The duplicate Thunderbird uninstall entry in your Windows Control Panel 'Add/Remove Programs' list doesn't do any harm. You can ignore it, or use Google to find a toll which removes duplicate entries.

By any means, it has got nothing to do with your duplicate folders.

I use MalwareBytes, Windows Defender, Acronis seem to think Cloning may have something to do with this problem

I don't understand your point about Acronis. Wrt MalwareBytes, you shouldn't run an on-access scanner in addition to the one from Defender. Anti-virus software may well be involved in causing the problem.

These are some general steps which may prevent the problem happening again in the future. You'd need to manually clean up the duplicate folder mess anyway.

Create an exception in your anti-virus software for the Thunderbird profile folder, so that the anti-virus real-time scanner will not scan it. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

Don't let your anti-virus software scan incoming and outgoing messages.

Don't let your anti-virus software scan attachments.

Don't let your anti-virus software intercept your secure connection to the server.

Remove any add-ons your anti-virus software may have installed in Thunderbird.

Keep it working. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keep_it_working_-_Thunderbird

And last but not least, backup your Thunderbird profile on a regular basis. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile

I really don't know what to say, almost every suggestion you gave is contrary to all you read about keeping a computer safe, the only protection I have used for many years is Windows Defender, I have used Spybot to remove some files, but not all that much, this problem hit like a virus, but we have 5 computers on a network and only mine has the duplicate problem, Acronis is a backup , cloning with a few tools that I don't use to much, my problem started when I got interested in Cloning, I thought it would save time and be easier to make clones once a week and if a problem came up all I had to do was change drives, But that's when the problem started, I have an open case with Acronis who are interested in this problem and want to help fix it, They say they have to get it fixed, but I have not seen any thing positive so far, they study and just ask for more information, one day the tech took over my computer, while I was on the phone with him, he was amazed at the number of duplicate files, I was scared not sure I had given in the what I advised others not to do. But I am stuck, I am almost 80 years old and this is getting to me, my intentions is to wipe a few drives and do a fresh install of Windows, which I don't even have an install disk of Windows 10, I simply started with 7 and kept upgrading, can a person buy a backup copy of Windows 10? then I could start installing the software I want and carefully transfer over 20 years of files to the fresh PC, If you have guidance please share it.

Thanks for listening. God bless you James

I really don't know what to say, almost every suggestion you gave is contrary to all you read about keeping a computer safe

It's not that way. Anti-virus software is often messing with Thunderbird mail files causing corruption. The suggestions given will avoid these problems without compromising security. This has been explained countless times, and I'll leave it up to you to do your own research. Google is your friend. It is of course up to you to follow the suggestions or not.

the only protection I have used for many years is Windows Defender

Defender is a good choice. I'm using it too. You don't need anymore than that.

my problem started when I got interested in Cloning

I can't help with that.

my intentions is to wipe a few drives and do a fresh install of Windows

As said before, it's up to you what to do. Good luck.

I would like to give credit to as many who helped, not sure how to do that, I am happy to hear that my Windows 10 is legal to reinstall Windows 10 , problem is where do I get the Windows 10 software to install on a bootable DVD , would it be possible to buy a DVD with Windows 10 on it , like a backup copy, and if so do I go to Microsoft to make this purchase, I will Google these questions, you people have been very helping. Let me know how I can help those who helped get credit. Thank you all God bless you James

I would like to thank everyone who helped, I thought at my age I knew about computers but I guess you're never too old to learn, I am going to try and use all I have learned here and start, as someone said, using Google to find the Windows 10 product I can download and then place two new formatted drives in my PC . load Windows and start carefully selecting files from my pc that I want to keep, it's going to be a slow and long task but hopefully it will solve this problem of the thousands of duplicate and triplicate files with zero contents. Agin Thanks to all you helpful people God bless you James

PS, If someone has the info, location where I can get what I need it would be helpful. But as you said, Make Google your friend,

Thanks, I am assuming you mean the computer I am having the problems with, I have gone to Control Panel and see the option to download or make a Windows10 DVD, I will try to find out how to use the Recovery option, if this fails, do I loose what I now have, a messed up PC, but one that I can still access the internet and get help. Thanks for the help God bless James

Sure glad I did what you said, I just finished installing a backup that allowed me to write this, earlier today I had completely lost my computer and the backup saved the day. Praise the Lord God bless all James

christ1 said

The duplicate Thunderbird uninstall entry in your Windows Control Panel 'Add/Remove Programs' list doesn't do any harm. You can ignore it, or use Google to find a toll which removes duplicate entries. By any means, it has got nothing to do with your duplicate folders.

I use MalwareBytes, Windows Defender, Acronis seem to think Cloning may have something to do with this problem

I don't understand your point about Acronis. Wrt MalwareBytes, you shouldn't run an on-access scanner in addition to the one from Defender. Anti-virus software may well be involved in causing the problem.

These are some general steps which may prevent the problem happening again in the future. You'd need to manually clean up the duplicate folder mess anyway.

Create an exception in your anti-virus software for the Thunderbird profile folder, so that the anti-virus real-time scanner will not scan it. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

Don't let your anti-virus software scan incoming and outgoing messages.

Don't let your anti-virus software scan attachments.

Don't let your anti-virus software intercept your secure connection to the server.

Remove any add-ons your anti-virus software may have installed in Thunderbird.

Keep it working. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keep_it_working_-_Thunderbird

And last but not least, backup your Thunderbird profile on a regular basis. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile