-on:** Thunderbird doesn’t have built-in MBOX import functionality. You’ll need to install the ImportExportTools NG add-on.
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Menu** button (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner.
* Go to **Add-ons > Add-ons**.
* Search for “ImportExportTools NG” in the search bar.
* Click the **Add to Thunderbird** button and follow the on-screen instructions to install the add-on.
* Restart Thunderbird when prompted.
* **Import the MBOX Files:**
* Right-click on the email account or folder where you want to import the MBOX files.
* Select **ImportExportTools NG > Import MBOX file**.
* Choose **Import directly one or more MBOX files** and click **OK**.
* Navigate to the folder where you copied the MBOX files.
* Select the MBOX files you want to import and click **Open**.
* Thunderbird will import the emails from the selected MBOX files into the chosen folder.

2. Exporting as EML Files

The EML format is a standard format for storing individual email messages. It preserves the email’s content, headers, and attachments. Exporting as EML files is useful when you want to save individual emails or share them with others.

**Steps to Export Thunderbird Mail as EML Files:**

* **Select the Emails:** In Thunderbird, select the emails you want to export.
* You can select multiple emails by holding down the **Ctrl** key (Windows) or the **Cmd** key (Mac) while clicking on the emails.
* **Save the Emails as EML Files:**
* Right-click on the selected emails.
* Select **Save As > File**.
* Choose a destination folder where you want to save the EML files.
* Ensure that the **Save as type** is set to “EML Files (*.eml)”.
* Click **Save**.
* Thunderbird will save each selected email as a separate EML file in the chosen folder.

**Opening EML Files:**

EML files can be opened by most email clients, including Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Windows Mail. Simply double-click on an EML file to open it in your default email client. If your default email client doesn’t support EML files, you can right-click on the file, select “Open with,” and choose a compatible email client.

3. Using Add-ons

Several add-ons can simplify and enhance the email exporting process in Thunderbird. These add-ons offer features like batch exporting, filtering, and support for various formats. One popular add-on for exporting emails is the ImportExportTools NG add-on which was previously discussed in the MBOX section. It can also handle exporting single or multiple emails to EML and HTML formats, as well as exporting entire folders to various formats including HTML, PDF, or plain text.

To use the ImportExportTools NG add-on to export emails:

* Select the emails you want to export or the folder containing the emails
* Right-click on your selection
* Choose ImportExportTools NG
* Select ‘Export selected messages’ or ‘Export all messages in folder’
* Choose your desired format (e.g., EML, HTML, PDF, plain text)
* Set a destination folder and save.

Besides ImportExportTools NG, other add-ons may provide other specific features:

* **MailStore Home:** While not strictly an “add-on” to Thunderbird, MailStore Home is a powerful archiving solution that can back up and export emails from various email clients, including Thunderbird. It offers advanced features like full-text search, deduplication, and compliance archiving.
* **Gmvault:** Specifically designed for Gmail accounts, Gmvault allows you to back up your Gmail emails, labels, and settings to a local folder. It supports incremental backups, which means it only backs up new or changed emails, saving time and storage space.

4. Exporting Address Book Contacts

Your Thunderbird address book contains valuable contact information that you’ll want to preserve when switching email clients or backing up your data. Thunderbird allows you to export your address book in several formats, including CSV, LDIF, and vCard.

**Steps to Export Thunderbird Address Book Contacts:**

* **Open the Address Book:**
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Address Book** button in the toolbar (or go to **Tools > Address Book**).
* **Select the Address Book to Export:** In the Address Book window, select the address book you want to export (e.g., “Personal Address Book,” “Collected Addresses”).
* **Export the Address Book:**
* Go to **Tools > Export**.
* Choose a destination folder where you want to save the exported file.
* Select the file format:
* **CSV (Comma Separated Values):** This format is widely supported by spreadsheet applications and other email clients. It stores contact information in a comma-separated text file.
* **LDIF (LDAP Data Interchange Format):** This format is commonly used for storing directory information and is suitable for importing into LDAP servers or other email clients that support LDIF.
* **vCard (Virtual Contact File):** This format is a standard format for storing individual contact information and is supported by most email clients and mobile devices. It stores each contact as a separate VCF file.
* Enter a file name for the exported file.
* Click **Save**.

**Importing the Address Book into Another Email Client:**

The import process varies depending on the email client. Here are general steps for importing address book contacts into Thunderbird:

* **Open the Address Book:**
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Address Book** button in the toolbar (or go to **Tools > Address Book**).
* **Import the Address Book:**
* Go to **Tools > Import**.
* Select **Address Books** and click **Next**.
* Choose the file format of the address book you want to import (e.g., “Text file (CSV, Tab, Comma separated)”, “vCard (.vcf)”, “LDIF”).
* Click **Next**.
* Browse to the location of the address book file and select it.
* Click **Open**.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to map the fields in the address book file to the corresponding fields in Thunderbird.
* Click **Finish**.
* Thunderbird will import the contacts from the address book file into the selected address book.

