you have to have your email address book in the correct format to transfer it over to thunderbird, what format do you have it in? We need to know which email program you were using that you have your address book in that you want to move to thunderbird also. If it is outlook then you should follow these directions to create it in csv format, once you have that created you can move it to the new pc using a flash drive or email it to yourself and open it on the new pc and put it on your desktop and open thunderbird and import it.
How to Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File
Mozilla Thunderbird FAQ

your favorites for IE? or for firefox?
this is where having xmarks on your pc and browser is a life saver and huge time saver, if you have your faves on another pc that you can access then I would suggest just getting xmarks installed on it and then on the new pc install x marks and sync it and voila everything is on the new pc.
works in IE and firefox it is what I use on all of my machines and that way if I travel and use some one elses pc I can still access all my faves from anywhere by going to my xmarks page. This is what I highly suggest you do it is the easiest method.

How to Back Up or Copy Your Outlook Mail, Contacts and Other Data

Here is a link that might be useful: xmarks

Raven, I followed your instructions and I got the addresses converted to CSV and imported to Thunderbird. It is going to take me awhile to figure it out. I don't want my address book named Contacts CSV and that is what it is right now. I assume I will be able to change the address book's names and re-arrange the contents?
Now, I downloaded the Xmarks to my laptop, opened an account; my favs. got synchronized, etc. How do I get them on the new computer? Download the program on it and then they will converge? Thanks for your help.

Lets see yes you will want XMARKS on the new computer, so download it, then log in click Mybookmarks click the tools tab you should see a restore option there.

yes once you have it installed on the new pc just click on the xmarks icon and choose synchronize now and it will put all of them on the new machine exactly like on the other one.

You should be able to change your address book name I do not have thunderbird on this pc so can not go look but it may be you right click on it and rename?

First off, I am the first one to concede up front that there are multiple ways to get to the same place.
For IE favorites, I prefer to export them from IE on the old pc via the Import and Export feature from the File menu, then reverse the process on the new machine using import instead.
For Thunderbird, I usually create a "dummy" profile on the new machine, then simply replace the contents of that (note - not the profile folder itself, rather the contents of it!) with the contents of the profile of the old machine.
kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Thunderbird
(Looks more intimidating there than it actually is!!)

raven,
I downloaded my address book to my desktop in csv manor, and then tried to import to Thunderbird, but it is not there. It says I have an address book called "contacts", but when opened, it's blank. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks,
salbwil

raven,
I downloaded my address book to my desktop in csv manor, and then tried to import to Thunderbird, but it is not there. It says I have an address book called "contacts", but when opened, it's blank. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks,
salbwil