Desperate for help with Thunderbird ImportExport Tools
My computer died. Got new one on the 2nd. Installed Thunderbird. I have a pristine backup using Thunderbird ImportExportTools. There are three profiles in the backup. There are three backup directories. They are:
Thunderbird Mail ImportExportTools Backup
Thunderbird Mail ImportExportTools Single File Storage
Thunderbird Mail ImportExportTools Storage
I can't get anything to work. I'm desperate! I could use someone's help over a Messenger chat or similar. I got a signed client contract today and need to begin work for them, but I am using my iPhone to access mail on my mail server because I can't use Thunderbird and I can't risk losing any of my mail. I've been trying to get this right for a week and I'm losing my mind. Thank you in advance!
All Replies (6)
ImportExportTools is an extensions. You may contact the author for help. There's a support email on the extension ATN site. https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/
Dave,
Word on the street is the author of the addon (Panos) is not very responsive lately. So if he doesn't respond and no one here specifically addresses your problem, then perhaps ask in mozilla.support.thunderbird newsgroup.
Also, for Thunderbird version 68 the addon is being updated by a new person.
Modified by Wayne Mery
Thanks for letting me know Wayne! I am in desperate shape my friend. I need to get Thunderbird re-installed and all of my mail back where it belongs. I have client emails that are incredibly important and that date back years and that have to be saved for legal reasons. I thought that ImportExportTools would be the perfect tool. The backups that I have are pristine, I just don't know how to get then into Thunderbird. Thunderbird keeps making a new profile and I can't get it to accept the profile that's in the backup.
Thanks again, dave.
Wayne Mery said
Dave,
Word on the street is the author of the addon (Panos) is not very responsive lately. So if he doesn't respond and no one here specifically addresses your problem, then perhaps ask in mozilla.support.thunderbird newsgroup.
Also, for Thunderbird version 68 the addon is being updated by a new person.
@Wayne Wayne Mery said
Also, for Thunderbird version 68 the addon is being updated by a new person.
That version also works for 60 and actually contains some bug fixes. Just an FYI.
@Dave
I think the real question you need to answer is what backup setting did you use in your backup. You say those are profiles, but I actually doubt that, even though I have never used the feature.
I suggest opening each of the folders in file manager and looking for the file prefs.js. then check that each has a mail and an imapmail folder. That will offer information about when is really contained in the folders. do the mail folders contain recent dates?
Thunderbird backed up every time it was closed.
In the prefs.js file in the folder (0s1g6aqv.default-20190731-0327) from the date and time my old computer crashed, I found:
user_pref("mail.root.imap", "C:\\Users\\Dave\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\0s1g6aqv.default\\ImapMail"); user_pref("mail.root.imap-rel", "[ProfD]ImapMail"); user_pref("mail.root.none", "C:\\Users\\Dave\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\0s1g6aqv.default\\Mail"); user_pref("mail.root.none-rel", "[ProfD]Mail"); user_pref("mail.root.pop3", "C:\\Users\\Dave\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\0s1g6aqv.default\\Mail"); user_pref("mail.root.pop3-rel", "[ProfD]Mail");
There are 337 folder with the name "0s1g6aqv.default-YYYYMMDD-HHMM" dating back to January 20, 2018, when I started using Thunderbird ImportExportTools. Those 337 folders are within the main folder named "Thunderbird Mail ImportExportTools Backup."
Ideas?
Thanks so much!
I set up a backup, it has been running now for about 4 hours and is perhaps 70% done. When it finally ends I might have some idea how and what this this does exactly. Although at this point all I have is a copy of the oringinal folder with a date and time appended to the folder name and it is probably enough.
So I think I will take a punt. Open Thunderbird on your new device, go into the troubleshooting information on the help menu and click the show button for the profile folder. This way there is no question where your current install thinks the profile is located. Windows file manager will open in the correct folder.
Close Thunderbird completely.
now open the folder 0s1g6aqv.default-20190731-0327 in windows file manager and copy it's entire contents (and sub folder structure) to the new profile folder. This should lead to some replace prompts, for instance prefs.js. make sure you do replace files. If you do not get replace prompts there is a good chance you are pasting the information at the wrong "level" in the folder hierarchy
start Thunderbird.
If it has gone well you will be back with everything where it was.