First, if any of the accounts are IMAP, do NOT log on the site, as if the messages there are gone, Thunderbird will promptly delete the messages on the PC. Here are suggested steps:

1. there is text file named profiles.ini in the thunderbird folder. browse it and it will name the active profile's name
2. that folder will be in the thunderbird\profiles folder
3. imap accounts will be at imapmail\accountname and POP accounts at Mail\accountname and local folders at Mail\Local Folders. Message folders are generally in pairs of two, such as inbox and inbox.msf. The msf files are just indexes and Thunderbird will recreate them. (WARNING: depending on the status of your IMAP account, the message files may just contain headers. If so, the content is lost, but I am hopeful that the messages had fully downloaded.)
4. your addressbook will be abook.sqlite and your collected addresses will be history.sqlite, both in the root folder of the profile.
5. create a new Thunderbird profile and I recommend installing the importexporttools addon.
6. for neatness in organizing your files and folders, I suggest this:
   • highlight Local Folders, rightclick and create a new subfolder for each account
   • for each account, highlight the folder with account name, rightclick, select the importexporttools option to import mbox
   • then, locate a saved message folder for the account and press enter key. Repeat for eachmessage folder for the account.
   • when done, you will have each account listed under Local Folders and within each, the related message folders
7. for the addressbooks, you can click tools>import>import a file and proceed through menus to the sqlite option (another option is to just copy and paste them directly into the profile when thunderbird isn't running, overlaying the default files)

1. once all that is done, you may want to reconstruct your files to their accounts. That can be done, but I'm tired of typing. Let me know how it goes.

David,

Thanks for the detailed instructions! I will make the attempt later today or tomorrow when I have time away from work to focus and get it done right. I can confirm that when I checked the messages on the Thunderbird app running on the PC when offline, the content was there, so I assume all the messages are complete and to be found in the folder you referenced.

Will not log on to Thunderbird from the office PC until I am 100% certain that all the formerly deleted messages have been successfully downloaded into the current version. Will advise you as soon as I execute.

- Arthur :)

David,

Cannot thank you enough for this information, without which eight years of emails containing absolutely critical business information would be lost forever. As soon as you get tired of typing again, STOP - I don't need to complete this quickly, I just need to get it right.

Here's where I am now:

1) In profiles.ini, have located the active profile: "Profile0"

2) In Thunderbird\profiles, have found the name for that profile folder: "8sucuq0b.default-release" 3) In that folder, inside "ImapMail\mail.company name.com", located "INBOX" file. Double-clicked on it, pop-up window requests "How do you want to open this file?" and suggests apps like Acrobat, Notepad, Word, etc. Which app should I use?

4) Inside "8sucuq0b.default-release", located both "abook.sqlite" and "history.sqlite" files

5) Installed "ImportExportTools NG" add-on (v14.1.2)

Question about new T-bird profile - should I use my correct business e-mail, or a different e-mail to create the 2nd account? If it's the same one currently being employed, will it conflict with the primary account? The answer will be obvious to an expert like yourself, but for a rank amateur such as me, don't want to make a wrong move.

Will be able to spend full time on this after 5:00PM Eastern today, and very grateful for your advice and assistance.

Thanks again,

- Arthur

Ok, first, a personal suggestion: If you plan to stay with Hostgator, sign up immediately for daily backups. This could happen again. There are some host providers who take ownership for backups and would have a site-wide backup to restore and would have done so immediately, so I'm surprised that it doesn't appear to be the Hostgator approach, relying on the user to manage that. AND, all of the preceding are my personal thoughts and do not represent Mozilla or the people on Thunderbird project.

On your issue, since this is your business address and it's IMAP, I would use it. Presumably, life has resumed, so there may already be new messages there. All the messages are on your PC and, as I understand, all are OFF the server except the office PC. My thoughts:

1. keep the office pc turned off while you do this, as those are a backup of sorts for you.
2. set the office account on PC so you can start using it.
3. follow step # 6 from my initial response. Our hope is that the message folders are what you anticipated.

NEW STEPS: Once all is well, to get the messages to the IMAP account, you need to go slowly. IMAP was not designed for large-scale uploads, so uploads need to be in small batches. One technique that has been somewhat reliable is to create a manual filter to select all messages in what you salvaged to Local Storage and copy the the IMAP folder. The folder just needs a condition that is always true and COPY to the IMAP folder. By copying you retain a copy on PC if the upload has problems. After uploading, do some spot checking to verify that the messages are intact. Save the Local Folders for a week - just in case you later discover that one of the uploaded messages is corrupted. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

David,

Thanks once again for your expert knowledge.

The INBOX file contains 4Gb of messages - no other application will open it, so I conclude all the messages therein are intact with full content. I foresee insurmountable issues in trying to import these messages back into the active version of Thunderbird running on the laptop, which only contains messages since 10/04/2024. So how is this for an alternative:

Is there some way to completely disable the Thunderbird app still running (but only accessed when I am offline) on the office PC, in some way permanently severing/disabling it's ability to access Mozilla and the self-erase command? That would be an acceptable alternative, and would not require trying to import 4Gb of messages into the operational version; like turning the office PC version into an archive, with no access to the internet, and therefore "quarantined" from self destruction - can it be assigned to a new, unconnected profile?

