Here's a bash script to automate settings-only backup: bash Copy
#!/bin/bash
# backup-thunderbird-settings.sh
PROFILE_PATH="$HOME/.thunderbird/*.default-release"
BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/thunderbird-settings-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
# Copy essential config files
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/prefs.js" "$BACKUP_DIR/"
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/extension-preferences.json" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/search.json.mozlz4" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/session.json" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
# Copy directories
cp -r "$PROFILE_PATH/extensions" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp -r "$PROFILE_PATH/extension-store" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp -r "$PROFILE_PATH/chrome" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp -r "$PROFILE_PATH/storage" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
# Optional: Passwords (remove if not needed)
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/key4.db" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
cp "$PROFILE_PATH/logins.json" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null
echo "Settings backed up to: $BACKUP_DIR"What Gets Preserved vs. What Doesn't
Table
| ✅ Preserved | ❌ Excluded |
|---|---|
| All account configurations (IMAP/POP/SMTP servers) | Email messages |
| Add-ons and their settings | Attachments |
| Passwords (if copied) | Local mail folders |
| Message filters | Newsgroup messages |
| Address books | Cached IMAP emails |
| Tags and view settings | Downloaded POP mail |
| Custom themes/CSS | Search index files (*.msf) |
| Dictionary and spelling settings | Crash reports |
<br>
To Restore on New Machine
bash Copy
# 1. Install Thunderbird, create dummy account, close it
# 2. Find new profile folder (will be different name)
NEW_PROFILE=$(find ~/.thunderbird -maxdepth 1 -name "*.default-release" -type d | head -1)
# 3. Copy your backup
cp -r ~/thunderbird-settings-backup-20260301/* "$NEW_PROFILE/"
# 4. Start Thunderbird - all accounts, add-ons, passwords restored<br> <br>