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

Loaded Thunderbird this morning and it appears to have lost all my email accounts and messages

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by neil11

more options

All email accounts and email messages seem to have disappeared

I'm just getting a prompt to add email accounts as though this is a fresh install. Calendar still seems to have some data.

If I try thunderbird.exe -P I get exactly the same issue, there is only the default profile to choose from

I do appear to have some prefs.js files and a prefs.js.bak file dated today with a size of 54k. A file search for prefs.js is shown in attached file

Currently running version 68.4.2, don't think an update has been done today

an anyone suggest a solution please?

Thank you

All email accounts and email messages seem to have disappeared I'm just getting a prompt to add email accounts as though this is a fresh install. Calendar still seems to have some data. If I try thunderbird.exe -P I get exactly the same issue, there is only the default profile to choose from I do appear to have some prefs.js files and a prefs.js.bak file dated today with a size of 54k. A file search for prefs.js is shown in attached file Currently running version 68.4.2, don't think an update has been done today an anyone suggest a solution please? Thank you
Attached screenshots

All Replies (6)

more options

Try using about profiles to locate your old profile. I think it has just dropped the link to your old profile.

https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-lost-my-profilemail-on-update-to.html

more options

Try deleting the global search file:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1278347

more options

The screen shot shows only one prefs.js for thunderbird, thus, there should be only one profile.

more options

Matt said

Try using about profiles to locate your old profile. I think it has just dropped the link to your old profile. https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-lost-my-profilemail-on-update-to.html

It appears that there was only a single default profile. Something seems to have caused Thunderbird to think there are no accounts and no data in this profile.

I suspect the data is all there, but how do I get Thunderbird to pick it up?

more options

how did you go with sfhowes idea? That is probably the second most common issue at the moment.

Some instructions here if they were lacking. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database

more options

Matt said

how did you go with sfhowes idea? That is probably the second most common issue at the moment. Some instructions here if they were lacking. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database

Tried it, I just get the "set up an existing account" wizard every time I open Thunderbird even after deleting file global-messages-db.sqlite. TB seems to think there are no mail accounts associated with the profile.

I'm worried that if I add an email account, TB will then delete one of my existing mailboxes