Since no other application can display these messages other than Thunderbird, I would create a new profile on the office PC identical to the operational one running on the laptop, and whenever I needed to check the previous messages I could just click on the "archive", even while connected to internet, and select the required message without fear that doing so would automatically erase the stored messages.

Is this possible?

- Arthur

3) In that folder, inside "ImapMail\mail.company name.com", located "INBOX" file. Double-clicked on it, pop-up window requests "How do you want to open this file?" and suggests apps like Acrobat, Notepad, Word, etc. Which app should I use?

The INBOX file contains 4Gb of messages - no other application will open it.

You need to use a 'text editor' program such as 'Notepad++' or 'UltraEdit'

Simple solution: Make sure Thunderbird is not running - close it completely - that means close on both computers.

• Access profile : 8sucuq0b.default-release
• Click on 'ImapMail'
• click on imap account name folder
• Copy the 'Inbox' mbox file and indeed any other mbox file containing emails (the .msf files are just indexing files - no emails. Any folders with .sbd extension may also contain mbox files)
• Go back up to ' 8sucuq0b.default-release'
• click on 'Mail' folder
• Click on 'Local Folders' folder to see contents
• Paste the 'Inbox' file into 'Local Folders' folder - do not overwrite any Inbox that exists - rename Inbox to something like 'OldInbox'

If you put a copy of that 'Inbox' mbox file into 'Local Folders' it means those emails are stored on the computer, so when you start up Thunderbird, all those emails should appear in the 'Local Folders' mail account.

You can also Copy that Inbox onto a usb etc of suitable and copy into profile /Mail/Local Folders on other machine.

Then you have a choice...leave them in 'Local Folders' account because you have access to them OR highlight small batches of emails - right click on highlighted emails and select 'Copy to' and choose the relevant imap folder to get them uploaded back onto the server. Many servers do have upload via imap limits, so it could take a while to get them back onto the server. But do you really need them back on the server. Maybe you only need to upload the most recent emails. If you have put a copy of that 'Inbox' into both profiles in 'Local Folders' on different computers, then you do have identical copies available on both computers.

It is possible to start Thundebird in Offline mode - most people have a setting set up by default to follow the online state.

Typically - it's here..

• Settings > General
• Under 'Network & Disk Space'
• Click on 'Offline' button
• By default this is usually selected 'Automatically follow detected online state'

So if you disconnect the internet - either via the computer OR unplug the hub etc...so computer says there's no internet connectivity then you could try restarting Thunderbird and it should be in Offline state. This means you can proove to yourself - look in 'Local Folders' for the 'OldInbox' and see if you can read emails. If yes, you know you can start in Online mode and all emails are safe in Local Folders.

A bit stuff about online/offline - if required. Once in Offline mode you can then alter current settings if required...

• Uncheck 'Automatically follow detected online state'
• select 'Ask me for online state'
• click on OK.

You could also create a Profile Manager shortcut If you have a desktop shortcut icon for thunderbird you could use it OR create another to use as Profile Manager. I created a new shortcut and renamed as TBIRD Profile Manager Right clickon shortcut and select 'Properties' On shortcut tab you should see 'Target:' and it will say something like this: "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe"

Edit the end - add a space then -P so now it says: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -P click on 'Apply' and click on 'OK'

Now click on that desktop Profile Manager thunderbird shortcut icon and a small window opens - the Profile Manager. Choose Profile name Select the option to 'Work Offline' Click on 'Start Thunderbird'

If you have set up Settings to 'ask' then you can choose Offline/online Note: even saying to start Offline may get overridden if Thunderbird settings says to detect online state and you have internet connectivity.

Toad-Hall,

My thanks to you also for your significant contribution towards resolving my issue - I am very much relieved that this serious problem I have encountered with an otherwise very dependable and reliable application will soon be just a memory. Wasn't Thunderbird's fault that HostGator tech support action erased all the e-mails when they cancelled-then-recreated our account (hit by off-shore cyber attack and potentially infected with latest generation malware, unable to satisfactorily cleanse at their end).

I will go through your suggestions, as well as those of your colleague, and keep you advised on progress.

There may be up to 10k messages contained in the pre10/04/2024 version; I am certain that they are complete with content, not just the titles. No need to try to open them in a reader like Notepad - can move on to the next steps with the knowledge that the messages are all intact. I have made two copies of the entire Thunderbird "main" folder, so I will have backup even if something goes wrong.

Before I open Thunderbird "original" on the office PC while it's logged on to the Internet, I want to be sure that whatever folder I create or place it in, and however I retitle it or delete the e-mail address it uses to get to HostGator, there is no possible conduit from the login to "delete command". The previous messages disappeared the moment I used the new password we got after the server reboot. What HostGator guy did was in essence cancel/delete our existing account, then created a new one with the same name and information; but Thunderbird recognizes this as an entirely new account, even though it has the identical name and contact info for the previous account, and therefore automatically deletes the existing messages on the same-named account. Do I have that more-or-less correct?

Very grateful for your help,

- Arthur