Whatever you 'simply' attempted must have been rather severe. On your question, you can launch that other profile, but it may not have any data in it. But it should sidestep the problem you have, even though it doesn't solve it.

Thx. I have had a similar issue after folder renaming before. I am suspecting that also had to do with profile conflicts.

I tried changing to the DefaultOLD profile, but that resulted in loading old files and email, not commensurate with my current Thunderbird folders.

Strangely... when I look at the folders in my profiles, I see the following anomalies: -Troubleshooting information>Profile Folder takes me to C:/Windows/Users... Roaming/79lwgxdp.default (listed as current profile); this profile does not list current folders or emails but does appear to have recent abook files (by date). -C:/Windows/Users... Local/Thunderbird/Profiles/79lwgxdp.default; does not list current folders, or even a Mail folder. -C:/Windows/Users... Local/Thunderbird/Profiles/lojbsrwp.default/Mail... (DefaultOLD in About Profiles): lists current folders, but also lists a folder I lost when this last occured... but I cannot see that folder in Thunderbird. -C:/Windows/Users... Local/Thunderbird/Profiles/lojbsrwp.default/Mail... (DefaultOLD in About Profiles): Files created automatically with number at the end of filename show up in both Thunderbird and lojbsrwp.default, but the numbers do not coincide between THunderbird and lojbsrwp.default.

It seems there is some conflicts/confusion between actual current folders and profiles with possible some overlap.

Questions outstanding: 1) How might I correct my profiles without losing my profuse (business) emails? 2) How can I delete the repeated folders created when I attempt to rename? 3) How can I see emails in folders ion a profile that don't show up in Thunderbird?

lojbsrwp.default: Listed as DefaultOLD in

First, the appdata\local folders are NOT the profile and are just confusing you. Focus on the appdata\roaming profiles . I suggest to stop renaming until you share screenshots of what you have. Screenshots of the imapmail\<account> folder for each IMAP account, and the mail\<account> folder for each POP account that is affected, if any, and screenshots of any Local Folders that seem to be in the wrong place. That is, if we can see where the 'good folders' are, we can advise placement.

Thanks so much for your assistance!!! I really want to cleanup my profile issues as well as resolve the folders I cannot delete, which just reappear when I attempt to!

- Stopped renaming. No problems with adding new folders, however. Dryad.us is the only account where I have experienced the folder issues... other than location. - Three POP3 emails: dryad.us, dryadllc.com, gmail.com. Dryad.us is my primary. - One IMAP email: info@dryad.us. Shows as an IMAP account but I have no idea why. - Thunderbird About Profiles cites 79lwgxdp.default as the current default, but none of my current folders show under that profile in any location. - Thunderbird About Profiles cites lojbsrwp.default as "lojbsrwp.defaultOLD". lojbsrwp.default is the only profile that shows current folders. However, if I start Thunderbird in that

profile, it then displayed only the old folders under "Business", i.e, none of my current folders.

So... it seems my current folders are somehow appear to be located under the old default profile, but are actually with the newer profile and current default, 79lwgxdp.default.

You mentioned "...'appdata\local folders are NOT the profile and are just confusing you. Focus on the appdata\roaming profiles.". However, the Local profiles are the only place my actual email folders show up.

Background: "Business2" is now my primary business email folder and is where I have had these issues. A couple of years ago, I was using "Business". I attempted to rename the account for organizational reasons and that was my first renaming issue... emails disappeared. I now see that previous folder ("Business") folder in several profiles, but not visible within Thunderbird... except when I change the default startup profile to lojbsrwp.default.

Thx for any assistance!

Do you run some type of backup that copies to appdata\local? I have never seen this? But, regardless, it seems a mess and the way I would fix this would be to exit thunderbird and, using windows file explorer, go to the appdata\local folder that has Business2 and COPY all the business2 entries and carefully pasted them into the appropriate place in the default profile so that the business2 content would be parallel to the business entries. Then, restart thunderbird and see if the data is visible.

No, I don't Actively run a backup to appdata\local. However, I did notice a "BACKUP" folder from 2017, in Appdata\Roaming... Profiles. Both profiles (79lwgxdp.default & lojbsrwp.default) show as folders but neither lists current folders.

I will try your suggestion. I have some concerns though.

Would it make more sense create a new profile, since there is some bizarre conflict between the two current profiles?

I assume if all goes well, I would just delete the "extra" profile where the folders are I can't delete?

