This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Hierdie gesprek is in die argief. Vra asseblief 'n nuwe vraag as jy hulp nodig het.

Can I retrieve a lost Thunderbird profile from an old saved email?

  • 3 antwoorde
  • 1 het hierdie probleem
  • 22 views
  • Laaste antwoord deur Matt

sandraspen
sandraspen
more options

PC crashed. Thunderbird was reinstalled, but a new profile was used. Back-up was not recorded on external hard drive. All local files and address book have been lost. I have a few emails saved on my hard drive. I do not know the old profile code but can this be obtained from an old email. Could this then be used to recuperate my local files and address book ?

PC crashed. Thunderbird was reinstalled, but a new profile was used. Back-up was not recorded on external hard drive. All local files and address book have been lost. I have a few emails saved on my hard drive. I do not know the old profile code but can this be obtained from an old email. Could this then be used to recuperate my local files and address book ?

All Replies (3)

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

The "old lost profile" is either on your computer hard disk or it is not. Was the disk replaced following the crash?

If the operating system was restored do you have a Windows.old folder in the root of your C: drive?

Press Windowskey+R and type %appdata% and press enter. Open the Thunderbird folder Now the profiles folder. Is there more than one folder in the profiles folder? (probably both ending in Default)

Don Farr
Don Farr
more options

Okay, I see the folder, now how do I get my new install to recognize it and move it into my new install?

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

DonFarr said

Okay, I see the folder, now how do I get my new install to recognize it and move it into my new install?

You can replace your "new install" or you and chose to use the old install and hope al the mail can be downloaded from the server again,

Or you can point the import export tools ad-on to the old profile folders and use it to import mail from the old profile to the local folder in the new one

What you can not do is merge an old and new profile into one.

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/