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

Thunderbird has lost all my settings and files.

  • 1 reply
  • 0 have this problem
  • Last reply by david

Helen Thomson (Recurvelady)
Helen Thomson (Recurvelady)
more options

Dear Mozilla, My 27" iMac crashed suddenly on Wednesday last week (when I wasn't actually using it) and would not boot up. A message referred me to Apple and I made an appointment in Glasgow to take my Mac for the repair. I plugged my Mac in before I left - and it recovered itself!

However all my Thunderbird emails, files and settings have totally disappeared! Apparently a Thunderbird update is responsible. I have spent hours on the phone trying to get help. I have spent hours with CHATDGP talking me through stuff. The data seems to be on my machine but whatever I do I can't get Thunderbird to work. I am at my wits end. I have all my work files in Thunderbird and have no access to anything.

This is the second time recently that my Thunderbird files have vanished. I had to pay an expert to come to my house and restore the first time, but he is very ill at the moment and unable to leave home.

Please help me. I would be very grateful to have my Thunderbird back and working correctly. I am on macOS Monterey, version 12.7.6 (21h1320).

kind regards Helen 07836 707504 UK

Dear Mozilla, My 27" iMac crashed suddenly on Wednesday last week (when I wasn't actually using it) and would not boot up. A message referred me to Apple and I made an appointment in Glasgow to take my Mac for the repair. I plugged my Mac in before I left - and it recovered itself! However all my Thunderbird emails, files and settings have totally disappeared! Apparently a Thunderbird update is responsible. I have spent hours on the phone trying to get help. I have spent hours with CHATDGP talking me through stuff. The data seems to be on my machine but whatever I do I can't get Thunderbird to work. I am at my wits end. I have all my work files in Thunderbird and have no access to anything. This is the second time recently that my Thunderbird files have vanished. I had to pay an expert to come to my house and restore the first time, but he is very ill at the moment and unable to leave home. Please help me. I would be very grateful to have my Thunderbird back and working correctly. I am on macOS Monterey, version 12.7.6 (21h1320). kind regards Helen 07836 707504 UK

All Replies (1)

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Sometimes, on an update, the prefs..js file is not upated, possibly due to interference by antivirus or firewall. when that happens, thunderbird starts fresh, even though al the content is there. You might look in the profile to see if thee is a prefs-1.js (or prefs-2.js). If so, you can browse it with a text editor to see if it has your account info. If so, delete the prefs.js (with thunderbird not running) and rename the other one to prefs.js. This isn't a guaarantee, as the problem may lie elsewhere, but would be my first place to look.

Helpful?

Ask a question

You must log in to your account to reply to posts. Please start a new question, if you do not have an account yet.