5. Exporting Calendar Data

If you use Thunderbird’s Lightning calendar add-on, you’ll want to export your calendar data to preserve your appointments, events, and tasks. Thunderbird allows you to export your calendars in the ICS (iCalendar) format.

**Steps to Export Thunderbird Calendar Data:**

* **Open the Calendar:**
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Calendar** button in the toolbar (or go to **Events and Tasks > Calendar**).
* **Select the Calendar to Export:** In the Calendar pane, select the calendar you want to export.
* **Export the Calendar:**
* Right-click on the calendar you want to export.
* Select **Export Calendar**.
* Choose a destination folder where you want to save the exported file.
* Enter a file name for the exported file.
* Ensure that the **Save as type** is set to “iCalendar (*.ics)”.
* Click **Save**.

**Importing Calendar Data into Another Calendar Application:**

The import process varies depending on the calendar application. Here are general steps for importing calendar data into Thunderbird:

* **Open the Calendar:**
* Open Thunderbird.
* Click the **Calendar** button in the toolbar (or go to **Events and Tasks > Calendar**).
* **Import the Calendar:**
* Right-click in the Calendar pane.
* Select **Import Calendar**.
* Browse to the location of the ICS file and select it.
* Click **Open**.
* Choose the calendar where you want to import the events.
* Click **OK**.
* Thunderbird will import the events from the ICS file into the selected calendar.

Tips for Successful Thunderbird Exporting

Here are some additional tips to ensure a smooth and successful Thunderbird exporting experience:

* **Back Up Your Profile Regularly:** It’s a good practice to back up your entire Thunderbird profile folder regularly, especially before making any major changes or upgrades. This provides a comprehensive backup of your emails, settings, add-ons, and address books.
* **Close Thunderbird Before Exporting:** Always close Thunderbird completely before exporting any data. This prevents any conflicts or data corruption issues.
* **Verify the Exported Data:** After exporting your data, verify that the exported files are complete and accessible. Open the exported files in a compatible application to ensure that the data is intact.
* **Test the Import Process:** Before completely migrating to a new email client, test the import process with a small subset of your data to ensure that everything works as expected.
* **Use a Reliable Storage Medium:** When backing up your data, use a reliable storage medium, such as an external hard drive, a USB drive, or a cloud storage service. Avoid using unreliable storage devices that could lead to data loss.
* **Consider Using a Dedicated Backup Tool:** For more advanced backup and recovery features, consider using a dedicated backup tool like MailStore Home. These tools offer features like incremental backups, full-text search, and compliance archiving.
* **Keep Your Thunderbird Installation Updated:** Regularly update your Thunderbird installation to the latest version to benefit from bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements.
* **Consult the Thunderbird Documentation:** If you encounter any issues or have questions about exporting your Thunderbird data, consult the official Thunderbird documentation or online forums.

Troubleshooting Common Exporting Issues

Here are some common issues you might encounter during the Thunderbird exporting process and how to troubleshoot them:

* **Issue:** Thunderbird is not responding during the export process.
* **Solution:** Close Thunderbird completely and restart it. Ensure that you’re not running any other resource-intensive applications that could be interfering with Thunderbird.
* **Issue:** Exported MBOX files are empty or incomplete.
* **Solution:** Ensure that Thunderbird is completely closed before exporting the MBOX files. Also, check if the MBOX files are located in the correct directory.
* **Issue:** Unable to import MBOX files into another email client.
* **Solution:** Ensure that the email client supports MBOX files. If you’re importing into Thunderbird, make sure you have the ImportExportTools NG add-on installed and enabled. Verify that the MBOX files are not corrupted.
* **Issue:** Exported EML files cannot be opened.
* **Solution:** Ensure that you have a compatible email client installed that can open EML files. Try opening the EML files in a different email client.
* **Issue:** Address book contacts are not imported correctly.
* **Solution:** Ensure that you’re using the correct file format for the address book (e.g., CSV, LDIF, vCard). Verify that the fields in the address book file are mapped correctly to the corresponding fields in the email client.
* **Issue:** Calendar events are not imported correctly.
* **Solution:** Ensure that you’re using the ICS format for the calendar file. Verify that the calendar application supports the ICS format.

Conclusion

Exporting your Thunderbird mail is a crucial task for backup, migration, and archiving purposes. By following the detailed steps and instructions outlined in this guide, you can effectively export your emails, address books, and calendar data. Remember to back up your data regularly, verify the exported files, and test the import process to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

By understanding the different methods and best practices for exporting Thunderbird mail, you can protect your valuable email data and ensure that you can access it whenever and wherever you need it.