Anyone got any suggestion? Cannot access my emails.

As you are still using 'Vista', you are stuck with old versions of Thunderbird and therefore few people may even remember all the old settings.

It sounds like Thunderbird could not access the profile name folder for some reason, so it created a new profile hence it is asking you to create a new mail account or it really is using the correct profile but it has lost access to all the mail accounts.

Can you supply some info so we can understand what is going on.

Check what profile name folder Thunderbird is currently using:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information
• Under 'Application Basics' - Profile Folder - click on 'Open Folder'

A new window opens showing the contents of the 'profile name ' folder currently being used. Q: What is the name of that 'profile name' folder?

Exit Thunderbird now.

Locate the 'prefs.js' file - open it using Notepad. Post image showing all the contents.

Q: Do you see any more 'prefs.js' files perhaps with a number eg: prefs-1.js ? If yes, make sure the view is showing details and columns name, modified date, type and size. Please Post an image so we can see when new 'prefs.js' files were created and their size. Maybe Thunderbird created a new 'prefs.js' file which does not have all the mail accounts and perhaps there is an older one which does contain them.

Then go up a level to access: C:/User/username/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles folder Q: Do you see more than one profile name folder in the 'Profiles' folder? Post an image showing the contents of the 'Profiles' folder.

Go up a level to see contents of 'Thunderbird' folder. Access the 'profiles.ini' file located in the 'Thunderbird' folder - open it using Notepad post an image showing the contents.

General Info for Vista users: The most up to date version a Vista OS can use is 52.9.1 Release notes info

• https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/52.9.1/releasenotes/

You can get a download of that version from this link:

• http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/52.9.1/win32/

Then choose prefered language eg: en-GB is English British Click on the 'Thunderbird Setup 52.9.1.exe' link text to get a download. This usually downloads to the computer 'Downloads' folder unless you have changed where downloads get stored.

Many thanks, Toad-Hall.

Herewith response to your ideas: copied from Notepad: >>> Profile folder: C:\Users\Capronex\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0ye5e6g6.default

>>> prefs.js:

1. Mozilla User Preferences

/* Do not edit this file.

*
* If you make changes to this file while the application is running,
* the changes will be overwritten when the application exits.
*
* To make a manual change to preferences, you can visit the URL about:config
*/

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>>> profiles.ini: [General] StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0] Name=default IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/0ye5e6g6.default

Image added to show all detected all prefs*.js files:

1. It would seem you only have one profile name folder - 0ye5e6g6.default 2. The 'prefs.js' file has no record of any mail accounts. 3. Your search for files on computer says there is only one 'prefs.js' file. However, you did not need to search for them. You were aready in the profile name folder called '0ye5e6g6.default'. So it would have been easier to post image of its contents. So please double check the contents of the 0ye5e6g6.default profile name folder and post image of contents.

You mention you have got emails. Did you have a POP account ? If yes: In '0ye5e6g6.default' profile name folder is a folder called 'Mail' and it contains pop mail account name folders which in turn would contain mbox files (no extension) - they contain emails.

If you can see those pop mail account name folders and they contain good size mbox files then do the following to hook back to them. In Thunderbird File > New > Existing mail account Enter name, email address and password. Select to Remember password. Click on 'Continue' Create a POP mail account, so if Thunderbird by default creates an imap account, you will need to manually configure it to say POP.

Once you have created the POP mail account, do NOT start downloading anything. First go into Account Settings > Server Settings for pop account look bottom right for 'Local directory:' It will say something like this: C:\Users\Capronex\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0ye5e6g6.default\Mail\pop account-1.com

click on the 'Browse' button

It will open a window showing the contents of the new pop mail account name folder. You may find the new pop account may have same name but with an added number. Go up the directory to the 'Mail' folder and then select the original pop mail account name folder and click on 'Select Folder' This will then point the new pop account to use the old pop account. So if the old pop account still has all your emails, you should see them in the Folder Pane.

Excellent help Toad-Hall. We got there. I'm grateful for your patient responses. Have a safe, healthy 2023+ Kindest regards, Peter