Windows - Moving from Mozilla Thunderbird Email to Google Apps

Please note that due to the large number of people migrating to Google Apps ITS staff members cannot be available to migrate you. We have provided the directions below to assist you in your migration. A step-by-step guide is provided for each step of your migration. These guides are animated, annotated screen shots showing everything you need to do to successfully migrate. 

Please read and follow these instructions carefully. Almost all reported problems have been a result of not following these instructions.


1. Use the Migration Page to create your Google Apps for UNC Asheville account.
  • Please be sure to log in to your Google account as directed on the final step of the migration page. This "initializes" your account and confirms that your new Google Apps account is ready to accept migration data.
[Click here for a step-by-step guide to using the Migration Page to create your Google Apps for UNC Asheville account.]

2. Configure your UWC account to set forwarding. This step insures that other UWC users's emails to you will be delivered to your Google Inbox.
  • Log in to the UWC here : http://uwc.unca.edu 
  • Go to Options > Mail > Settings and check Enable forwarding.
  • Go to Options > Mail > Settings and check Do not leave a copy on server.
  • In the Email Address: field type <your username>@mail.unca.edu, then click the Add button.
  • Confirm that <your username>@mail.unca.edu appears in the Mail Forwarding list: field, then click the Save button in the lower right corner of the screen.
  • Log out of the UWC.


3. Google has posted instructions on configuring Mozilla Thunderbird for use with Google Mail here : http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=77662&topic=12814
As noted on the top of that page, replace username@gmail.com with username@unca.edu where it appears in the instructions.

4. Once you have configured Thunderbird to access your UNC Asheville Google mail account you can simply drag and drop folders from your UWC server account and Local Folders into your new Google account. This will copy your email from the old server and email saved on your computer up to your new Google account. 

Dragging and dropping entire folders will keep your email sorted and creates "Labels" from those folder names. More information on Labels can be found here : http://mail.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=12881

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