http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_a_profile_that_suddenly_disappeared

ok-score, has this ever happened to you before?

No, and since I am 70 years of age i am lost. Entering thunderbird I get a new screen to install a new account instead of my own account. If you can guide me - please - with the utmost simple instructions I will be most grateful, I lost all my emails as it seems now

If your email account in Thunderbird was set up as an IMAP type account, and you had not moved anything to local folders, then you can just give thunderbird the account information again and all the mail will download.

Otherwise, you likely need a local tech friend how can do what is described at http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_a_profile_that_suddenly_disappeared

The latter advice I think I have to follow, however I must try it myself. ANy good suggestions ?

I don't think that offhand I could come up with any particular advice or comments that would help you.

Can I suggest you read through the article suggested previously, and then ask for clarification when you get stuck? That way we should get to the sticking points more quickly, rather than us trying to second-guess what you need to know.

First question it asks that we need to answer is whether or not your address book has survived. I suspect you will find yours is empty.

All of you thanks I managed to find js file, seems to be renamed to js-1 after deleting js and renaming js-1 to js it is wsorking again.