Lastly, I am concerned how the aspect of conflicting current profiles might effect this copying process? Specifically, the profiles as listed in Troubleshooting information>About Profiles. To reiterate... 79lwgxdp.default: 1) Starting Thunderbird under the current profile (79lwgxdp.default) loads my current folders and emails. 2) Troubleshooting information>About Profiles shows the Default profile as... Appdata\Roaming... 79lwgxdp.default 2) Appdata\Roaming... 79lwgxdp.default does not list current folders. 3) Appdata\Local.. 79lwgxdp.default also does not list current folders. lojbsrwp.default: 4) Troubleshooting information>About Profiles shows DefaultOLD as... Appdata\Roaming... lojbsrwp.default 5) Appdata\Roaming... lojbsrwp does not list current folders, but does list old folders. 6) C:\Users\Torrey\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles.sbd...lojbsrwp.default... show all my current folders PLUS the old folders... except the old folders do not show in Thunderbird. 7) Starting Thunderbird under the DefaultOLD profile (lojbsrwp.default) loads only my outdated/old folders and emails. The most recent listed are from 2017.

So my concern is, since the profiles seemed to cross-up, will copying folders into one resolve the Thunderbird Abour Profiles issue? Very confusing and frustrating!

I did notice, when I startup with the profilelojbsrwp.default, showing only old folders and emails, the Server Settings are also old, i.e., not the same as my current settings.

I do understand your concern; these are messages that are irreplaceable. That is why none of my suggestions include deleting anything, at least not until all is well. On your general question, once you define a desired profile, one that has the majority of what you want. we can copy and paste any missing ingredients. Each component is a simple file within Windows FIle Explorer and that simplifies the process. That is a strength of Thunderbird; it relies on simple files that it looks for in the profiles.

Yes, you could create a new profile and set up each account again and then copy the missing elements . That's your call. So, again, pick what you want among the profiles, write their locations down, and your issue can be resolved by copying and pasting. Do that, and I'll assist.

I am an amateur here, as I don't really understand how Thunderbird works between files/folders, etc. I can locate Profiles, and copy and move files & folders... but that is the extent of my understanding, and my struggling with remedy.

QUESTIONS: 1) Why do some folders in Profiles look like Windows folders, i.e., folder icon, while others, which show as folders in Thunderbird, show only as .mbox & .msf file? 2) Can emails be copied from one Profile to another by ciopying the .mbox (no extension showing) & .msf files rather than a containing folder? The .mbox files appear to actually be folders, hence further confusion. 3) Why do some folders in both Thunderbird and Profiles, automatically rename to a partial file name ending in random numbers? Also true for all the empty folders I can't delete that were created automatically? 4) What is the function of and what should show in AppData/Profiles/(profile name)?

Before I started copying folders & files, I stored a backup copy of lojbsrwp.default and also stopped downoading of new messages from my email servers.

So I copied folders from Appdata\Roaming... lojbsrwp.default, to Appdata\Roaming... 79lwgxdp.default. All folders showed up, so I copied the entire contents of lojbsrwp.default to 79lwgxdp.default. I admit this might have been a mistake, but I was feeling successful at the moment! All folders then showed up in Thunderbird via both profiles. I changed nothing in the AppData\Local profiles.

Feeling bold, I then tried the Launch profile button n About Profiles under 79lwgxdp.default. Now that profile opens in Thunderbird not showing any of my previous folders and only the few new emails still on the server. As both profiles in now have the same files in Appdata\Roaming (profile), the only difference is between profiles in Appdata\Local (profile).

So a couple additional questions arose in addition to those above: 1) Since I can sucessfully load current folders and emails, can I delete one entire profile in both Roaming & Local? 2) If so, would it matter which one?

If need be, I can restore everything from my PC backup to before I made any changes, if needed and newer emails remain on my email server... safe for now..

I haven't tried again to delete the mystery folders that won't permanently disappear form Thunderbird and Profiles.

Thx for all assistance!!!!!

The word 'folder' means that there is individual content within. For Windows, the 'individual content' consists of unique files. For Thunderbird, the 'individual content' consists of unique messages stored INSIDE a single file (where the file itself is mbox format) and there is an accompanying msf file that has the index of the mbox file. NOTE: when thunderbird is listing the contents of a folder, what it is really doing is listing the contents of the msf file.

Thunderbird allows for multiple profiles, where each profile is a complete configuration (accounts, messages, addressbook, settings). Most users use just ONE profile. Any profile that does not contain user's data can be safely deleted.

When in windows file explorer, you can safely copy files from one profile to another, but do it individually, as a surgeon, so that you know exactly what was and was not changed. Copying an entire profile into another leaves residue of the original content and results may be unpredictable.