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

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

Thunderbird won't create a profile on a new install

  • 4 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by pvault

pvault
pvault
more options

New hard drive, new install in Windows 7 Home Premium service pack 1 and Thunderbird worked fine. Tried to put in my old profile folder, screwed it up and Thunderbird stopped working, deleted everything I could find, cleaned the registry and reinstalled and now get this dialog box: "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible." The folder is in program files (x86) no where else. And I can't file any profile manager or any else that helps. Scrubbed everything, even downloaded another installer, still nothing. I have a nice shortcut on my desktop though, ha, ha...

New hard drive, new install in Windows 7 Home Premium service pack 1 and Thunderbird worked fine. Tried to put in my old profile folder, screwed it up and Thunderbird stopped working, deleted everything I could find, cleaned the registry and reinstalled and now get this dialog box: "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible." The folder is in program files (x86) no where else. And I can't file any profile manager or any else that helps. Scrubbed everything, even downloaded another installer, still nothing. I have a nice shortcut on my desktop though, ha, ha...

Chosen solution

re :The folder is in program files (x86) no where else. That is where the Thunderbird program should be installed, it is not where the profile is located.

Thunderbird profiles are located here: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ So this is the 'Thundrebird' folder which has all info on profiles etc.

re :Tried to put in my old profile folder Access old hardrive.

  • Access the 'Roaming' folder.
  • Copy the backup 'Thunderbird' folder

On new computer.

  • Exit Thunderbitrd if it is running.
  • Access the 'Roaming' folder.
  • Delete the 'Thunderbird' folder.
  • Paste in the backup 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder to replace the one you deleted.
  • Start Thunderbird.
Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (4)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Chosen Solution

re :The folder is in program files (x86) no where else. That is where the Thunderbird program should be installed, it is not where the profile is located.

Thunderbird profiles are located here: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ So this is the 'Thundrebird' folder which has all info on profiles etc.

re :Tried to put in my old profile folder Access old hardrive.

  • Access the 'Roaming' folder.
  • Copy the backup 'Thunderbird' folder

On new computer.

  • Exit Thunderbitrd if it is running.
  • Access the 'Roaming' folder.
  • Delete the 'Thunderbird' folder.
  • Paste in the backup 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder to replace the one you deleted.
  • Start Thunderbird.
pvault
pvault Question owner
more options

I have three Roaming folders. One's path is app data/local/roaming both within the app data folder. The local folder has various programs including Mozilla Firefox, but no Thunderbird folder in local. The roaming folder contains a folder named Mozilla within is Firefox which contains a profile folder. I assume that is the profile folder for Firefox only.

The second path is app data/roaming/microsoft/windows/start menu..nothing there.

The third path is app data/roaming/microsoft/crypto/rsa...nothing there.

Would I put the backup Thunderbird folder in the first path: app data/local/roaming? The problem is that Thunderbird never created a folder for itself in this case, it can't find what it didn't create.

I put the backup Thunderbird in the app data/roaming folder, but the shortcut doesn't open it. The program still doesn't see it...

Modified by pvault

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

re : app data/local/roaming This does not sound correct. When you were deleteing all sorts of things etc, it sounds like you have messed up something. Thunderbird creates profiles in the 'Appdata> Roaming ' folder, so if it does not exist then that would explain why it cannot locate profile. I'm wondering if you have somehow moved the 'Roaming' folder into the 'Appdata' > 'Local' folder.

Suggest you try moving the 'Roaming' folder from the 'Appdata' > 'Local' folder back into 'Appdata' folder.

There should be:

  • C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Local
  • C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\LocalLow
  • C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming

'Roaming' is in 'Appdata', not in 'Local'. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/where-can-i-find-application-data-folders-in/26f4d163-7340-4974-b513-72bfcd1f54a5

pvault
pvault Question owner
more options

App data has two folders within it, local and roaming, I put the backup files into both but nothing happens. I didn't change the locations of any of the folders in windows. When I first installed Thunderbird, I put some files from my backup into the profiles folder, but that stopped Thunderbird from working. So I started over deleted everything and reinstalled and then the program wouldn't create a new profile folder.

Modified by pvault