Software installed Thunderbird latest when asked NOT TO. Has reset Profile, leaving local eMail folders & contents OK, and server shows email on there too.
We are long-term Thunderbird users, Windows 7 and 10. A few days ago, SoftMaker Office was installed, and I deliberately told it to NOT install or touch anything in Thunderbird and checked OFF the Thunderbird box.
HOWEVER, next time I ran Thunderbird, it appears that the Profile was messed or changed to an essentially blank one.
We use two and only two IMAP email accounts in Thunderbird, and our always working OK in the past IMAP email server is hosted by 1&1-Ionos
On the HDD, I can see what appears to be most all the emails, folders and so forth, but apparently Thunderbird now can't.
On the email server, I see what appears to be most or all of the main folders and contents for both the email accounts, and new email continues to arrive to the server OK and is stored.
Can NOT afford to lose any emails, almost all are critical. If I rebuild the Profile for each email account, can we get all the folders and emails back as they were, hopefully not lose any. If so, to avoid disaster, what are the proper major steps to do this ?
All Replies (9)
It sounds like Softmaker installed the 64bit version of Thunderbird.
To get out of this situation, and back to your original data, open a command window (windows+R, cmd), cd to the Thunderbird program directory indicated in the Thunderbird start icon (check the properties), then do
thunderbird.exe -P
Pick the profile named "default" - typically it will be the first one.
Does that resolve your issue?
to avoid disaster, what are the proper major steps to do this ?
Backup your Thunderbird profile on a regular basis. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile
Note, storing your messages on the IMAP server is no replacement for a local backup.
Modified by christ1
Wayne...did as instructed, using the CMD "route", and the default Profile was the only choice shown in the list. Selected it, and Thunderbird opened to the same page...the new blank page, asking us to set up a new account, etc. Thus, nothing was changed or solved.
We were running the 32bit Thunderbird in the past, latest version.
I suspect that the 32 bit Thunderbird exe and system has been indeed overwritten with the SoftMaker Thunderbird app... or the entire old Profile was overwritten...hopefully leaving the actual HDD based folders and email alone.
Your thoughts on proceeding this way:
I suspect that the old Profile has been overwritten...
I suspect that I may have to re-set-up the two IMAP accounts in Thunderbird 32bit -- exact same way that the two accounts were before -- and then see if the new Thunderbird installation can Import the existing email files, folders and email contents on the HDD, which should populate the local email system back.
Then and only then, go out to the IMAP server and download the two accounts email that exists on the server, which may also add back folders that appear on the server -- this last thought may not add back anything if nothing needs adding back.
Presuming that method works, hopefully any damage or lost emails or folders has been minimal ??
Modified by joerotello
christ1 said
to avoid disaster, what are the proper major steps to do this ?Backup your Thunderbird profile on a regular basis. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile
Note, storing your messages on the IMAP server is no replacement for a local backup.
OH, we had a backup on the HDD, but unfortunately, it was at least six months old. Likely useless.
And yes, we store both on the HDD and the server, and don't store only on the server. In fact, the server contents and new email is "downloaded" to the local HDD Thunderbird system twice a day.
And yes, we store both on the HDD and the server, and don't store only on the server.
That isn't a backup. You do need to backup the local Thunderbird profile (including the messages stored on your local disk) as suggested above to be safe.
I suspect that the old Profile has been overwritten...
That's very unlikely. See if this article helps. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_a_missing_profile
christ1 said
And yes, we store both on the HDD and the server, and don't store only on the server.That isn't a backup. You do need to backup the local Thunderbird profile (including the messages stored on your local disk) as suggested above to be safe.
As stated previously, we do or did local Backup as mujch as we could.
Again, we had a backup on the HDD, but unfortunately, it was at least six months old. Hence likely useless.
Thank you for your later message, we are researching that article on the missing Profile.
ok, you talk of a server, are we talking copies on the server or roaming profiles?
Have you searched the HDD and the server for instances of the file prefs.js. Every profile has one and searching might locate it in some redirected location.
Remember to make hidden and system files visible in Windows file manager before you search in windows or you will probably return nothing.
joerotello ?