How do I get TB back how I like it?
Hi,
I stupidly agreed to the TB update today and now nothing works in the way I want it to. I'd spent time getting the interface to be how I like it only for the update to ruin it completely. I had been backing up my profiles using MozBackup and I uninstalled the latest TB, re-installed an older version and restored my MozBackup. However, this did not seem to get back the interface to how I want it.
Previously I had various add-on's working well. These incuded "Compact Header", Adblock Plus, Element hiding for Adblock Plus, Custom Buttons etc. These all worked well.
I also created a button called "undo" that replicated the undo menu option.
Now despite the restore much is not working and the undo button is no more.
I also keep trying to create a TB shortcut that takes me to the Profile Manager but instead it goes straight into TB.
Please could someone tell me how to get my "undo" button back and how get the Profile Manager shortcut to work?
Is these any documentation that explains where all the files used by TB reside and what they do? I would like to write a script that backs up all of my email files, calender appointments etc and another script that backs up all of the TB customisations. But I have never found the documentation that tells me where everything is and what it does.
Could anyone also shed any light on why the developers keep screwing up perfectly good working environments? I do want security updates but I have never found any of the FF and TB updates to be an improvement to the interface. It seems that perfectly good programs are changed for the worse each time. The reason I use add-ons is because successive updates to the interface have made it worse and worse. I assume others agree as I see similar comments when add-ons stop working. What am I missing? Is Mozilla trying to drive everyone to Chrome and Outlook? The reason I liked FF and TB is because I could make the interface work how I want it.
I assume there must be documentation somewhere with information I need?
Also, is there a guide on how to get the latest versions to behave how FF and TB used to?
Thanks.
All Replies (7)
This explains where your profile with all your data is. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data
FYI:Mozilla turned Thunderbird over to the Thunderbird Council 4 or 5 years ago.
There were some big changes and some big bugs in the latest version 60.x and lots of add ons no longer work. There are several posts on this forum on how to get some of them working if you search. You can ask about Firefox in their form. It is still a Mozilla program and has nothing to do with the operation of Thunderbird.
I think you misunderstood my question. I know where my profile is but in restoring my profile I did not get back to where I was before the install. So, there is clearly some information that is stored external to my profile.
I was also was looking for an explanation of what all the files in the profile do. That is what I could not find. Obviously I know where the profiles are stored or I would not be asking about using profilemanager. As backing up and restoring my profile did not get me back to where I was before, I feel I need to understand the internal workings of TB in terms of what files it stores what information in.
My question regarding the changes to FF and TB is still valid. It does not matter who now is responsible for what. What I was seeking was an answer as to why changes were made to both programs that seemed to make the interface worse. Those changes were made before the split of TB from Mozila. I am not suggesting that changes were made to make the interface worse on purpose, but as many people seem to be using add-ons, something clearly is not quite right. I have no idea how Mozilla worked, or how the new TB organisation works, but it does not seem to be relevant. I am more interested in the motivations behind the changes and whether they were caused by a technical issue or not.
The Profile Manager can be started by selecting Windowskey+R and typing thunderbird.exe -p
I created an Undo button add-on for TB 60 here:
https://codefisher.org/toolbar_button/toolbar_button_maker/en-US/messenger/
Files and folders in the TB profile:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Files_and_folders_in_the_profile_-_Thunderbird
Schedule backups of the profile or just the mail with ImportExportTools.
Part of the reason for interface changes is that TB still depends on code from Firefox, so it must adapt to code over which it has no control. CustomizeMyBird is one tool to overcome this.
Thank you so much for that.
Similar posting in mozilla.support.thunderbird lamented the loss of adblock. ublock was recommended
Do you have a link for that?