How to Transfer Mozilla Thunderbird to a New Computer with Windows 11 or Windows 10

Need to transfer Mozilla Thunderbird to a new computer? This tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Our goal, of course, is not to just install Thunderbird on the new computer. The goal is to have Thunderbird on the new computer look and behave exactly as on the old one.
To do that, we need to copy your Thunderbird profile, along with emails, folders, profile customizations, archives, accounts, passwords, email settings, extensions, themes and so on – a complete transfer.

There are two primary ways to copy Thunderbird to another computer – manual copy and automatic copy. We will cover both in this guide, although if you prefer to just skip to the easier, automatic option, you can click here for automatic transfer of Mozilla Thunderbird from one computer to another.

Manual transfer of Thunderbird data

If you prefer to attempt a manual transfer of your Thunderbird data, as opposed to just doing an automatic transfer of Thunderbird and other apps, you can do that using a USB stick or a USB drive. It’s not the easiest way to do it, and you won’t be able to get app customizations, themes and so on, but it is free, and – with some experience – you can at least transfer your old emails.

To transfer Thunderbird emails manually, do the following:

Click the menu button on the top right corner of the screen, then go to Help, and select Troubleshooting Information.
Click on Open Folder. You will be taken to Windows Explorer where you can find your Thunderbird Profile Folder.
Go three levels up and simply copy all of the files within this folder onto your external device and wait for the copy to finish.
Move external drive to the new computer, and paste the profile files in the same location as on the old one (under your new user profile, of course).
Now, install Thunderbird on the new computer, so that it recognizes the old profile.

Pros:

With enough skill, it can be performed without paying for dedicated transfer software.
If you do not want to transfer any of your apps or files, you can choose to transfer Thunderbird only – and nothing else.

Cons:

Requires sufficient technical skills and precision to perform correctly.
Requires a USB drive to work.
You cannot transfer applications or settings using this method – only data / files.
You have to manually select which files to copy and manually copy them over to the other device.
You have to manually select which files to transfer – cannot easily transfer all of your stuff.

Keep in mind that Mozilla Thunderbird, as any other Windows application, relies on registry entries, internal settings, app data, and lots of other hidden components that cannot be transferred via manual file copy. You can only transfer data and specific file like that, but not applications or settings.

In conclusion, while this method is a great way to transfer smaller files from one device to another, it is not the best way to transfer the programs you use and rely on.

To transfer actual applications and settings, and to transfer everything you have – not just specific files – use the instructions below to automatically transfer Thunderbird, along with other apps and files you have, to a new computer.

Automatic Transfer of Thunderbird to a New Computer

The easiest way to transfer Thunderbird from one computer to another is to use a dedicated transfer tool – Zinstall WinWin.

It can transfer not just your Thunderbird, but all other apps you have as well, along with your profiles, accounts, personalization, and all files from your old computer – automatically.

And it does not just copy files or profiles; apps get installed automatically on the new computer, and configured just like on the old one. You don’t need to install them yourself and you don’t need to configure them yourself.

It requires no technical knowledge to use, too. If you know how to download a file from the internet, you know how to use it – and can save a lot of time and avoid a lot of frustration when you transfer files to a new computer.

How to transfer Transfer Mozilla Thunderbird to a New Computer

Run Zinstall WinWin on your current computer (the one you are transferring from).
Note: You can get Zinstall WinWin here.
Run Zinstall WinWin on the new computer
1. You don’t need to do any configurations for the computers to connect – it’s automatic
2. If the computers are already connect to same router, same Internet connection, or same wireless connection, you don’t need anything else
3. If the computers are not connected at all, connect them with a network / Ethernet cable
If you’d like to select which applications and files you want to transfer, press the Advanced menu. If you just want to transfer everything, you don’t need to go to the Advanced menu.
Press “Go” on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer to start the transfer

That’s it!

Once the transfer is done, Thunderbird will be all set on the new computer, with your emails, archives, accounts, profiles, passwords, configurations and settings already in place – just like on the old computer.

And not just Thunderbird – this transfers your other apps, profiles, settings and files as well.

The new computer will feel just like home.

Ready to transfer your Thunderbird to your new computer?

Get Zinstall WinWin here!

How to Transfer Mozilla Thunderbird to a New Computer with Windows 11 or Windows 10

Manual transfer of Thunderbird data

Automatic Transfer of Thunderbird to a New Computer

How to transfer Transfer Mozilla Thunderbird to a New Computer

Ready to transfer your Thunderbird to your new computer?

Video tutorial – how to transfer Thunderbird and other apps, files from one computer to another