Merge Thunderbird inbox from two separate mailboxes

I have used 2 laptops over the last 2 years, and on each laptop I have set up my email accounts on them. I often had to go to each of the different laptops to retrieve specific e-mails, and as bad as it sounds I got used to it and it worked.

However, one of the laptops has now died (although I have a back up of the mailboxes on that laptop) and the other laptop I'm intending to give to my girlfriend for her to use. At the moment I have a desktop PC which I have rebuilt where I'm intending to put all of my emails on to it.

My problem is that I don't know how (or even if it's possible) to merge the different mailboxes from the different laptops and put them in to one mailbox which the desktop PC will use.

On the two laptops I used Thunderbird and on the Desktop PC I will also be using Thunderbird.

mickburkejnr

Posted 2012-03-07T10:52:33.387

Reputation: 1 437

For the future: Always connect to your mail boxes using IMAP. And for the answer: Thunderbird should have a method of exporting emails... – sinni800 – 2012-03-07T11:53:05.837

Normally I would, but my mailbox is set to 20MB. So this isn't feasible. – mickburkejnr – 2012-03-07T19:16:18.207

Answers

Backup both of those profile folders to an easily accessible storage for the new PC
Install Thunderbird on the new PC
Install ImportExportTools addon (Tools->Add-ons: Search for ImportExportTools)
Restart Thunderbird
Tools -> ImportExportTools -> Import mbox file
If you need your accounts, follow these instructions (ignore the instructions describing how to restore mail if you already did that in the previous step)
Enjoy :)

Kaurin

Posted 2012-03-07T10:52:33.387

Reputation: 685

You can use the copy command at the command line:

copy inboxNEW+inboxOLD inbox

Then start thunderbird.

Asain Kujovic

Posted 2012-03-07T10:52:33.387

Reputation: 143

Won't this just append the data from one file to the end of the other? Have you verified that this will keep the correct file formatting and not just corrupt the files so that Thunderbird can't read the result at all? – MaQleod – 2012-10-03T17:07:39.587

for my test it was perfect result. i took the 'risk' of merging 2gb of last 2 years mails, + ~few MBs for last few weeks... If you have both files copied somewhere as back-up, it is not such a risk... But again - test-result was perfect for simple copy 1+2 – Asain Kujovic – 2012-10-13T19:35:40.803

You can easily merge your two Thunderbird mailbox files with following easy steps

1. First You have to take backup of both profiles which you want to merge.

2. Download and install Thunderbird Application on new PC.

3. Click on Tools > Add-ons: Search ImportExportTools > Install Tool in Add-on.

4. Restart your Thunderbird Application.

5. Goto Tools > ImportExportTools > Import your mbox file.

6. Your file Imported Successfully.

Enjoy your day :)

Banner

Posted 2012-03-07T10:52:33.387

Reputation: 1