I would do both. David’s suggestion responds to symptoms. My suggestion helps identify the cause so recurrence can be prevented.

So to get to safe mode in Windows (if I recall), you restart the computer while tapping the F9 key? Is there an option or something after that, or do I just log into Bird, and go thru the Help: trouble shooting program as I just did? And if there's something wrong, will I see it or will there be an error message or something? Or perhaps I should ask you when I get there because after a couple of weeks of this my little grey cells are completely scattered and beside being an old bird myself, I can't remember much right now. Thanks Stacy

I do not use Windows. Here’s what I found:

1. Log in to Windows.
2. Open the Start Menu.
3. Press and hold the Shift key.
4. Click or tap the Power button, and then select Restart.

Then start Thunderbird, and under the Help menu, select “Troubleshoot mode”, and see if you can save settings.

Thank you Rick. Sorry I missed this earlier, but I'll try it tomorrow. Thanks again. Stacy

Hello there

If that update was new on that pc it cannot be the update that is the direct cause of having these symptoms it s oké to think that antivirus can be that cause here. Heavy scans for email can be turned off? It s wise to react on the antivirus parts and the deleting part of these msf.files and json.files. In the meanwhile of being on that pc with that software , power failures , improper shutdowns ,can and could be because that behavior , msf files can’t become wrong in that sentence after that last update that you mentioned.

Greetings googlethunderbird.

Well I got to Windows Safe Mode - damn I just realized that I didn't start Bird in it's safe mode alsol I did open Bird in Win Safemode, made the changes to settings, closed it and restarted windows - somewhere along in there it threw an error message, said it was collecting data, finally I got back into Win 10. I checked the changes I had made to Bird settings and they didn't hold. Perhaps because I didn't also get into TBird safe mode? Sorry, I don't do this kind of thing Ever, and I was scared to death I'd lose it all.

Now I've just read googlethunderbird's post and I'm sorry I don't understand it at all.

I think I'm ready to try David's suggestion to delete 144 of those files, leaving only the most recent one. What I don't understand is if the problem has been in my system all along, how did it not affect the running of Bird in any way until the update went on? I'll wait to hear from you.

Sometimes an update introduces a problem. Sometimes it's coincidental.

You really should try in Windows safe mode (with networking) and Thunderbird troubleshooting mode simultaneously. And use David's suggestion.

If you are concerned about losing data, make a back-up copy of your profile before proceeding.

One thing that Googlethunderbird is concerned about is anti-virus software. Are you using any? Windows safe mode (with networking) and Thunderbird troubleshooting mode would help us determine if that or something similar is causing the problem.

Yes Rick, I'm using McAfee, but I can turn that off if it will help. Okay, I'll summon my spirit and try the safe mode thing again. With or without McAfee? And use David's suggestion while I'm in both safe modes? Or do it before I do the safe modes again, or when?

I need to write all my steps down because I become afraid (not of losing data, but losing the whole thing), and then I forget what I did before and what comes next. My memory is still okay, except I may have to reflect on how I did stuff I may have just done.<g> Thank you all for bearing with me.

Windows safe mode will turn off McAfee.

You can use David’s suggestion at any time that Thunderbird is closed.

Okay, I'll start with David's suggestion. After deleting those files, go back into TBird and check?

I found those files under troubleshooting information. Should I delete them from there or from troubleshooting? Also there is another set of the same in information, and it says it is Not the default. Does that need to be removed as well?

You must delete only in the file system, File Explorer. See the names of the files that David mentioned.

What you are referring to is profiles. I do not know why you have two profiles. We do not want to delete one without knowing.

Don’t do anything with what you see in troubleshooting information. You can use a button there to get to your profile in File Explorer. Press “Show […]” next to the root directory of the active profile.

Okay, I'll start with David's suggestion. After deleting those files, go back into TBird and check?

Yes.

I'm in profiles default release dated today in Explorer. Just delete from there, right?

As long as the profile name in the directory name is “default-release”.

Deleted 144 of them. No difference:(

I need to take a break from this because it's just confusion for me now. Please don't leave me, you guys have been wonderful. I'll log back in later. Stacy

Okay. Windows safe mode and Bird safe mode. Changed all the settings to what I want. No probs in Bird, but I had no instructions on how to get out of safe mode in Win, so I just clicked Restart. It shut down but gave me the same error msg as before, that it had run into a problem and was sending the data to MS.

Restarted Bird in regular Win 10 - absolutely the same problems as for days now. Didn't keep the settings I chose.

Also just because, before that I had turned off McAfee's live virus checking, tried Bird - no change, turned on virus checking again.

I don't know what in the world, but as this machine will be retired after I'm fully migrated to the lap top (eventually), perhaps we should now work on cleaning up the laptop installation so I can move forward? I had manually set up my a/cs, only had left to enter contacts, mailboxes, and emails. I've done that for a handful of people and thought I'd do the rest as they arrive. But that profile has been contaminated by this one, so how do I fix that?

David or someone else may yet have ideas. I'm sorry that I don't have any more that would help solve the problem.

One thing that I would try is accessing your other profile and seeing if all your accounts are there and if the same problem occurs there. If you care to do that, Help > Troubleshooting information > about:profiles and launch the other profile. Do not change the default profile.

Moving on to the laptop makes sense. Why do you say that the profile there has been contaminated?

Thank you Rick. Before this problem came to light a week or so ago, I wanted to export the profile from desktop to laptop to be sure I had everything on that machine that I needed, and to import all of my contacts, mailboxes, and whatever else I could carry over to the laptop. Only first the file was too large to export/import. David gave me directions to do it manually Seemed simple enough so I tried. I did mistake the file for the folder, and didn't import the right thing into the laptop. I took everything out (I thought), cleaned the flash drive and tried the manual b/u again. Then I carried it to the laptop and, following instructions, put it on that. Still it was awful. Posts all jumbled into one box that didn't belong there, many things not put in the right place. David scolded me for not following the instructions, but I had. Then I began to compare the systems from each vs of Bird and discovered it was not saving my options. Now on the desktop I could still manage to see what I needed. But on the laptop because I couldn't horiz scroll, I couldn't see, or get to, all of the settings. And it took me a while to figure out why. Somehow I was able to get to table/card, and down to horiz scroll. I manually filled out contact/mailbox/email address. But same things happened, I couldn't scroll across, I couldn't get to things I needed to fill in, it was a dreadful fiasco and I wondered what was wrong. So if I leave those few contacts in that I have, how do I fix the profile and whatever else might be wrong?

Hello Stacy. I've read the history of your posts on this forum. You have been through very much, and I know that it has been stressful for you.

I believe that the best thing to do now is to be very clear about what you want to accomplish and to strive to keep your computing environment as simple as possible.

What do you want to accomplish? Can you use just one computer happily? Which one? If you want to use the laptop computer, will you connect it to the internet?

Do you know anyone who could you help you in person? We could still help here. "Another pair of eyes" at your computer if they belonged to someone who is computer-savvy could be valuable.

And then we will want to proceed one simple step at a time.