A concern will be how old the profile is. Thunderbird updates profiles as it upgrades to new releases. An option to try for your old profile is to use Tools>import>import from another thunderbird installation to point to your old profile.

Thanks .....just how does one point to the old profile...???? Where exactly is the area where I point as you put it? You take for granted that one that is seeking assistance can read between the lines as you stated. Not all of us are tech savvy or we would be moderators too.

Since you stated that you entered the old profile, I inferred you knew where it was. How else to enter it? Generally, profiles are at c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird\profiles and to locate your current profile, you can click help>troubleshootinginformation, scroll down to 'profile folder' and click 'open profile.' If there are several profiles, you can generally see them by clicking help>troubleshootinginformation, scroll down to 'profiles' and click 'about profiles.'

Sorry, furstration got the better of me. One final note....once I see that profile, do i delete it and replace it with my 'older' profile? Would that work?

Well, it's hard to know as an old profile may be corrupt. BUt it's easy to test. You can click tools>import>import from another thunderbird installation and then select that old profile. The prior profile is still available as the import does not overwrite it.

I thank you for quick response but your response confuses me. By doing what your suggesting, I read it as........ I get to the Roaming folder/profile and I see the existing one there, I do not delete it, but just add my 'old' profile along side it. Did i read you correctly? If not, be more explicit.

You say you are trying to import an old profile! Where is it? All this discussion about how to locate your current profile has no relevance at all. Where is this magical old profile you are wanting to use?

The 'magical" profile is distributed on various locations...ie...roaming folder, usb drive. You call a profile old? Its the one I had ALL my address book and vital emails on only 4 or 5 months ago, which got lost due to lame instructions on how to reinstall TB on another computer with win 11 Pro.

The 'magical" profile is distributed on various locations...ie...roaming folder, usb drive. You call a profile old? Its the one I had ALL my address book and vital emails on only 4 or 5 months ago, which got lost due to lame instructions on how to reinstall TB on another computer with win 11 Pro.

No it has not been solved...apparently some 'moderators' have an atitude, because some users have problems that is so simplefied for them.

Is this fixed yet? My earlier instructions were to import alongside your other profiles and to be then activated. That should have worked unless there is corruption in the profile. To repeat, the suggestion was to use tolls>import>import from another Thunderbird installation.

No, I tried and don't know if i did something wrong...Just telling someone to go to export/import and no steps to follow doesn't cut it for me. Am i suppose to have the other pc on in order for it to work? I did have the other on and saw nothing happening. BTW, my Profile was just fine about 5 months ago and that is the one I want to reinstall. It has All of my address book info, passwords and etc. Would it work with certain TB versions only and fo so, which one?

Is the other PC with thunderbird still available? And does it still use your desired profile? If so, the easiest approach would be this: - exit Thunderbird on BOTH PCs. - copy c:\users\<yourid.\appdata\roaming\thunderbird to external media on old PC - on new PC <pre> copy the backed-up thunderbird folder to c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming to overwrite the existing folder.

- start TB and the profile will work if not corrupted.

No, the pc source has the recent Profile, not my "magical profile" as called by one of your moderators. I have been trying to get the old Profile back into it, but not having any luck. like in the good old days, when such was easy.

If you can find it, I can assist in at least getting thunderbird to try it.

What do u mean if i can find it??? My old Profile? Its on my usb stick. I never had a problem find it....my problem is replacing the existing Profile with it.

two ways: - click tools>import>import from another thunderbird installation. That's the simplest solution, but I think it ignores passwords. - the other way, which keeps most passwords, is to click help>troubleshootinginformation - scroll down to 'profile folder' and click 'open folder - exit thunderbird. - you are now in the profile. note it's name carefully. - back up one folder so that you are outside the folder - copy the desired profile from usb stick to overwrite it - restart thunderbird.

I chose the latter mode, cause like u said it would contain my passwords. Now, following your instruction, it gets a bit tricky when I try to follow your suggestion when u say move up one folder. That folder that I move up to is just above the existing Profile. I copied from the stick and pasted the old profile name and restarted the pc. Upon restarting I am faced with what looks like a condensed version of Thunderbird -P. asking to create or rename a new Profile. Now. you have to be more specific when you say 'move up one folder". That folder in my case is Profile. anyhow it did not work and i do not want to lose the existing Profile cause it contains my recent emails with my CPA for tax info. BTW, I read where it said that the existing Profile cannot be deleted. I did copy it and entered it in the default folder. Now when after restart, i get a message that the profile cannot be found or missing.

Ok, here's a modification. since thunderbird by default keeps all profiles in the appdata\thunderbird\profiles folder, try this: - rename the backed-up profile to whatever you wish, such as 'goodprofile' - copy it into the appdata\thunderbird\profiles folder - this ensures the current profile will not be harmed. - start thunderbird and click help>troubleshootinginformation - scroll down to 'profiles' and click 'about:profiles' - does the new profile appear? If so, just activate it. If not, - click the 'create profile' button in upper left, then click next, then enter a short name, e.g. PROFILE, and then the last step is to click the browse button to locate and select the profile you copied in. Click Finish. On next menu, the profile will appear. Click the button to launch it and you're done.

I got as far as to the last line you spoke of. I did not see my renamed profile, so I followed your instructions to the last line you spoke of...now, here is where we get the nitty gritty....you say to scroll down to "About: Profile". I could not find such a box...The only box I see is the one near the top where it says Profile folder, click on it to see your Profile. I Still see the small recent one, not my renamed one. I found one can scroll endlessly as far a Printing info and saw No "About Profiles"