Exporting Thunderbird address books is not a big deal, because Thunderbird provides built-in option to export contacts from profile into CSV, vCard and LDIF formats. However, this technique is only suitable for single or few address books. When it comes to exporting multiple Thunderbird address books or from a damaged profile then we should use a suggested smart solution.
Here we will discuss the reasons, common issues while exporting contacts manually, and a smart solution for large datasets.
What are the Reasons to Import Contacts?
There are multiple reasons why users want to export Thunderbird address book to CSV format. Some of them are mentioned below in detail:
- CSV format is supported by multiple email clients and services, so maybe users want to move contacts or address book from the Thunderbird account to another.
- Or maybe users don’t have enough storage space in Thunderbird to manage data.
- Thunderbird profiles contain a high risk of corruption at any time, which makes your data inaccessible. So, exporting your data copy into another format is a safe choice.
- Or maybe any user wants to share contacts with others, so CSV is a good choice for data sharing.
How to Export Thunderbird Address Book to CSV Manually?
Follow the mentioned steps to export Thunderbird contacts to CSV or any other format. Remember Thunderbird must be installed and configured properly.
- Open your Thunderbird account.
- Select the “Address Book” from the top.
- Choose any contacts or address book.
- Select the “Tools” icon and then the “Export” icon.
- Locate the path to export contacts locally.
- Select the “CSV” from the “Save as Type” list.
- Finally, select the “Save” icon.
Why are Manual Methods Not an Ideal Choice?
Yes, users can export Thunderbird address book manually using built-in export option. But this technique doesn’t always work:
- It can’t export multiple addresses and large contact datasets in bulk at once.
- Also, this method doesn’t work with damaged or corrupt profiles.
- Users can only extract information in CSV, VCF, and LDIF formats.
- Sometimes “abook.sqlite” and “history.sqlite” become corrupt.
- An incorrect mapping issue can appear in CSV file.
Alternate Way to Export Thunderbird Address Books in Bulk
If your Thunderbird profile is contaninng large dataset of contacts, multiple address books or profile is damaged, then simply download SysTools Thunderbird Contacts Converter. This software helps in extracting bulk data at once without performing same steps again and again.
Also, if your Thunderbird is not opening due to damage, then this software will load data from corrupt profile automatically, and help to convert it into healthy format. Not only can it download CSV, it can also download contacts into PST, PDF, MSG, and vCard.
Download the free demo version before investing, so that users can know how the features and settings work. More information is explained after the manual methods.
How to Export Thunderbird Address Book to CSV? Tool’s Step
- Download and start the utility on your machine.
- Select the files and folders, or you can choose the Auto Detect Folder Storage Location to upload Thunderbird profile data automatically.
- After a few minutes, all your contacts will appear, analyze your data, and select the Export Selected option.
- After that, select the “CSV” option from the appearing list of Export Type.
- Select the location to save your exported data file.
- Choose the “Save” button to export Thunderbird address book to CSV format.
Also Read: How to Export Thunderbird Address Book to Outlook?
Why Should Users Choose this Solution?
- This software is a powerful solution that can load the Thunderbird profile data automatically from the storage location, whether your account is working or not.
- Users can export contacts into PST, PDF, vCard, MSG, and CSV formats to manage data easily.
- This software doesn’t require any internet connection, and it also doesn’t save your crucial information within the software’s environment.
- It shows the complete address book list on the panel, so that users can analyze and select the desired contacts to export.
- This software maintains the original attributes and elements of contacts and doesn’t modify the original data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1: What is the Thunderbird address book file location?
Ans: This is the location of Thunderbird address book: C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<profile_name>\abook.sqlite
Ques 2: Can I export the Thunderbird address book to Excel?
Ans: Thunderbird doesn’t export contacts to Excel directly, but yes, you can export them as CSV and open them in the Excel application.
Ques 3: Can I export only selected contacts instead of the entire address book?
Ans: Yes, after loading all address book data, you can choose selective contacts from the screen according to requirements.
Ques 4: Will exporting contacts affect or delete the original address book?
Ans: No, it just creates a copy of your contacts and saves them in the selected format. All original data remains same and safe.
Ques 5: What should I do if Thunderbird fails to export contacts?
Ans: If export fails, then try to:
- Restart your Thunderbird.
- Update to the latest version.
- Export small contact set.
If nothing works, then maybe your profile is damaged, so use suggested smart solution.
Ques 6: Do I need Thunderbird installed to use the export tool?
Ans: No, Thunderbird installation is not required to export Thunderbird address book to CSV format.
Final Comment
If you are also one of those who want to export Thunderbird address book to CSV format, then this is the right page for you. Here, we have explained the manual methods and one automated solution for experts. The manual method is suitable for those who have installed a Thunderbird account, and if your Thunderbird profile is not working, then you should go for the automated solution. It provides multiple features and filters to help users. For any query, you can contact us through chat support.
