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How do I download TB 52.9.1 for winXP? Site gives me very old 38.5.0

  • 8 replies
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  • Last reply by NoXid

NoXid
NoXid
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TLDR: Auto update went wrong and wouldn't restart TB, so I decided to reinstall. But Mozilla site will only let me download 38.5.0. It should give me 52.9.1, which is the most current release for WinXP.

I have Windows XP. My Thunderbird downloaded an update last night and I chose the option to wait until the next restart to apply/install it. This morning when I started TB, it began the update install, as expected. However, something went wrong, as no subsequent dialogs appeared nor did TB. Via TaskManager I saw no stalled tasks or applications, nor was the CPU busy.

After rebooting, I renamed the TB directories to both preserve and hide them. Then downloaded TB from Mozilla and installed it. It complained that Lightning was incompatible so disabled it, but else it installed okay. I did notice that a few details of the GUI seemed different, like regressions to an older version. Eventually, I figured out that it is an older version, 38.5.0. I assume I had previously been on the 52.xx track, as that is the newest WinXP version and I had auto update on.

So how do I get a 52.xx version again? The Mozillia site refuses to give me anything other than 38.5.0.

TLDR: Auto update went wrong and wouldn't restart TB, so I decided to reinstall. But Mozilla site will only let me download 38.5.0. It should give me 52.9.1, which is the most current release for WinXP. I have Windows XP. My Thunderbird downloaded an update last night and I chose the option to wait until the next restart to apply/install it. This morning when I started TB, it began the update install, as expected. However, something went wrong, as no subsequent dialogs appeared nor did TB. Via TaskManager I saw no stalled tasks or applications, nor was the CPU busy. After rebooting, I renamed the TB directories to both preserve and hide them. Then downloaded TB from Mozilla and installed it. It complained that Lightning was incompatible so disabled it, but else it installed okay. I did notice that a few details of the GUI seemed different, like regressions to an older version. Eventually, I figured out that it is an older version, 38.5.0. I assume I had previously been on the 52.xx track, as that is the newest WinXP version and I had auto update on. So how do I get a 52.xx version again? The Mozillia site refuses to give me anything other than 38.5.0.

All Replies (8)

James
James
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Not sure where you are looking to only find Tb 38.5.0

Here is Tb 52.9.1 https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/ and pick your language.

For example US English is https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/en-US/

Matt
Matt
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There is no continuing support for XP. It has been deprecated.

See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-end-support-xp-and-vista

Wayne Mery
Wayne Mery
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The website is doing the "right thing". There is an odd situation with XP, that require we give you version 38.x, and then later you will be updated to the highest version that works for XP.

Important question - approximately what time did you get automatically updated to version 60?? (which is what started you down this unfortunate path)

NoXid
NoXid Question owner
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Thank you! It finally occurred to me to try that path after I posted my issue, and all is well.

As to your question ... yeah, I just checked the EXE of the installation that got FUBARed by the update, and it is indeed 60.3.0.6877. Well, ain't that just special. Perhaps I should turn off updates?

I'm not precisely sure when I got the update notice, but sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday AM, PST. That's when it did the download. It did the actual install this morning at 11:21, when I started TB again.

Wayne Mery
Wayne Mery
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You got the initial automatic update as a result of an error at our end.

NoXid
NoXid Question owner
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Matt said

There is no continuing support for XP. It has been deprecated. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-end-support-xp-and-vista

James said

Not sure where you are looking to only find Tb 38.5.0 Here is Tb 52.9.1 https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/ and pick your language. For example US English is https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/en-US/

Thanks for the link! That will simply the process if there is a next time.

Matt
Matt
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NoXid said

Matt said
There is no continuing support for XP. It has been deprecated. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-end-support-xp-and-vista

James said

Not sure where you are looking to only find Tb 38.5.0 Here is Tb 52.9.1 https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/ and pick your language. For example US English is https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/en-US/

Thanks for the link! That will simply the process if there is a next time.

You might be running XP service pack three, or you might not. 38 works with all XP and will update to the latest XP version that is supported. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-latest-version-thunderbird-windows-xp-vista

Providing a direct link to the V52 installer in in my opinion just not going to be a responsible action as unless you have SP3 and some other things in place it will not install. The updater will however get you there.

NoXid
NoXid Question owner
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Matt said

NoXid said
Matt said
There is no continuing support for XP. It has been deprecated. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-end-support-xp-and-vista

James said

Not sure where you are looking to only find Tb 38.5.0 Here is Tb 52.9.1 https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/ and pick your language. For example US English is https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/en-US/

Thanks for the link! That will simply the process if there is a next time.

You might be running XP service pack three, or you might not. 38 works with all XP and will update to the latest XP version that is supported. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-latest-version-thunderbird-windows-xp-vista

Providing a direct link to the V52 installer in in my opinion just not going to be a responsible action as unless you have SP3 and some other things in place it will not install. The updater will however get you there.

Yes, I see the logic there. The updaters install, or don't install, according to the resources they see, I'm sure.

Although I am a neo Luddite for running XP in the first place, I've had SP3 since it first came out, so good on that front. Thanks for the clarification.