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Why in Windows 8.1 do I have 2 different Profiles with identical default folders but each with totally different contents?

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  • Last reply by lenclark1

lenclark1
lenclark1
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I want to backup my email messages and archives. I intend to them put into my 'Documents' folder for 'Cloud' backup and also into an external hard drive which I have always used in the past and, as a 76 year old with a new computer, 8.1 in place of XP and TB instead of Outlook Express, I just feel more confident about my external hard drive! I have TB 31 and Windows 8.1. I have set my computer to show 'hidden files and folders'. In username/AppData/Local there is a TB folder with 'Profiles' and it has my XXXX.default folder - but it only has a limited number of files and folders (Cache/cache2....). In username/AppData/Roaming there is also a TB folder with 'Profiles' and it has my same XXXX.default folder - but this contains a completely different and far more extensive collection of files and folders (4 different folders plus several MAB and SQLITE files and others). Why do I have two identical default folders with different contents? Do I have to save both of them? Can someone please explain/help, preferably in words that this 76 year old might understand.

I want to backup my email messages and archives. I intend to them put into my 'Documents' folder for 'Cloud' backup and also into an external hard drive which I have always used in the past and, as a 76 year old with a new computer, 8.1 in place of XP and TB instead of Outlook Express, I just feel more confident about my external hard drive! I have TB 31 and Windows 8.1. I have set my computer to show 'hidden files and folders'. In username/AppData/Local there is a TB folder with 'Profiles' and it has my XXXX.default folder - but it only has a limited number of files and folders (Cache/cache2....). In username/AppData/Roaming there is also a TB folder with 'Profiles' and it has my same XXXX.default folder - but this contains a completely different and far more extensive collection of files and folders (4 different folders plus several MAB and SQLITE files and others). Why do I have two identical default folders with different contents? Do I have to save both of them? Can someone please explain/help, preferably in words that this 76 year old might understand.

Chosen solution

user accounts on Windows 8 can be local or remote. It assumes everyone has a roaming profile. Thunderbird uses the roaming folders as you can see, but there is that rump in local that I really do not understand the existence of.

Thunderbird does not use it, I assume windows creates it.

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Matt
Matt
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Chosen Solution

user accounts on Windows 8 can be local or remote. It assumes everyone has a roaming profile. Thunderbird uses the roaming folders as you can see, but there is that rump in local that I really do not understand the existence of.

Thunderbird does not use it, I assume windows creates it.

lenclark1
lenclark1 Question owner
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Thanks Matt. Reassuring to this elderly user! I'll make sure I back up my Profiles xxxx.default folder from the Windows Roaming directory - but should I back up the (different!) TB contents from the TB Profiles directory in Windows Local as well?