How to Backup Thunderbird Emails to External Hard Drive?

Written By

Published on
March 8th, 2025


1 minute Read

Summary: User issue: “Recently, my Mozilla Thunderbird account has been malfunctioning, and I’m worried about losing data. To avoid it, I want to backup Thunderbird emails to external Hard Drive. Since I have 1000+ emails stored in my Thunderbird account, it is a challenging task to migrate emails without risk. If someone has a trustworthy method, suggest it.”

Likewise, many users have a query on how to save Thunderbird emails locally. Due to lack of technical expertise and risk, it becomes cumbersome to choose the right approach. If you’re having the same issue then your worries end here. Here we will offer native and top-notch Thunderbird Backup Tool

Before we introduce you to the methods, let’s focus on the advantages of saving Thunderbird emails on the hard drive. 

Need For Saving Thunderbird Emails Locally

Mozilla Thunderbird is a popular email service to manage emails effectively. However, due to some circumstances, users backup Thunderbird Mail to external Hard Drive. Some of the situations are discussed below: 

  • When you backup Thunderbird emails to an external hard drive, you can delete them to free space in Thunderbird. Afterwards, it will improve the Thunderbird performance.
  • In case your Thunderbird account is hacked or corrupt, the backup will be the best option to avoid it. 
  • Sometimes users want to move into another system, it makes it easier to transfer emails into the new system anytime without hassle. 

Apart from this, there are other benefits that make users save their Thunderbird emails locally. 

Topmost Methods to Backup Thunderbird Emails to External Hard Drive

After reading this section, all your worries will be resolved in no time. To know about the solutions, read this blog till the end. 

#1 Manual Ways to Backup Mozilla Thunderbird Mail External Hard Drive

Here, we will provide different free methods to complete this task efficiently. 

Tech 1. Using the Save As Option 

  1. First, open Thunderbird – – choose the required folder for backup.  
  2. Next, pick the email you want to save in the local drive – – right-click on it.
  3. Then, hit the Save As option.
  4. After this, choose the desired location in your system to save Thunderbird emails. Hit Save

Tech 2. Use Import/ExportNG Add-on

  1. To begin, start ThunderbirdmenuAdd-ons and Theme – add ImportExportTools NG
  2. Once the tool is added, select the folder for backup and right-tap – – ImportExportTools NG – – Export folder.
  3. Now, set the location and save it on your PC. Click Select Folder.

Tech 3. With Copy-Paste Technique 

  1. Now, run Thunderbird – tap three horizontal lines.
  2. Next, open Help menu – – Troubleshooting Information.
  3. Later, move to Profile Folder – – Open Folder.
  4. Once you tap on it, it displays the profile directory.
  5. Further, copy the folder and paste it in the hard drive.

Although these procedures are effective, it has some restrictions that might affect the backup process. For instance, it is suitable for a few email backups. In case of bulk data conversion, it might lose the entire data. Therefore, we have another alternative technique to do this process. 

#2 Automated Solution to Save Thunderbird Emails to External Hard Drive

MacSonik Thunderbird Email Backup Tool is an extraordinary wizard that helps users to backup multiple emails in one go. Unlike manual ways, it provides an efficient and smooth outcome, regardless of the number of files and their size. Furthermore, it facilitates numerous incredible features that make the process to backup Thunderbird emails to external hard drives effective. It includes the backup of emails with or without the attachments, backup without duplicates and more. Still, it gives error-free output while managing the original folder hierarchy. 

Simple Steps to Backup Thunderbird Mail to External Hard Drive

To perform this process securely, follow the below instructions carefully to achieve the desired outcome. Before you start, ensure the Thunderbird application is installed in your system. 

  1. First of all, start the Thunderbird Backup Tool on your PC. 
  2. Then, the tool will automatically acquire data from your Thunderbird application and display it systematically. 
  3. Now, choose the folder for backing up Thunderbird emails. Hit Next
  4. Afterwards, select PDF file format from the drop-down menu. 
  5. Later, assign the path to save the resultant PDF file in your computer. 
  6. In the end, click Convert to initiate the process. 

By these steps, users can convert Thunderbird to PDF with zero risk. 

Also Read – Migrate Thunderbird to Apple Mail

Conclusion 

In this blog, we discussed the different scenarios that lead users to backup Thunderbird emails to external hard drives. To do this process, you can use either a manual or a professional approach. Nevertheless, most users prefer an automated tool as it finishes the process in minimal downtime without hampering data integrity. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q1. How do I backup my entire Thunderbird?

To backup Thunderbird emails, follow the mentioned steps correctly. 
1. Run Thunderbird – select email. 
2. Then, tap FileSave As
3. Now, provide the location to save into your system. 
5. Lastly, hit the Save tab. 

Q2. Can I backup my emails to an external hard drive?

You can backup Thunderbird emails to external hard drive using the manual or reliable Thunderbird Backup Tool. 
 

Related Post

Copyright 2020 - macSonik. All rights reserved