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How do I set up two email accounts with their own address book in Thunderbird?

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  • Last reply by Zenos

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I have two individuals with a new Win 8.1 desktop that they share. Each individual has their own email account. I installed Thunderbird on their old XP desktop, created their accounts and copied the Thunderbird profile from the XP box to the new 8.1 box. Both accounts were set up in Thunderbird including the default accounts WAB Address book from Outlook Express. The second individual had their own unique address book in OE, and wants her own address book (not a mailing list) when she writes and email. In the Thunderbird Address Book on the 8.1 box, I created a new address book for each of them. How do I import the unique OE WAB file that I exported from OE into each individuals unique address book in Thunderbird?

I have two individuals with a new Win 8.1 desktop that they share. Each individual has their own email account. I installed Thunderbird on their old XP desktop, created their accounts and copied the Thunderbird profile from the XP box to the new 8.1 box. Both accounts were set up in Thunderbird including the default accounts WAB Address book from Outlook Express. The second individual had their own unique address book in OE, and wants her own address book (not a mailing list) when she writes and email. In the Thunderbird Address Book on the 8.1 box, I created a new address book for each of them. How do I import the unique OE WAB file that I exported from OE into each individuals unique address book in Thunderbird?

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I don't know much about WAB files, so try this: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/989835

Now, that, if it works, makes it possible to import the address books.

Your next issue is about multiple users.

Thunderbird is designed around the assumption that at any single time a bone fide user will be logged into the computer, and will have their own profile. So each user has their own User Account (in the operating system) and each will have their own personal folders, including their Thunderbird profile. Each will see only their own message store and their own Address Book.

There is no support in Thunderbird to distinguish between different users. It relies on the appropriate profile being to hand.

If your two users don't mind seeing each other's address books, then you can import both. It won't be easy to stop one user from accidentally pulling Contacts from the other's address book.

You have pre-empted the situation by creating separate address books up front. In practice, you'll create new address books when you import the CSV files. But you can leave it as it is and drag and drop Contacts from the imported address books to where you want them afterwards,

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Chosen Solution

I don't know much about WAB files, so try this: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/989835

Now, that, if it works, makes it possible to import the address books.

Your next issue is about multiple users.

Thunderbird is designed around the assumption that at any single time a bone fide user will be logged into the computer, and will have their own profile. So each user has their own User Account (in the operating system) and each will have their own personal folders, including their Thunderbird profile. Each will see only their own message store and their own Address Book.

There is no support in Thunderbird to distinguish between different users. It relies on the appropriate profile being to hand.

If your two users don't mind seeing each other's address books, then you can import both. It won't be easy to stop one user from accidentally pulling Contacts from the other's address book.

You have pre-empted the situation by creating separate address books up front. In practice, you'll create new address books when you import the CSV files. But you can leave it as it is and drag and drop Contacts from the imported address books to where you want them afterwards,