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.

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

Trouble re-installing TB 78.6.1 / 78.0.1 Profile / emails after system restore in Windows 10

  • 2 tontu
  • 1 am na jafe-jafe bii
  • 4 views
  • i mujjee tontu mooy firefox487

more options

Hello,

I have followed the instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer, and also tried several variations thereof - all without success.

PROCEDURE:

After each failed attempt, I uninstalled TB. The TB profile folder under %APPDATA% was also removed, and a new clean copy of TB installed, once 78.6.1 and once 78.0.1.

The backup folder was copied via opening TB -> Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Up three levels to "Thunderbird" -> Closing TB -> Copy "Thunderbird" -> Save to file.

The backup folder was then installed: 1. via -> Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> to the respective directories shown below, and, 2. when the above didn't work, a new clean install (after deleting TB from both "Programmes" and from "%APPDATA%") to the directories shown below.

Nothing of the below resulted in the Profile and emails coming up when opening TB:

"Thunderbird" folder:

1. Pasting the saved "Thunderbird" backup folder over the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder. 2. Emptying the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder first, then pasting the saved "Thunderbird" backup files/ folder into it. 3. Merging the contents of the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder with the contents from the saved "Thunderbird" backup files/ folder.

"Thunderbird"/ "Profiles" folder:

4. Pasting the saved backup "Profiles" folder over the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder. 5. Emptying the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder first, then pasting the saved backup "Profiles" files/ folder into it. 6. Merging the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder with the saved backup "Profiles" files/ folder.

"Thunderbird"/ "Profiles"/ "... default.release" folder:

7. Pasting the saved backup folder "hpaxv0u8.default-release" over the newly installed "…...default-release" folder (its name changed with each new TB install). 8. Emptying the newly installed destination folder "…..default-release" first, then pasting the saved backup files/ folders from "hpaxv0u8.default-release" into it. 9. Merging the newly installed destination folder "….default-release" with the contents with the "hpaxv0u8.default-release" backup folder.

RESULT:

Each time, the backup profile files/ folders are copied and visible in the respective newly installed directory.

But on opening TB, the prompt comes back on asking to set up an email account.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1289124?utm_campaign=questions-reply&utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification#answer-1318119 advises to “copy everything from the backup profile folder ... , delete everything from the target profile folder that opened in the pevious steps then paste into the now empty target folder."

When I do that, TB is unable to start up. Error message: "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible."

NOTES:

- The two TB versions were downloaded from https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/78.6.1/win64/ and https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/78.0.1/win64/.

- The two TB versions were installed and removed nine (9) times each (as per the procedures described above). So a total of 18 failed attempts to transfer a backed-up profile. On the same PC as before, where TB had worked just fine: Windows 10, 64-bit.

Wot to do? Many thanks.

Hello, I have followed the instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer, and also tried several variations thereof - all without success. '''PROCEDURE:''' After each failed attempt, I uninstalled TB. The TB profile folder under %APPDATA% was also removed, and a new clean copy of TB installed, once 78.6.1 and once 78.0.1. The backup folder was '''copied''' via opening TB -> Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Up three levels to "Thunderbird" -> Closing TB -> Copy "Thunderbird" -> Save to file. The backup folder was then '''installed''': 1. via -> Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> to the respective directories shown below, and, 2. when the above didn't work, a new clean install (after deleting TB from both "Programmes" and from "%APPDATA%") to the directories shown below. Nothing of the below resulted in the Profile and emails coming up when opening TB: '''"Thunderbird" folder:''' 1. Pasting the saved "Thunderbird" backup folder over the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder. 2. Emptying the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder first, then pasting the saved "Thunderbird" backup files/ folder into it. 3. Merging the contents of the newly installed "Thunderbird" destination folder with the contents from the saved "Thunderbird" backup files/ folder. '''"Thunderbird"/ "Profiles" folder:''' 4. Pasting the saved backup "Profiles" folder over the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder. 5. Emptying the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder first, then pasting the saved backup "Profiles" files/ folder into it. 6. Merging the newly installed destination "Profiles" folder with the saved backup "Profiles" files/ folder. '''"Thunderbird"/ "Profiles"/ "... default.release" folder:''' 7. Pasting the saved backup folder "hpaxv0u8.default-release" over the newly installed "…...default-release" folder (its name changed with each new TB install). 8. Emptying the newly installed destination folder "…..default-release" first, then pasting the saved backup files/ folders from "hpaxv0u8.default-release" into it. 9. Merging the newly installed destination folder "….default-release" with the contents with the "hpaxv0u8.default-release" backup folder. '''RESULT:''' Each time, the backup profile files/ folders are copied and visible in the respective newly installed directory. But on opening TB, the prompt comes back on asking to set up an email account. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1289124?utm_campaign=questions-reply&utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification#answer-1318119 advises to “copy everything from the backup profile folder ... , delete everything from the target profile folder that opened in the pevious steps then paste into the now empty target folder." When I do that, TB is unable to start up. Error message: "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible." '''NOTES:''' - The two TB versions were downloaded from https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/78.6.1/win64/ and https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/78.0.1/win64/. - The two TB versions were installed and removed nine (9) times each (as per the procedures described above). So a total of 18 failed attempts to transfer a backed-up profile. On the same PC as before, where TB had worked just fine: Windows 10, 64-bit. Wot to do? Many thanks.

firefox487 moo ko soppali ci

All Replies (2)

more options

First things first, from where and how did you get the "source" folder?

more options

Hi, thanks for the reply!

The "source" profile folder is the TB profile that I saved before doing the Win 10 system restore.

I copied that entire TB profile as per the instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

Any idea what the problem might be?