Total Fail 102.1.2 - downloaded and installed 102.1.2 from the website, then it created a new profile
Earlier today I downloaded 102.1.2 from the website. I installed it and everything was gone. No accounts, no folders with my saved emails. So I tried overlaying the profiles with backups I created at the beginning of the month. When I launched 102.1.2 after that, I was told those profiles were incompatible and I had to set up from scratch all my folders & accounts. So I then re-installed a prior version, 91.12.0. This time I was told a newer version had set up different profiles and again, I had to start from scratch to set up Thunderbird. I'm curious how/why this happened. Can anyone enlighten me?
As it turns out, I was able to restore a system image taken last week and can run Thunderbird 91.12.0 fine. But until I can gain some understanding how to migrate to whatever new structure is in place and keep all my accounts and saved emails, I can't see updating Thunderbird any more which likely means I'll have to find another email client when I finally move to Windows 11. Hate to do that; I've been using Thunderbird for going on 20 years now. Again, can anyone enlighten me as to how I can successfully migrate my settings and saved emails to the new Thunderbird?
Any enlightenment will be appreciated!!
Modified by Wayne Mery
All Replies (4)
Unfortunately, having done a restore, it's now hard to say why you got this problem. But my guess is you installed the Thunderbird program into a diferent directory from it's original location. That will force Thunderbird to want a new data profile.
No, same folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird (*). I learned a long time ago that with Mozilla installers, you pretty much need to accept the default install folder for the programs to run properly. Somewhere in the 2000s I tried installing Firefox elsewhere and that was also a total fail.
I have a desktop icon which is a shortcut to the Thunderbird executable. I didn't and have never changed that. It wouldn't have launched if the executable had been relocated. The profile folders haven't moved either: C:\Users\mzell\AppData\Roaming & C:\Users\mzel\AppData\Local.
I understand that to properly troubleshoot nothing should have been touched. Kind of like detectives not wanting anyone to pollute a crime scene. Unfortunately, in 2020 having email access is practically a daily necessity and who knows how long the troubleshooting would take. In another few months I'll try updating Thunderbird on my backup desktop. That computer is going away after I pick up a Windows 11 desktop around Black Friday this year.
Just out of curiosity, can multiple instances of Thunderbird co-exist if I were to install 102.1.2 into a non-default folder? OR if I just install the 64 bit version of 102.1.2 which will go into a different folder. I'm assuming the profiles can co-exist as they would have different names. Maybe I could try that and see if I can migrate my folders/saved messages over somehow or just extract them and keep them saved out of Thunderbird. Maybe there's an extension/add-on to help with that. I have 3 different email addresses/accounts and re-setting those up isn't that difficult/time consuming. Its dealing with the saved messages that's a bit problematic.
(*) I run the 32 bit version. When the 64 bit versions started, extensions didn't work with them. I know they do now but the 32 bit version works and I don't like messing around with things that work.
redbird14 said
Just out of curiosity, can multiple instances of Thunderbird co-exist if I were to install 102.1.2 into a non-default folder? OR if I just install the 64 bit version of 102.1.2 which will go into a different folder. I'm assuming the profiles can co-exist as they would have different names.I have functioning on this device a copy of Thunderbird 3.1, 102.1.2 and the daily build. All have separate profiles
Maybe I could try that and see if I can migrate my folders/saved messages over somehow or just extract them and keep them saved out of Thunderbird.
Sounds rather pointless to me.
Maybe there's an extension/add-on to help with that.
This addon works well for switching profiles. QUite probabhly could have made your old profile situation more tenable.
(*) I run the 32 bit version. When the 64 bit versions started, extensions didn't work with them. I know they do now but the 32 bit version works and I don't like messing around with things that work.
My guess is Thunderbird updated you to a 64bit version, and placed it in program files. Unfortunately it is those that do not like change that get messed around most with software, because they are usually the last ones doing something from a decade ago that the new crop of developers have never even heard of.
I think what I'm going to do is basically nothing. When the next version of Thunderbird is released I'll create an image prior to installing it and see if whatever happened with 102.1.2 happens again or not. If it doesn't, I'm good. If it does, I'm planning on getting a Win 11 computer around Black Friday and I'll install 64 bit Thunderbird on that and just run with the 32 bit version 91.12.0 on my current Win 10 desktop until then. I'll create mbox files for the emails I save and port those from my Win 10 desktop to the new Win 11 desktop. The relevant extension involved is ImportExportToolsNG .
For Win 7 & Win 10 when I just copied the contents of my Thunderbird profile to new computers, all the saved emails came over fine but the Account Settings for the 3 email providers I use didn't. I set them up manually. I'm assuming I'll have to do that on the Win 11 computer as well.
FWIW, if Thunderbird updated me to the 64bit version, then the 32bit installer must be flawed. I went to the download website and the links that lead you to the download are all darkened out. The 32bit installer is also a different size (smaller) from the 64bit installer. The file I downloaded matches the file size of the 32bit installer on the download website. So I'm certain I used the 32bit installer.