Resolved Email contacts TB 17.06 from old HD to new HD

I have a problem with Importing my Address Book from my old HD (Vista) to my new drive (Vista). I used the Export in Tools in Address Book. I called the Folder Contacts.

The HD's showed as C: (new) D: (old).
When I found that I had contacts showing, I did a Drag & Drop from D: to C:

I now have a Contacts Folder in C: Documents which I can open and all my contact email addresses are there.

Using the Import in Tools, I follow the procedure to Import and it doesn't Open the Contact Folder into my Tb Email Address Book.
My problem is: How do I get the Contacts into my Current email address book?

Drag and Drop doesn't work and I need some guidance/advice.
I have Posted this in Mozilla Thunderbird Forum without any success. Neil.

 

Don't know if this will help you that much but I have been using Mozbackup for a couple of years. http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/ It is freeware that lets you backup your Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird applications. You can select the components you wish to back up, and then, if necessary, restore - including address books. You might be able to use the backup and restore feature on your address books or contacts. I have only used the restore feature in a test mode to reconstruct my Thunderbird e-mail program on another computer but it worked perfectly.

 

Neil,

I am not familiar with Vista, but the basic procedure should work.

First lets establish what you have and what you want.

1. You have a running TB on your OLD drive ?

2. You install another Drive ?

3. You have installed TB onto the NEW drive/ and want to import you OLD address book to the New installation ?

Am i correct so far ?

Let me know

regards:captjldd

 

Thanks Robert, I'll look into that once I get over this problem.

capt, yes.
I have a new motherboard and hardware (see my System) due to frying the old Albatron m/b and PSU.
I re-installed Vista Business 32bit to a Formatted 250GB SATA drive (same brand and size as old HD).
I re-activated by phone to local (NZ) Microsoft Office.
Both HD's are active on the comp. Old one shows as E:drive.

As I stated, I can locate a Folder (Contacts) on my C: drive and open it with all my old Addresses shown in it.
Need to get it into current TB Address Book. It was Saved as .LDIF, but using the Import process, it can't find an .LDIF Folder. Neil.

 

Thanks Neil,

If I understand things, just stay with me and we will get what you want.

1. I am still a little confused, Do you have TB Installed on the NEW Hard Drive.
i.e. Can you start NEW TB?

2. You stated that the OLD HD (with the OLD TB Profile)is still available. Is that so.?

Its a little confusing when you can't see exactly what is where.

But I am sure that we can get what you want once we figure out where things are.

IN TB, the "Personal Address Book" is a file named "abook.mab "

If you have New profile on the new HDD, we can just copy the orioginal folder over,

Please let me know what you have.

regards:captjldd

 

Hi capt, #1 Yes, the HD in the new m/b has TB & FF fully functional.

My aim is to ensure that I get everything I want off the old HD before I Format it.
If I start the comp with the old HD (BIOS change to make it Master 1st drive), TB & FF browser are fully functional.
I can then shut down - Re-boot into BIOS and change to new HD.
I could if I wanted to spend a lot of time, re-enter the email addresses one at a time.

#2 Yes.

Trust this is what you need to know. Neil.

 

Neil,

That makes things much easier.

1. On the new HD, start Thunderbird.
2. Go to Help -> Trouble Shooting
3. Select "Show Folder" in top section - This will show where the profile is located.
4. Make a note of this location.

This is where ALL the data for that Profile is located - (abook.mab" your "Personal Address book" - that is the file you are interested in.

Do what ever you need to do and start TB on the OLD HD, and follow the steps above.

That will show where the Profile on the OLD HD is.

Make a note of this location.

1. In old HD - start TB
2. Open Address book
3. Select Tools->Export
4. Select .ldif for file type
5. Select "Desktop" for Location
6. Enter "abook_0616" for name
7. SAVE

Close OLD TB
Adjust bios or whatever and start NEW HD TB.

1. Open Address book
2. Select Tools-> Import
3. Select Address Book
4. LDIF file type
5. Browse to "Desktop "
6. Select "abook_0616.ldif "
7. Select "Next "

If we are correct so far, get back to me and we will go to the next step.

If I haven't forgot anything, you should have between "Personal Address Book" and "Collected Addresses" new address book Name= "abook_0616 ".

regards:captjldd

 

Thanks capt. I will report back ASAP. It's my turn to cook dinner tonight, so I may be unable to get onto this for a while. Neil.

 

So far so good. I have abook_0616 sitting in between Personal and Collected as you said.
I await further commands. Thanks Neil.

 

So fa so good.

Please confirm that on the NEW HDD you have the imported abook_0616.

1. I assume that you have a "Personal Address Book" also in the list?
2. Is this address book empty?

3. You Now want to get the imported addresses into the Personal Address Book.

Let me know and we can proceed

regars:captjldd

 

Hi capt, Yes, the abook_0616 is in the new HD in the place you suggested.

#1 Yes.

#2 Yes.

#3 Yes.
Thanks Neil.

 

Good Day Neil,

Looks like we are almost done (if all goes well from here)

Mozilla address books are based on an ancient database scheme (MORK) database. In recent years, some unusual "bugs" seem to have developed.

1. Select "abook_0616" book.
Note number of contacts at bottom.

2. Sort "Name" field in REVERSE ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Important - otherwise it seems not to copy correctly)

3. Select ALL entries (Ctr+a ?)

4. Drag All entries to "Personal Address Book "
and Drop. (It just copies, it does not delete originals)

5. Select "Personal Address Book" - note number of contacts at bottom. If not the same , I Messed up someplace.

Let me know how it goes and we can clean up things abit.

regards:captjldd

 

Thanks again. Will give it a go immediately. Neil.

 

Eureka!!! We've done it.

Many thanks for your help captjiddavis. It worked a treat. I would assume that once completed, the abook_0616 file can be Deleted? Neil.
I'll mark this as Resolved unless you have more to add.

 

Good Day Neil,

Glad that it worked out well for you.
As to the imported "address book" - that is upto you, it can be deleted or not.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, Backing up the profile is a good idea, or at least the important parts. ALL of the address books are *.mab files (abook.mab - history.mab-impab.mab etc.)A USB thumb drive works well.
Determining which is which can be a little cumbersome but we can go thru that at another time.

Keep on truckin'

regards:captjldd