Migrating to TBird from Netscape, take two (more detail)

[seawasp]

Well, I tried the suggestions, which seemed to sorta-almost do it, but I suspect I'm doing something wrong. I have just reset everything (deleted and reinstalled Thunderbird), so here's some more detail for the wizards out there:

New Computer:

C:\Documents and Settings\rs\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\1dpqw5m7.default

would appear to be the proper directory to put stuff into. "rs" is my username on Windows XP.
Currently in that directory:



Old Computer Hard Drive:
D:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\1x1vea8k.slt

Appears to be the equivalent directory. I say this because it is only in this directory that there were changes in the mail files up through the last day I used this drive.

In THAT directory:



You'll note the several directories: Cache, Cache.Trash, Chrome, Imapmail, and Mail.The important stuff is in Mail, but THAT is a little strange, too. In "Mail" is the following:



The most important material is in the folder "mail.webcom.com", which contains the most up-to date mail, but a couple of the others appear to have been modified in the last month or so which is odd, as I have only one really active account on this machine.

Inside mail.webcom.com is:






So, what needs to be moved, what needs to be left alone, and what's so screwed up that I should give it up, chump? Any ideas?

Comments

[shana.livejournal.com]

I haven't done the migrate programs bit, but when transferring email from one machine to another, make sure that you don't have any target files with the same name as the ones you're transferring.

(In one transfer I forgot to do that with my in box, and lost a few days worth of mail.)

[seawasp]

There is no mail on the new machine currently. It's piling up on the server even as we speak! So the only "danger" would be if I copied files in the wrong direction (i.e., instead of going from the old to the new drive, I went from the new to the old drive, thus wiping out EVERYTHING). (Of course, I also fully backed up the entire old system, so that wouldn't be Total Fail, just Really Annoying Fail)

[shana.livejournal.com]

Well, ever since that failure, I've tried to get a new computer up before the old one dies. Right now I'm duplicating everything on my main laptop and George, and when I get a new laptop I'll add it to the rotation.

(Since the big laptop is giving me warning signals, I've ordered a replacement. THIS one will be able to run NWN2.)

[ninjarat.livejournal.com]

The rather cumbersome method is to use an IMAP server. Create a hierarchy on the IMAP server that matches your local mailboxes then copy everything to the server. Start the new mail client and mirror the process. Google Mail does do IMAP now, although I have not tried this method with that server (I did it on an IMAP server I set up myself to do this for someone else).

[dsrtao]

Move the whole tree starting at Mail.

[argonel.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. You may end up moving a little extra cruft along with the critical files, but I am assuming that your new computer has more than adequate drive space, having extra junk shouldn't have any measurable impact on performance.

[seawasp]

So into the folder

C:\Documents and Settings\rs\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\1dpqw5m7.default

I move the folder titled "Mail" (and all contents) which is inside the directory

D:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\1x1vea8k.slt


Will this "set up" the whole account for me -- passwords, servers, etc -- or will I have to do that before, or after, I do this move?

[dsrtao]

That moves all the mail. It probably does not move configuration info.

[alex swavely (from livejournal.com)]

the prefs.js file in the profile root contains all the config info.

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

I know how to move the whole kit and kaboodle (emails, accounts and passwords, etc.) between iterations of Thunderbird, when migrating from one machine to another, even between operating systems ... but I don't know that it would migrate from Netscape. Must investigate. I'm at work right now though. I do know that the whole darned thing is in one folder in T-bird. I can let you know which one tonight when I get home.