Need to go back to previous version of TB. Please help me.
My add-ons no longer work in TB after the new version 78. I must go back to the old version (68), I cannot handle not having QuickFolders. All client communication I do every day as a freelance indexer (I write indexes for books) involves email and QuickFolders.
I do not know how to go back to an old version. Can someone please outline the steps for me clearly? In such a way that I retain my settings and the add-on structures if possible? I still have the "Thunderbird Setup 68.5.0.exe" file on my computer.
Windows 10, Thunderbird 78.4.0, using Firefox 82.0.2
Thank you for your time, --Victoria
Chosen solution
With the current TB 78, export your address books to LDIF format (Tools/Export... in Address Book). Uninstall the current TB. Download and run the installer for 68. Choose your language from the win32 or win64 folder. At the end of the setup, do not run TB. Open a Run window with Windowskey+R, type in thunderbird.exe -p --allow-downgrade to open Profile Manager, then select the relevant profile, OK. When TB opens, you should see your old data, although some add-ons may need to be re-installed if they were updated to 78-compatible versions.
Help/Troubleshooting, Profile Folder, Open Folder, close TB. Move abook.mab and history.mab to a different folder, then rename abook.mab.bak to abook.mab, history.mab.bak to history.mab. Restart TB and see if your contacts are present.
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Chosen Solution
With the current TB 78, export your address books to LDIF format (Tools/Export... in Address Book). Uninstall the current TB. Download and run the installer for 68. Choose your language from the win32 or win64 folder. At the end of the setup, do not run TB. Open a Run window with Windowskey+R, type in thunderbird.exe -p --allow-downgrade to open Profile Manager, then select the relevant profile, OK. When TB opens, you should see your old data, although some add-ons may need to be re-installed if they were updated to 78-compatible versions.
Help/Troubleshooting, Profile Folder, Open Folder, close TB. Move abook.mab and history.mab to a different folder, then rename abook.mab.bak to abook.mab, history.mab.bak to history.mab. Restart TB and see if your contacts are present.
Thank you for this. I was able to run the installer for v68, and used the Run window and typed in thunderbird.exe -p -allow-downgrade. I still got the same error msg that will only allow me to exit or to start a new profile, which loses all my old data. I tried utilizing the Help pages that are linked, but I instantly get in over my head.
Any further thoughts about what to do next?
Open a Run window with Windowskey+R, type in thunderbird.exe -p --allow-downgrade
This should open Profile Manager, did you select the correct profile?
Victoria-nola said
thunderbird.exe -p -allow-downgrade. Any further thoughts about what to do next?
Was that a typo? There must be a double hyphen before allow.
sfhowes said
Victoria-nola said
thunderbird.exe -p -allow-downgrade. Any further thoughts about what to do next?Was that a typo? There must be a double hyphen before allow.
I did not put in the double hyphen, I thought *that* was a typo. There is a help file on TB that shows just a single hyphen, my fault, I'm sorry. Ok, so, it has opened with my profile. However, I copies the address books to LDIF format, but I don't think they are in the correct folder. Can you tell me which folder those belong in?
--Victoria
Find where you saved the LDIF files when you exported them, then in TB, Tools/Import...Address books...Text file...open the LDIF file (press Alt if the Menu Bar with Tools is hidden). This is only necessary if your address books were empty when you reverted to 68. But if you followed the directions in the 2nd paragraph of my first reply, the contacts should be shown in TB.
Victoria-nola said
sfhowes said
Victoria-nola said
thunderbird.exe -p -allow-downgrade. Any further thoughts about what to do next?Was that a typo? There must be a double hyphen before allow.
I did not put in the double hyphen, I thought *that* was a typo. There is a help file on TB that shows just a single hyphen, my fault, I'm sorry. Ok, so, it has opened with my profile. However, I copies the address books to LDIF format, but I don't think they are in the correct folder. Can you tell me which folder those belong in?
--Victoria
Nevermind! I continued through the rest of your instructions and I guess the LDIF files went to the right place, because once I renamed the abook and history files, I have all my info including all my QuickFolders material. Thank you so much!!!
Once again, the wonderful community has helped me. I appreciate it so much. phew!