lost local folders when resetting windows 10 and re installing thunderbird
I had to rest windows 10 on my pc. The Mozilla Thunderbird app was removed in this process. I have re-installed thunderbird but cannot find any of my old emails which I had stored in local folders on the pc. Any way of tracking them down?
Chosen solution
Your current profile will be: Example: C:\Users\<winusername>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<8charstring>.default
The one in 'windows.old' will be: example: C:\Users\<winusername>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<8charstring>.default
Exit Thunderbird. Access 'windows.old' folder. Copy the Thunderbird folder
Access current profile. Delete the default 'Thunderbird' folder Paste the copied 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder.
Start Thunderbird.
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Did the reset create a windows.old folder with an AppData subfolder? The TB profile folder is located by default in
C:\Users\<winusername>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<8charstring>.default
Enable hidden files and folders in File Explorer/View and see if your old profile exists.
I have located the profile in windows.old and it appears to contain the emails but I have yet to work out how to transfer them or link them to the new version of thundrbird that I have installed. I have read some of the help on moving profile paths etc. but can't quite follow! Any additional advice would be great.
Chosen Solution
Your current profile will be: Example: C:\Users\<winusername>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<8charstring>.default
The one in 'windows.old' will be: example: C:\Users\<winusername>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<8charstring>.default
Exit Thunderbird. Access 'windows.old' folder. Copy the Thunderbird folder
Access current profile. Delete the default 'Thunderbird' folder Paste the copied 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder.
Start Thunderbird.
Many thanks. I managed that.
Are all old saved emails always held under the profile folder? Found the most recent files in the inbox but not the save files from before?
If you saved mail to an arbitrary location, through exporting or File/Save, they wouldn't be part of the profile. Saving them by copying to Local Folders would maintain them in the profile. Mail saved to an external location can usually be imported back into the profile.