to Mail or to Mac mail - NOT

[arthurking83]

I googled it (http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/) and it seems windows only. On top of that, it seems not recently maintained.

....

Ah!
Apologies. I thought it was java for some reason.

The handy thing about MozBackup is that it compresses the backup profile, so it turns 3G of data into about 1Gig.

Alternative backup routine then would be to find the source of the profile directory and save it to somewhere.

To find the location of your Tbird profile data, in Windows, it's easy username/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/<then some cryptic naming convention>

Copy that into somewhere else and use entire folder after you've installed Tbird.
I haven't done it that way for years(since about '09??) and it can be a bit convoluted, but not too difficult.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile

[arthurking83]

Apple Mail will put all mails say with the same subject - in a thread - one below the other following down.

Thunderbird used to have every single mail you have coming in, seperately and you dont scroll down the mail to see previous mails from the same person. Thats that I want . ONE at a time

....

Going by that description I think Elsa is asking for a conversation like view for emails.
Like you see on your phone's texting system?

If this is the case, then you want to look for a plugin called Thunderbird Conversations.

You can find it in the Addon's webpage:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/gmail-conversation-view/

Note that if you already have gigabytes of emails already stored, it can take a while for it to sync them all into this conversations like format.
It is handy when you have multiple email accounts and converse regularly with individuals.

[Anthony]

Apple Mail has Conversations.  I think Elsa is saying she does not like it.

[David H. Hartman]

I just downloaded and installed Thunderbird 45.4.0 for both my Windows 7 and MAC El Capitan computers. I've been using Thunderbird with Windows for years. I was running v3.1.2 from Aug. 2010 (or perhaps I downloaded an old version then. I had no problems running the old version. I setup a new Windows box in Nov. 2014 with v31.2.0.

Today is probably the first time I've installed Thunderbird on a MAC. I did not setup the MAC as yet. I'm hoping I can sync it to my Windows 7 computer. Not tonight as I'm going to bed.

On updating T-bird on the my Windows 7 computer I got the following message...


Why we need donations

You might already know that Thunderbird improvements are no longer paid for by Mozilla. Fortunately there is an active community keeping it running and developing it further. But to survive long term, the project needs funding.

Thunderbird is currently transitioning to an independent organization. Being independent, we can shape our own fate, but there is significant infrastructure that must be maintained to deliver the application to our tens of millions of users. For Thunderbird to survive and continue to evolve, we need your support and ask for your donation today. All the money donated will go directly to funding Thunderbird development and infrastructure.

Hope this helps,

Dave Hartman

Above I said Thunderbird has been spun off. Close but no cigar: it's in transition.

[David H. Hartman]

Apple Mail has Conversations.  I think Elsa is saying she does not like it.

That can be good but some people open an old email, delete the content, write a new one and don't change the subject so several conversions can appear as one making it difficult to find the email one is looking for. I ignore or don't use conversations.

Dave

[elsa hoffmann]

That can be good but some people open an old email, delete the content, write a new one and don't change the subject so several conversions can appear as one making it difficult to find the email one is looking for. I ignore or don't use conversations.

Dave

you summed it up/explained it better than I could. I cant not STAND that string type mails - I loose mails. But I only loose the ones I am looking for!

I do change subject lines to stop the chains - but my clients don't. And when you have 30 emails on one topic its a nightmare. On top of that they dont delete the old mail and include that in their new message to me - several times - so it repeats and rolls over to start all over again. I cant keep up.

I absolutely agree with SAM that if I can stay with Apple Mail - I should - if I can get it working they way I want it to work. Migrating to another program is not going to be easy. I never should have left Thunderbird - but I did at the time (some years back) as I seem to recall a back up problem and a transfer problem when I got a new laptop. Thought if I stick with Apple stuff - it would be more seamless 

Sam suggested I set up for "classic layout" I have set it up as such now and will see if I can operate better.

Since so many of you are on Apple mail - and so few hate it - it means that it cant be that bad!  (or else you are all stuck like me)

[David H. Hartman]

I've installed Thunderbird 45.4.0 but I can't find where Thunderbird hides my profile in OS X 10.11.6. I had hoped to copy my mail folder complete from Win7. I cannot finding it where the Web says it should be.

Dave

[Andrea B.]

I've used/use Microsoft Outlook for mail on all my MacBooks. It is a very sensible mail app.

[Anthony]

you summed it up/explained it better than I could. I cant not STAND that string type mails - I loose mails. But I only loose the ones I am looking for!

I do change subject lines to stop the chains - but my clients don't. And when you have 30 emails on one topic its a nightmare. On top of that they dont delete the old mail and include that in their new message to me - several times - so it repeats and rolls over to start all over again. I cant keep up.

I absolutely agree with SAM that if I can stay with Apple Mail - I should - if I can get it working they way I want it to work. Migrating to another program is not going to be easy. I never should have left Thunderbird - but I did at the time (some years back) as I seem to recall a back up problem and a transfer problem when I got a new laptop. Thought if I stick with Apple stuff - it would be more seamless 

Sam suggested I set up for "classic layout" I have set it up as such now and will see if I can operate better.

Since so many of you are on Apple mail - and so few hate it - it means that it cant be that bad!  (or else you are all stuck like me)

Did unchecking Organise by Conversation help?

[Jan Anne]

Did unchecking Organise by Conversation help?

Exactly, and combine it with the classic look and Mail is pretty much like Outlook I use at work.

So:
- Mail>Preferences>Viewing>check Use classic layout
- View>uncheck Organize by Conversation

[ColSebastianMoran]

Preferences > Viewing > Classic look -- This is the key for me.

With this, I'm pretty happy with Apple Mail.

[David H. Hartman]

Once you know the trick moving a Thunderbird profile and it's mail from Windows to a MAC is quite easy. You create a new profile on the new computer. Quit Thunderbird on both computers. Delete the new profile and copy the old one in its place on the new computer. MAC to MAC and WIN to WIN is the same. There is an easy way to find your profile in Thunderbird these days. I'll add to this post laterr in case anyone is interested.

Dave Hartman

Edit (additional info): The way to find where one's profile is located is to use Help> Troubleshooting Information>. In the tab there is a place to find the location in Finder or Windows Explorer. For Finder it will help greatly if the full path of the file or folder is shown at the bottom of the Finder window. Windows explorer shows this in the toolbar at the top.

[elsa hoffmann]

It seems I am stuck with Mail - so I have to learn to manage it better.
I will from now on export every damn important mail (and there are plenty) as PDF's to my specific folders (and there are plenty of those too)
Just have to organise my workflow better and get on with it.

What I do find frustrating - when I search for a specific mail - I can't find it - yet it's there - it's just not picked up with the search. If I srearch ALL - it's not picked up - yet when I search "SENT" - it's there.  Searching manually thru hundreds of mails is not a viable option.

[David H. Hartman]

How would you like 72,000+ emails [to] search? 

Not mine but a friend who's online and on her computer most frequently.

Dave who is going blind from typing at this cell phone.

[elsa hoffmann]

How would you like 72,000+ emails search? 

Not mine but a friend who's online and on her computer most frequently.

Dave who is going blind from typing at this cell phone.

Dave I am not far away from that...